The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-06-30
Mr.. CUMM|NS
PLAYS POLITICS
Iowa Patronage Question Gives Him
Opportunity to Angle Around for
Some Loose Democratic
Votes.
is PLAYING BOTH ENDS
hungry Democrats Are Being Held
Back From the Pie Counter by
the Iowa Senator But He
Is Losing Out.
Especial to The Gate City

oPOSldl " u9 rSJdL0 iSlIy.I
WASHINGTON, D. c., June 30
The Iowa patronage question con-
tinues to be live issue between Sen
ator Cummins and Representative
Pepper and it is all the more inter
esting by reason Of the fact that the
senator realizes that If he himself
shall win the republican nomination
In the primary skirmish which is to
take place exactly one year from this
month, then it may be this same
Pepper that he will have to meet as
his democratic opponent in the finish
race that is to follow is November.
There is no question that Senator
Cummins has been playing politics
with the Iowa democratic appoint
ments.
President Wilson began on April "a
to send to the senate the nominations
of Iowa democrats for postofices. 1t
has been an easy matter for Senator
Cummins to release such nominations
as pleased him. By doing this. the
senator could, at the same time, make
the republican postmaster who was
allowed to hold on, feel indebted to
the senator for his lease on life. But
lit is doubtful If this little game will
make the senator any more friends
;han did his course last year when he
attempted to play both ends by sup
porting the bull moose national ticket
and the republican state ticket.
Senator Cummins, having shown
how easy it is by the magic of SEN
atorial courtesy to keep the democrats
out, every republican encumbent is
expecting the senator to exercise good
politics in his particular case. And
the senator can go quite distance in
this direction IL he shall try to ex-
tend himself. On the other hand,
every democrat who has been nomin-
ated for postoff1ce who is being pre-
vented either by the senator's inaction
or unfriendly action, from entering up
on the duties of his office, is growing
angrier every succeeding day. There
is not the slightest doubt of this.
Their letters to the Washington head
quarters Of the Iowa democratic organ
ization to Representative Pepper as
head Of the Iowa democratic congress
sional delegation, prove it. If the
Language being used by these furious
democrats gets much warmer, they
will be compelled to pen their words
on asbestos paper or send the mis-
sives by express.
1t is the irony Of politics that some
Of these hungry democrats now being
held back from the pie counter by
Senator Cummins, used to help him
out by going into republican primar-
les and caucuses and voting for him.
They now are receiving their reward.
But the Cumnins democrats will be
fewer than ever next year, 1t Is de-
clared at democratic headquarters; in
fact, according to the same source,
they have been growing fewer since
the senator boldly proclaimed in a
speech before the Hamilton club in
Chicago that the worst republican was
better than the best democrat
In response to the volume of pro-
tests which have been coming in from
the half dozen unconfrmed postoffice
appointees in every congressional dis
trict, Representative Pepper, who al
ready had been to the white house
on this matter, and who had taken il
up with Senator James Hamilton
Lewis. democratic whip, met Senator
Cummins by appointment and the two
thrashed out the situation. It was
an interesting hour the two men hat
together. The congressman by his
visit made the point that IL the nom
! nations shall be held up any longer
the responsibility for this is fixed sc
THAT his party in the state will under
stand where it belongs upon Senator
| Cummins.
Representative Pepper now is writ
ing to the waiting democrats out ii
Iowa that he feels confident they will
receive their commissions withou
much further delay.