Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-05-30
As 10 CLARKE.

didate for governor damage this week |
BY publishing the charges that he fixed
senate committees favorable to the /.
LIQUOR interests and that he has the !
support of certain newspapers which !
have heretofore been standpat and
standpatters for other places on the
ticket Progressives. however should
not be alarmed. Had the progressive
forces in this state wobbled every time
the Register and Leader has wobbled
and had they reversed their course eV-
cry time the Register and Leader has
shifted its compass there would be
nothing left of the progressives in this
state but merry go-round.
AS to the first charge that Clarke is
not a good progressive because he mas
succeeded in securing the support OF
certain standpat newspapers let it be
understood that for many months
Clarke seemed to be the only candi-
date in the field. For time he seemed
to he having the field all to himself
and much talk was INDUCED as to the
end Of factionalism. 1t was during this
time that certain newspapers like the
Gate City at Keokuk and the Republi-
can at Cedar Rapids endorsed Clarke
as a fair man and a broad republic
can Afterwards Governor Carroll
brought Proudfoot out and the Regis
ter and Leader coterie brought out
Holden, but self respect commanded
the Gate City and the Republican to
steer straight ahead. 1t would have
been the summersault of a buffoon to
have changed about and then those
who are standpatters constitutionally
are not moved by every little wind.
| But as to Clarke's progressiveness
Senator Cummins is still satisfied and
is writing letters in his support. Rob
ert Fleming, Of the progressive head
quarters in Des Moines, writes: This
lis no time for progressives to divide
their strength and allow our opponents
to win. Nearly all men who have
fought the battles for Senator Cum
misn are supporting Kenyon and
Clarke We can not stop to bubble
because here and there these men are
securing some standpat support We
should be glad that it is SO for it will
take more votes than we secured for
Garst to insure the nomination of eth
er Clarke or Kenyon"
The Fleming letter adds II can say
further that during his long expert
ence as a legislator he has been in
thorough sympathy and has worked for
all the progressive legislation which
was enacted during Senator Cummins
incumbency as governor
The fact is indisputable that among
leaders whose progressiveness is I'M
questioned and whose course has been
unwavering all are supporting Clarke.
AS to the other charge that Clarke
favored the liquor interests it is first
to be noted that the Holden coterie
is working it. Ex-Professor Bowman,
once of Ames, was in Marshalltown
this week trying to line up the anti
saloon association for Holden on the
strength of this charge against Clarke
and he reported that the association
in Waterloo had been caught by the
bait But now comes a letter to the
members of the Church of Christ from
Charles S. Medbury, minister Of the
University Of Christ, in Drake Uni
! versity district in Des Moines, which
states that:
THE legislation Of the past eight
wears which has circumscribed the
liauor traffic and driven more than
half of the saloons out of business
which were running at the beginning
of that period has come from commit
! tees which Clarke has appointed either
P as speaker of the house or as president
of the senate. In the latter position in
; the Thirty third General Assembly he
appoirted Honorable George Cosson
chairman of the committee on the sup
l preston Of intemperance and out OF
this came the Cosson laws which have
been so prolific in closing up saloons,
bawdy houses and other places of ques-
l. tionable repute and in forcing public
t officials to do their duty
George Clarke has long been an ac-
1 tive church member in his home town
s Of Abel. He has been in the Legislature
v for many years and his record there
: was sufficient to please progressives
e and temperance people. Now that he
: is running for governor he should be
Judged for the future by his record in
: the past Holden, for whom these
g charges against Clarke are being
v worked is an unknown quantity politi-
n cally. Nobody ever saw him in a state
Il convention, legislature or a county
n caucus. Nobody knows today whether
Y The is a standpatter, a progressive, ar
It anti-saloon man or q liberal. He ha:
l. lbeen a seed corn scientist, college
e professor and it would not be surpris
ling il he had held himself so far aloo
- from politics as to be unable to distin