Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1914-08-07
At a Loss for An Issue.

On the threshold of the campaigl
the Republican leaders of Iowa flint
themselves without an issue on which
to wage fight in behalf Of Senate
Cummins and Governor Clarke. Th'
material out of which it was hoped t.
build issues has fallen far short o,
expectations from a Republican view
point. First and foremost, it wal
planned to wage a tariff campaign
But the Democratic tariff has moi
worked out the way its opponents
expected. Industry has not slackenec
beyond the usual summer lull, anc
every prospect now points to wonder
full revival Of business which will be
under way before the campaign pro
crosses far. Prices Of stock and grains
have been maintained at high levels
profitable to the farmer. in spite of the
bugaboo of Argentine beef and corn.
The armies of the unemployed so gloom.
ily prophesied have not materialized.
The utter failure of Coxey and Kelley,
with standpat prayers to urge them on,
to recruit more than scattered dozen
or so in march across the country for
ever silenced the lugubrious blues who
have been talking about Coxey and
Kelley ever since 1894. The gloomy
predictions that bond issue would be
necessary to run the government under
the Democratic tariff fell fiat. Instead
there was tidy surplus in the Treasury
ut the close of the first year under the
new tariff, and the excess of receipts
over disbursements was greater than
at the close Of the last year under the
Republican tariff. The sneers at
President Wilson and Secretary Bryan's
policy of l"watchful iwaiting" in the
Mexican situation, out of which it was
expected to make capital, were made
to appear foolish by the complete sue
cess of this policy. It will be difficult
to 60 before the people and ask con.
domination Of the course which brought
peace in Mexico and the promise of
ultimate settlement of the internal
problems of that country without inter-
vention, which meant bloody war, with
al it's attendant sorrows and evils.
Iowa absolutely refuses to get excited
about the Panama tolls issue. Where
Iowa has had an opportunity to express
ito opinion it has been to support the
President in his position against
subsidies.
The whole calamity program seems
to have fallen fiat, because the mills
and factories with extreme perversity
refused to close to suit the wishes of
politicians, and because the crops con.
tinued to grow and farmers continued
to find ready market for their produce.
Dave Brant, one of the Republican
wheelhorses. in his paper, the Iowa
City Republican, Twas extremely frank
in admitting the difficulty of conducting
Z calamity campaign when in recent
editorial he said:
''The Republican is ready to do its
darndest to help elect Senator Cummins,
but it does not know exactly how to
run calamity campaign. Possibly the
Senator or some of his close friends
will lend assistance. The puzzler is
how to hitch up So cattle and hogs, rs
cent corn, $l2 hay and other things in
proportion with a real, long, earnest
howl for calamity for the farmer. 1t
has to be done and we intend to do it,
but it seems awfully awkward"
There is nothing much left for the
Republicans to base their campaign on
except the personalities of the candi-
dates, and the personal opposition to
Senator Cummins and Governor Clarke
in their own party is strong enough to
make this shaky proposition on which
to base an appeal for votes. Stand.
patters who are urged to pull in har-
mony are this year showing increasing
resentment at swallowing a harmony
pill which is mixed by the Cummins
prescription. Republican taxpayers
who have been fighting Governor
Clarke and the acts of his administra-
ton are in no mood to give vote of
approval to him and the legislative
extravagances for which he is held
responsible.
All the enthusiasm at this time
appears to be in the Democratic camp.
The Council Bluffs Convention was the
most largely attended Democratic con-
vsntion ever held in the state. There
was about twice as large crowd as
the Republicans drew. Congressman
Connolly made a spesch as temporary
chairman that served not only to strike
q stirring keynote, but gave an effect
i've den o ,stration of his oratorlcal
powers. Edwin T. Meredith, Mr.. Con-
nolly's primary opponent, as permanent
chairman of the convention was also
given an enthusiastic demonstrat ton
an6 reference to his poSsihie capdj-