The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-06-11
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Especial Correspondence

primary election gives proof Of the
sound foundation for the confident
predictions made that the democrats
will score a clean sweep III the cleo
! ton in November An analysis OF
the vote will forecast this result. In
the first place the democrats polled
| the largest vote they ever have poll
ed in an Iowa primary; the republi-
can vote decreased. Congressman
Connolly, the senatorial candidate,
and John r. Hamilton, the candidate
for governor, will poll the entire
democratic strength; Senator Cum
Minis and Gov. Clarke will come far
from polling the republican strength.
And the Bull Moose vote will come
almost solely from the votes former
ly counted for the republican candi-
dates.
The contest between Connolly and
Meredith; Hamilton and McGinnis
was waged altogether on the person
alities of the candidates. All are
| lovable men with strong personal
following; all are able men who COM
mand support by sheer strength OF
| character and ability. They all
stood on the same democratic plat
form; all are supporting the same
democratic president and admins
tration: all are the same kind of
democrats, and the candidates who
lost will be the first to join in sup
port of the men who won, for all
have common purpose, the success
of the national and state legislative
programs to which democracy is
pledged.
The republican contest, on the 9TH
er hand, was based on fundamentals.
1t was the outgrowth of permanent
party split; not between men, for
there have been few instances in
Iowa where a primary contest be-
tween men has carried to the polls,
but a conflict between two classes of
republicans on issues that go to the
partys very foundations. That is true
of the contest for the senatorship be-
tween Cummins and Savage. The
governorship conflict is clearly defin-
ed and goes far deeper than differ
ence of opinion as to the personality
of the candidates. The protest against
Gov. Clarke. which found expression
in a total vote of nearly 100000 was
protest against fundamental poll
cies of state government for which
and against which these thousands OF
voters rebelled. A small part OF this
vote which went to Judge Lee can
be counted as a personal friend IN
his district who admired him. But a
large part of Lees vote, and practic-
ally all of ROwley's vote can be count
ed as a determined protest against
Clarke and Clarke's acts as governor,
and a large part Of the vote of Lee
and Rowley will be counted against
Clarke in November. When it is con-
sidered that two years ago, when
Clarke was at the heighth of his pop
| ularity, he was only victor by less
than 1900 votes, it can be seen that
at this time the odds greatly favor
| John T. Hamilton as the next COVER
nor of Iowa. And with Hamilton will
go the state democratic ticket.
The senatorial situation is this. 1t
| will be the first direct election OF
senator in Iowa: The senator will
not be elected by legislature, the
members of which were chosen, not
with the election of senator in
mind, but for the position they took
on the liquor question and other
purely state issues. The protest
against Senator Cummins which gave
John F. Lacey total vote OF 20, 1873
in 1908 did not find expression in the
November election in that year, be-
| cause the voters of Iowa did not vote
| for Cummins in November and no
attempt was made, or could have
been successfully made. to conduct
| SO separate campaigns in as many
counties of the state against members
of legislature who would only elect
senator as one Of the incidental
features of the legislative work they
were elected to perform. This year
the republican voters who opposed
Senator CumminS because they do not
feel he represents republicanism,
these same voters who gave thous-
2nds of votes to state Senator Savage,
nan who was little known in large
sections of the state, and who was
given these votes for the things for
which he stood and not on personal
grounds. will have an opportunity in
November to register their protest
against Senator Cummins for failing
to measure up to their standards OF
republicanism And thousands will
not vote for Senator Cummins at the
polls To this loss must be added
the thousands of votes which the pro-
gressive senatorial candidate will
poll, the number of which can be
partly measured by the big vote poll
ed by Schenk and BashOr in the sena-
torial primary contest
Efforts will be made to attempt to
stir up discord in the democratic
ranks, but it is difficult to see how
this can succeed There can be no
grounds for conflict within party
which is united in support of demo-
cratic policies and which in Novem-
Der will have but one aim-the cleo
ton of a senatorial and congression-
al ticket pledged to aid President
Wilson in carrying out the policies
which can only be carried out
through the election of a democratic
house and senate in the fall elections
this year.
Congressman Vollmer in an able
speech in the house in support of
President Wilson's program of trust
legislation designed to put teeth in
the Sherman law threw a douse of
cold water on the standpat elements