Omaha daily bee., 1912-08-26
IOWA MOOSERS IN TROUBLE
Approaching Convention Briggs
With it Some Old Problems.
BIG FIGHT OVER sENATORsHrP
Attitude of Kenyon In Remaining
in Party Clarifies Situation from
Viewpoint of Candidates for
the Legislature.
(From a Staff correspondent.)

DES MONIES Ia. Aug. 25.-(Special.) J.
There is open prediction that the Buil
Moose party Is going on the rocks In
Iowa That there is serious trouble in
the ranks is not denied by the leaders
They are a great deal worried over wha.
IFS going to happen this week
They have. issued call for a state
convention to consider q state ticket and
senatorial nomination to be held next
week, and on Saturday county conyen-
tlons Will be held. Some of the leaders
hoped for a call to bring back the already
elected delegates because they realize
that IL new county conventions are held
there Is danger of bad division on the
question Of opening the door to the horde
Of office seekers who have f1ocked to the
party to take charge OF Its affairs.
The new party has received encourage
ment, to large extent, from politicians
and newspapers that were losers In the
primary fight last spring. There has
been much local sentiment here for 1t be-
cause Of disappointments.
The county conventions are to be held
next Saturday and the state convention
on the Wednesday following, when Col
onel Roosevelt will be here. The question
OF whether Independent candidates for
state office are to be given support of
the state committee will be decided at
that time. The convention cannot make
a legal nomination, but IL there are TO be
candidates for office any and all who de-
sire to go on the ticket are at liberty to
secure the names to petitions and have
their names on the ballot under the
Roosevelt name.
Fight for the senatorslhip.
The main fight this year is to be on
United States senator and there is much
pleasure because of the fact that Senator
Kenyon has come out in fair declaration
that he is republican and will support
the ticket generally and not encourage
the third party movement. This fixes
the attitude of the candidates for the
legislature. There will be no occasion
for apologizlng or hedging. Senator Ken
yon Is progressive and win speak for
progressive principles within the repub-
liean party, but he will not divide his
strength. 1t is expected that Senator
Cummins will take little different atti-
tude. since he probably win make Ii plain
that for personal reasons he cannot sup
port President Taft or speak for him, nut
he will not leave the republican party.
bryan Expresses Confidence.
w. J. Bryan, who Is still doing chau-
tauqua work, paused here long enough
one night last week to say that he is
nightly encouraged as to woodrow Will
son and to predict that he is rapidly
gaining. He also declared his belief that
Roosevelt Is losing and that he will lose
stillm ore as the days go by and greater
revelations are made as to campaign con-
tributions. The democratic state commit
tee has taken action early and is already
at work organizing Iowa. Aside from
making the fight for the legislature TO
get o United States senator the democrats
wfll devote most of their time to the
national issue. 1t is confessed that they
have comparatively weak state ticket
ana viii not be able to make much heal
way there.
Gas Case Proves Interesting.
Il 10 expected that the Des Moines gas
case will be appealed from Judge Mo
Pherson, and in fact, the city has littis
objection to this. since It would be an
excellent case osi which to set q preee-
dent as TO the true basis for the fix
,nr of rates. II in asserted by the lawy-
ers in the case that the Des Moines suit
which was tried out leisurely before
master, was about as completely tried as
any case involving public service bust
ness. The decision OF the master and the
federal Judge that the value Of the plant
does not include good will nor II meas
ured ~ the ''cost Of reproduction 10 re-
gardsd as q very interesting one for all
similar cases
stock Industry Not Boomins.
The fact Is revealed at the state fair
row In progress that there has been
some decline in the live stock industry In
Iowa and that things are not booming
as much as they have been in the past,
The stock men say that this is because
Of the high price OF land and the higher
price Of grain. II the farmers are able
tc sell their grain and hay at fancy
prices thsy will neglect the live stocit-
business. That is what Ia sharpening In
Iowa just now The number OF horse and
cattle entris at the state fair Is not as
large as In the past, but all Of fife