Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-03-11
Looker-On In Iona

Grinnell, March 11.-This town is
continually doing things. One OF the
latest propositions Is to make $4,000
addition to the $4,000 Congregations
church. And the addition is principal
ly for use OF the Sunday school, althc
it will have a pastors study and
ladies' parlor. a Sunday school OF oOl
members, even If it's Sunday school
makes some house. Professor Gan
cauery's class OF thirty adults has nc
more monopoly Of noise than the kin
dergarten crowd. All must be heard
all must talk or what's the use OF 60
ing to Sunday school. But when this
$4,000 Sunday school addition is COM
pleted each class or set of classes Will
have recitation rooms, which by an
ingenious architects arrangement can
when needed, be thrown into an audi
ence room with seating capacity OF
$50 people, this joining the main audi
ence roof, which can accommodate a
crowd of a thousand i'eople. And
there are occasions when 1850 people
| want to get together and hear and see
things from one platform. There's the
usual talk of hard times" can't afford
it, etc, but the writer wants to go
On record as prophesying it will be
done. A big church like this, that can
raise a thousand dollars any Sunday
for any coll of real benevolence, won't
stop at $4,000 for a Sunday schoo!
room.
Grinnell has city primary election
each year which is not legal primary
election. but just as good. 1t is on
! the same plan as now exists in all
cities under the commission form Of
overnment-perhaps one or two ex-
ceptions. only in this case clerks and
judges of election are appointed by a
committee elected at previous pri-
mary. and who serve without pay
Each candidate pays 81 for expenses Of
publication, etc. No party lines are
drawn. thought of or expe cted. The
two highest candidates for each office
are the candidates for such Offices on
election day. However. there's nothing
to prevent any man running independ-
ent on election day His chances Of
election would be small go popular is
the present plan. How things do
change" It's only a few years ago
when some of us of the G. o. P. would
Z
prevent one of the unterrifed old Jack
sonian democrats being elected con-
stable.
Yes, things change. Once a moving
picture show in Grinnell on Sunday
would have almost created a riot Yet
they have had such a thing But
there's no movie" here now on Sun
day. And no city ordinance stopped it.
NO injunction was filed. 1t simply
ceased to move on Sunday for two
reasons. First. because 1t did not pay
and secondly the management was too
shrewd to antagonize the people of
Grinnell even if it had been a paying
affair. A bit of personal opinion is that
an open legal saloon would not pay in
Grinnell. if the proprietors had to pay
a high license
Yes things do change. Here's
strong republican town and by a big
majority an almost universal senti-
ment, is not the least bit sorry a demo-
orat by the name of Wilson, sits in the
presidential chair at Washington. Con-
fdentially it can be said the progress
sives feel that way because Brother
Taft has gone to playing golf And the
standpatters think Teddy's mission is
to write editorials, but there's been no
noticeable increase of the Outiook's
subscription list in Grinnell Seriously
the mass Of the republican voters here.
never before accepted defeat so
graciously or felt so friendly towards
man elected president by the
democratic party. And this just as
true all over Iowa one hears it on the
cars, in the hotels and depots. Wood
rows all right today-what about four
years from now?
The OdGfelIows here are seeing pros
porous days. Their $4,000 block is paid
for, they are completely out of debt and
are taking in new members at almost
every regular meeting. The public
hears and knows but little Of their
work in the way of sick benefits and
personal brotherly work but it came to
the writer's knowledge that this soci-
ETY. has paid 70 nameess brother over
$1,000 in sick benefits. This covering
a term of years when the brother actu-
ally needed the help.
Another matter of comment here is
The Rise and Fair OF the social.stic
party in this vicinity. At one time
over 200 copies Of daily socialist
paper were taken in Grinnell. In one
Of the churches socialism had much
strength and many followers in at least
some of the doctrines of the party.
Now one nears little or nothing of the
once vital subject. Probably the So
cialists are still firm in the belief, but
somehow perhaps because President
Wilson is something Of socialist, the
subject is rarely mentioned.
And it's just as true Of the prohibit
ton party-as a party. This can be
explained because of democratic
president, for he's an out and out local
optionist Not so long ago many good
men here felt 1t duty to vote the pro-.
hibition ticket as matter Of principle
Not so now. Some such men voted for
Wilson at the last election.