Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-10-13
SUDDENLY LINE UP IN OPPOSI.
TON TO PRESIDENTIAL
PRIMARY IN IOWA.
SIMULTANEOUSLY SPRING
THREE so-cALLED OBJECTIONS
Stock Arguments Advanced Against
General Primary Prineipls-AIIssed
Cost = eusaboo-Primary System
Long in Vogue in Majority Of coun-
ties Without Legal Regulations.
oecial to Times Republican.

DeS MOfneS, Oct. Sc the self
seeking politicians and fomenters of
fractional discord for personal advant-
age force the state Of Iowa. foremost
in adoption of the progressive principle
of direct vote of all the members of Il
party to settle party questions, to
abandon the primary and %reorganize
the discarded and discredited ward and
precinct caucuses in order to stifle pop
ular opinion on the presidential mat
ter?
That is the real question that leading
republicans see before them in the
present crisis.
The first proposal for a statewide
primary as made in July was entirely
without any regard whatever for either
standpat or progressive politics. At
that time 1t was not supposed that
there would be any serious considera-
ton OF the lame of LaFOllette for
president. No announcement had been
made as to the attitude of any OF the
leaders. A great many republicans,
mostly the standpatters, were COM
planning about the mistakes and blum
ders OF the administration, but con-
gress was still in session. The sug-
geStion as made was for a system by
which the republican voters Of the state
might indicate their choice for presi-
dent. by going quietly to the polls and
voting for a first and second choice,
their candidate on the ticket in blanks
f~~ %J,ox o1c~ tLa Sa1nofinr nf
delegates to the national convention
the same way and perhaps the member
Of the national committee. 1t is hard
to see how anything could be fairer.
The suggestion was that the democrats
should also at the same time settle
their party differences.
Standpat Approval.
! Later and in August the suggestion
was taken up by some Of the leading
standpat editors and approved by them,
ct least In part. When Senator Cum
minis returned home from Washington
your correspondent outlined the matter
to him and he approved the general
plan at once. but refrained from max
ing any public announcement OF the
same until such time as 1t might be
more generally approved by the stand
patters. No sooner had Senators Cum
minis and Kenyon indicated their will
ingress to have the matter disposed OF
by the republican voters Of the state
than the order went forth to all the
Taft organs to start a storm Of oppo-
sition.
Taft Organs Oppose.
Three lines of attack were to be
.-1 S a-l1~1~ Jolc 70
help in fooling the public:
A volunteer party primary would cost
a small fortune.
Democrats are so venal that they
would control the primary.
a primary would disrupt the republic
can party.
1t soon was mad to appear that the
opposition to the primary plan as OPP
posed to a return to the caucus system
was largely from the strictly Taft
standpat organs of the state. One OF
the Taft organs here came out with
startling headlines about the terrible
cost of holding a primary election. and
another Taft organ changed front and
bewailed the alleged tendency Of
thousands and thousands Of democrats
to pretend they are republicans n
vote in the election. n the LaFollette.
organ is saying nothing. The most ex-
travagant statements are made about
the villainy OF democrats who vote In
republican primaries, and it is asserted
that they would try to defeat a on
the theory that they realize Taft is so
very strong that his election would be
sure.
Alleged Cost q 6%usaboo.
AS a matter of fact the alleged ex-
orbitant cost OF a voluntary primary
IS q bugaboo. Republicans who live
in counties where primaries were the
rule for twenty years or more declare
that primary elections need not be
costly. I'VE had a primary In our
county many years. said Ex-senator
Frank Hopkins. of Guthrie. land it was
never expensive. We raised a fund to
pay for printing the tickets by an
assessment of s. on each name on the
ticket. and usually had money left. The