Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-01-08


III OF that-te INV. Pa others.
tAsash they az not sss It. \ was q
vecsOioa. Q truce % TIE struGGis. old
% ME ttseif. betwssn The many and
the stronS.
william Murcheil was q Distinguish.
"a member OF class whose climbing
proclivitiea are not subdued BY the in
cident Of lowly start. He waa born
In the obscure hill town Of New Chel.
sea soon after Andrew jackson and
his contemporaries promulgated and H.
Illustrated the Immortal doctrine. ITO
the victor belong the spoiis" In the
fashion made popular by Abraham Lin
coin and other great men he secured
an education and on the day he attain
ed his majority was admitted to the
prnctice Of law IN Benton county.
About the same time he entered the
broader profession Of politics, being
then a lnkewarm Whig.
His military services Gre perhaps
best dismissed with the mention Of
certain gold medal struck in his honor.
by special act Of congress. for gallant
conduct ON the neld of battle. The in
ration. However. 1t probably required
q 6ner courage to resign from the colo
nelcy Of his home guard regiment on
the eve Of Gettysburg-this indeed was
the fact-to accept the less exposed OF.
dee Of aid to the governor ut the CAPT.
tai than to face the hail of rebel bull
lets. There are many ways Of express.
ing ones patriotism. Later he served
his country IA prothonotary for Benton
county. Afterward he passed through
many gradations Of political prefer
ment. as representative In the general
assembly Of his state. as state sena.
tor. as state treasurer and finally as
United States senator. which exalted
Office he held until-but we anticipate
our history. He became In addition
leader of his party organization. an
enpher0ism employed by those who OBJ.
tected to the term boss"
William Murchell's creed was that
of a respectable but practical man.
He was q teetotaler and q Presbyte-
rian elder and believed in the doc
trine of generalization and In literal
scrlptural hell for those not numbered
among the elect. He believed devout-
~ In the avowed and tacit principles
Of his party. although he was not big
oted and would on occasion take &C.
cret hand in the affairs OF the opposi-
ton. He had more than once read
out Of the party fooIhardy young men
who ventured to oppose his leadership.
He lived during at least two months
Of every year in the town Of his birth.
either in the square, white frame
house on Maple street or at the farm.
three miles west. which he let ION
shares" New Chelsea was quaint.
old fashioned town lying at the head
Of the Weehannock valley. quite con-
tont with it, population Of 5000 and
With the honor Of being the county
sat which Murchell's influence had
prevented from being moved to Plum
Vile. nat thriving little factory city
6fteeniniles away.
Down Main street one dne June AFT
ernoon he was walking with that Cir
!. Of abstnctioa which sits 20 we'll on
the great
"He has big possibilities" Uncon.
His companion seemed to under
stand the reference Hes all right"
be Answered. State Senator Jim
Sheehan was big. fat gentleman with
furtive. twinkling eyes. q mpdicnm of
coarse good looks and rolling. cock
sure gait bred Of no misfortune. He
was eon of power. Fifteen years be-
fore he had gone to Pumville to work
In the mills. an uncouth. unlettered
Irishman. who could tell good story.
hold unlimited quantities Of liquor and
was not unwilling to work when mon.
ey could not be had otherwise.
hut not long for him had been the
CRIME and roar and muscle rackinR OF
the mills. Money could be had moro
easily. Plumville was booming. There
were streets to be graded and paved.
public buildings to be constructed. Jim
went into politics and because ne was
good vote Retter" and had u Ger
tain rough talent for the game acquir>
cd power. He opened Il saloon and &C.
Quired more power He became a con.
tractor and secured many c0ntractA
One day the city nwoke to the fact
that Jim Sheehan owned its govern.
ment. The citizens rcried out In pro-
test--aud. with the habit OF American
cities. little and big. submitted. He
became. Try virtue of his alliance With
Murchell. state senator from Benton
county aud leader-we cling to the
euphemism-of the county Organiza.
ton.
Hes all right" he repeated aud
chCckied.
"Eh" said Murche,l. Who's all
rightT'
'Why, Johnny Dunmeade. OF course:
Didn't tell You how ! happened to be
goin' to rec him 'stead OF The other way
round. It's horse on me. all right"
He threw hack bis head, and the
chuckle bscams Q loud gu!aw. "Sent
word for him to come to my office last
Tuesday at 2 o'clock sharp. Guess he
knew what for. He came, all right. !
thought it'd do him good to cool his
heels awhile-keep him from gettin'
too chesty. Guess he waited about
half an hour and then got up. Pre-