The Detroit times., 1911-10-04
|DNl WILL SPEAK
FIRST ON THE
PRESIDENCY
republicans To Hold Voluntary
Primaries To See Whether La
Toilette or Taft Shall Have States
Twenty-six Delegates.
Senator Cummins Publishes State
msnt in Which He Says President
Taft Is Not Progressive.

DIES MONIES, Ia. Oct. 4.-Taft
and anti-Taft primaries are to be held
In Iowa TO decide how this state 10
10 cast its vote in the next national
convention.
LaFollette will be the candidate Of
the antlTaft delegates. Cummins is
the first choice of the Iowa progress
siyes. but Cummins is using his in
nuence for LaFollette.
The presidential primary here is a
new and surprising development. The
; state has no law prohibiting such a
primary and the affair will be entire
" voluntary. Prominent party men
Will volunteer their services as
clerks and election judges and all
expenses will be met by subscrip-
don.
Il looks now as IL Iowa would be
the first state to speak In the presi-
Dental nomination. The proposed
primary will be held probably in De.
cember or January. which Is two or
three months before the primary OF
South Dakota, which states has the
FIRST of the new law-proyided prim-
aries.
Senator Cummins has declared In
favor OF the volunteer primary. So
have most of the other leaders in the
state
a think Il the fair way to de-
termine what the Republicans of
Iowa want" said Senator Cummins.
~ President Taft can get majority
Of the votes of his party here. he is
entitled to the delegates from this
state in the convention. II the Re
publican voters want a more progress
siye candidate, this vote will show
that fact 1t is important that this
Taft and anti-Taft issue be settled
Independently of other state issues.
A voluntary primary is the logical
way to settle IT,"
President Taft's visit to Des Molnes
has Increased rather than lessened
the general desire for q presidential
primary. The progressives say the
president has lost ground as result
OF his trip. They say that his audi
cnces have been curious and
1pathetic rather than interested and
elithnsiastic.
Il appears to me. from talks | have
had with many people, that the peo-
pie OF Iowa are more anti-Taft than
pro-LaFollette. The Wisconsin sena-
tor Is quite well-known here and very
GENERALLY approved, but | find here,
as elsewhere, a lingering OF that old
fiction which was spread abroad for
years by the special interests that
I-aFoilette is "a dangerous radical
There is a feeling among some OF
the Iowa progressives that Senator
Cummins ought to be Endorsed as q
.'favorite SON" They would have the
primaries fought on Cummins vs..
Taft issue. The senator naturally
feels the compliment implied in this
desire, but he says he will not per
NIT his name to be used unless q
eenuine candidate intending to stick
to the finish.
Iowa sends 26 delegates to the ma
tional convention. Four of these are
Misunderstanding. II would be In the
election OF these four delegates-at-
large that the sentiment OF the state
would be best indicated. No doubt
senator Cummins would be candi-
date for one of these positions, and
this would serve to give the full
weight Of his Endorsement to the pro-
eressive candidate.
Since returning to Iowa Senator
Cummins has published statement
giving nine reasons for his conclusion
that Taft is not progressive. This
document has come &c be in great de-
mand. the requests for II being en-
firely out OF proportion to the sup
ply.
Three out OF four Of the local news
papess are now against Taft and a
farm publication with circulation OF
ESQ, 600 in this state is rampantly for
LaFollette.