Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-02-02
RECENT CONFERENCE IN DIES
MONIES DID NOT MEET TX.
PEcTATloNs.
EVERY MOVE cHEckaaATED
~ COUNTER MOVEMENT
Each Faction Afraid to start Some.
thins-Prssidsntial Preferences AZ
Marked AZ In East-hsarst influences
Being Fslt-ssntimsnt For Wilson
Surprises.
Special to Times- Republican.

Special to Times-Republican.
Des Moines, Feb. 2.-The mystery as
to what happened at the recent demo
cratic conference has been pulling to
many, or rather they have wondered
why nothing at all happened beyond
the official work Of the state commit
tee. 1t is certain something else was
scheduled for the event. and equally
certain nothing else happened Of a
definite character.
TIE fact is that nothing happened
because there could be no agreement.
Nobody dared start anything. Every
move in one direction or another was
checkmated by counter move. The
conference was barren. All that was
developed was that leaders among Iowa
democrats are very much divided, that
they have firm convictions as to candi-
dates and that they are not disposed
to ield at this time
Isn't it , surprising suggested
Claude Porter after the close Of the
conferences. what strong differences
of opinion are found among our Iowa
democrats? We might expect in New
York and eastern states that the demo-
Gratis would divide sharply, for the in
Nfluences that surround them are pow
ertui; but mere in iowa pIes..1aeeas:: : &c.
preferences are just as marked"
The projected plan to have organized
here at the time Of the conference a
strong statewide Champ Clark club
was abandoned. This was, the con-
spicuous feature Of the weeks events.
Hearst Influence Felt.
Des Moines democrat, incidentally
a Harmon man, long prominent in par
ty councils, gave partial explanation
The Clark men found that sentiment
was too strong against them and they
had to give up he said. But would
like to suggest to you t. inquire into
something here that has puzzled me.
There were three men at the confer
ence and some Of them spent several
days at it, all of whom are very close
to William r. Hearst All three are or
have been recently on Hearst's payroll.
And all Of them were pushing for
Clark. Now can't believe that in any
sense whatever is Clark the candidate
Of Hearst, and doubt II Hearst wants
Clark nominated. Maybe it is that
Clark is being used, in states like Iowa,
to mix things up so that in the end the
convention Will be in the control of
Hearst and that he hopes to dominate
the convention for some purpose. The
presence Of the Hearst influence at the
conference was so pronounced that it
set a great many to wondering"
That which really surprised those
who called the conference was the
strength and firmness Of the sentiment
for Governor Wilson. Despite all re-
cent events the Wilson sentiment ap-
pears to have been gaining right along
Apparently it was the expectation on
the part Of the Clark people that about
this time the Wilson boom would flat
ten out entirely; but the contrary
seems to be the situation. So far as
could be ascertained not single per-
son who has in the past been for Will
son has weakened IN his position.
The next most surprising thing was
the discovery that Governor Harmon
has some real strength in iowa and
that great many most excellent
democrats think that Harmon would be
the strongest candidate. especially II
Taft is not renominated.
But nobody started anything at the
conference.