Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1914-04-24

Issued on Friday of Each Week.
Our Washington Letter.
Republican members of the lowe
/ delegation in Congress are looking on
the coming campaign in the state with
forebodings of disaster. While they
are tied down here the Republican par
" leaders in the state are permitting
things to get in nasty mess. They
are particularly worried over the en-
trance of Judge C. C. Lee of Ames in
to the gubernatorial race. They are
fearful that they will not be able to
avoid taking some side in the hot pri-
mary campaign opening up. With the
friends Of the three candidates. Clarke.
Lee and Rowley, on their backs, they
will have to do some artful lodging to
keep from being placed on record as
for or against one of the three candi-
dates. It's e nasty situation as these
Republican Congressman view it..
Clarke is standing on his record, in
creased taxes, Capitol grounds extern
sion all. and the campaign literature
he has issued is q defense of this rec
ord. Lees candidacy, as seen here,
seems to be predicated on the hope
that Clarke and Rowley will get
into such hot scrap over the Capitol
extension and tax questions that q
third man stands good chance OF
getting the nomination. Rowley s can.
didacy, while admittedly based on q neg
alive program, gives expression to
strong protest within his party to the
acts of the Clarke administration.
In Democratic year, with Bull
Moose organized and naming a strong
state ticket. headed by George White
Uf Nevada as candidate for governor,
the Republican war horses in Congress
realize that this is the time, if ever
there was time, when their party
should be organized for straight.out
fight. And yet they see Clarke in the
race loudly defending the extravagant
acts of his administration, but promis-
ing that he will 'insist upon a plank in
his platform demanding an economic
administration of public Affairs and
Judge Lee declaring that the affairs OF
the state should be conducted ION
business.like and economical basis, !"
while 1t the same time urging the es-
tabishment Of trade schools at con-
venient points in the state, where
plumbers and gas filters and machin-
lists, presumably, can be trained at ex-
\ pense of the state, while the lows
farmers pay the bill with another in
crease in their taxes. It ID. not alone
the multiplicity of candidates in the
Aeld that is objected to, but the fool
hardy platforms on which these can
didacies are based.
The Republican press in Iowa. too,
seems to be showing disposition to
indulge IN flings. Some Of the old
guard papers resent the fact that the
Register and Leader is attempting to
assume the position of chief defender
Of the faith, considering it's unfriend-
illness to Taft in the last campaign.
The Jefferson Bee, Paul Stillman's pa
per, gives expression to this feeling in
announcing that it is for Gov. Clarke
and against Judge Lee and Rowley.
''The Bee is quite fond of the Re-
publican party" it says: 1--WE have
stuck to it, in the face of some critl-
cism, when lot Of the fellows who are
now throwing fits about it's peril were
apparently doing their best to put it out
Of business as national organization. :"
A nice harmonious spirit like this is
not soothing to the Republican con-
tingent down here, who have enough
to worry them with Roosevelt on the
way back home and the Bull Moose
beginning to show signs Of real life.
The Senatorial situation from Re-
publican standpoint is just as bad.
The standpatters have been moving
! 0SSVeU AUO SaIGU w Otu6 VIZ Sou
didate against Senator Cummins. The
Senator's seeming eleventh-hour con-
version to standpatism, as reflected in
his speech before the Hamilton club
in Chicago. and his opposition to tariff
reduction when the Payne-Aldricb tar
if law. he once declared 80 iniquitious,
was wiped off the statute books, seems
70 have angered the standpatters
more than his fol mer attitude Of pro-
gressivism.
The standpatters seem to resent
hearing Senator Cummins assume the
role of defender of the policy of pro-
lection. The men who fought behind
Allison, Perkins, Lacy and Blythe in
the old days, and the followers of Ad-
ans, Tobin, Trewin, Brewer, Hull,
Saunders and Nimocks of today object,
for instance. to this paragraph of the