Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-04-22
IOWA REPUBLICANS IN FIGHT
Warm Contest on for Control of
State Convention Wednesday.
EACH SIDE CLAIMS MAJORITY
nec;stou of Contest. in Four Conn
ties viii Determine Instruction
of DeIegntes-at-LRreie 10
state Convention.

of DeIegates-at-LRreie 4"
state Convention.
DIES MONIES. April d--tspeeal.l-
loDa republicans have scheduled BEFORE
them for this week another state CON
ventian and IL IL comes up TO the pre-
Uminary advertising matter II Will De an
interesting event in state politics. There
are ]. 4N delegates entitled to seats Ia the
convention. Il will have before II but
one duty. that OF selecting four dele
gates to the republican national conVen-
ton. It is probable thar nearly every dele
gate will be present for the convention
is admitted on both sides TO be so close
that nobody knows who will control The
temporary chairman is C. NJ. Thomas OF
Maquoketa. a regular republican, Sc
lected by the state COMMITTEES some time
ago. Unless possibly there is a contest
against The regular delegates from os-
ceola county there will be no contest be-
fore the convention and that delegation
is the smallest in the state.
The prelimlnaries for the convention
were conducted with decorum and fair
ness. or at least as fair as possible under
the caucus system, and there are very
few sore spots left as the result Of the
various county contests. II was a square
contest between the regular republicans
of Iowa In support OF Senator Cummins
and their longtime opponents in support
Of President Taft. There was really very
little interest on either side. The support
ers OF Cummins felt early in the game
that Il was useless effort to secure the
delegation FOR him as they believed IL
10 be a foregone conclusion that Taft
would be unanimously renominated. Be-
sides. they had four years ago taken the
lead In support Of Taft and secured the
state for him unanimously. and II was
not easy for them to turn. On the other
hand there was lack of enthusiasm for
President Taft and only when outside
pressure came was the fight made good
and hard. The Taft committee placed the
nitro matter In the hands OF John T.
Adams OF Dubuque. while Senator Cum
MINIS secretary did the work that was
done for him o.
Cio-eness of Convention.
There can be no doubt whatever Of the
closeness Of the state convention be-
tween the two factions. The convention
majority is IA The regulars claim lust
7t for their total vote ON tho face OF
tho returns. Mr.. Adams claims for Taft
"a delegates, or thirty-thres more than
a majority. The difference lies in Potta-
wattamie, Franklin. Webster and Dallas
counties. There is disagreement as to
conditions In the delegation from Potta-
wattamie. the difference amounting TO
about a dozen votes. In Franklin only
three votes are In question: In Dallas
and Webster the situation is complicated
by the fact that IN those counties Sen.
ator Kenyon and Lieutenant Governor
Clarke are candidates for office and each
side expects them 10 deliver votes In the
state convention, Both delegations were
originally reported as solid for the pro-
gressives. but Il Is now claimed that Taft
viii get fifteen out OF Webster and eight
out OF Dallas. Aside from these four
counties there are delegations from six
or seven other counties not instructed,
and there may be delegates thereon whose
position Is not yet fully defined.
The convention Is TO be held at Cedar
Rapids on Wednesday OF this week.
Already seven district conventions have
been held. -Four Of them carried for Taft
and three for cummins. The other four
viii divide evenly between the two candi-
dates. so that out OF the district dele
gates TAFT will have twelve and Cum
minis ten. IL cmnmins controls the state
convention he will have fourteen at Chi
cago; IL Taft controls. he will have six
teen at Chicago from Iowa. In case Taft
controls the delegation John T. Adams
will be elected national committeeman
Senator cummins viii be at the Cedar
Rapids convention. There will also be a
notable gathering Of Iowa republicans
Senator Kenyon. Governor Carroll, W. p.
Hepburn, Lieutenant Governor Clarke,
Senator Proudfoot, Congressman Woods
and others.
To Welcome New Bishop.
Preparations are being made for
royal welcome to Bishop Downing when
he reaches Des MONIES. May /. to as
sumo his new duties In charge OF the new
see. All the Catholic societies will
participate In the ceremonies and the new
bishop Will be escorted from the train to
his new residence with a parade. There
viii be a banquet and other ceremonies.
Governor B. +. Carroll win give the ad-
dress of welcome in behalf of the state,
Mayor James r. Hanna in behalf OF the
city. and Jerry B. sullivan in behalf Of
The citizens of Des Moines.
Mgr. Fayin OF Des Molnes. accompanied
By several priests OF the parish. left for
Providence. r. l.. tonight to be present
at the conservation exercises Of the new