The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-05-28
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Especial correspondence


candidates for reelection are view
ing the political situation with grow
ing concern of late. They had some
thing Of surprise when Senator Coe
I. Crawford of South Dakota, one Of
their number, was defeated for the
senatorial nomination by Congress
man Burke, standpatter of the
deepest dye. But the denomination
of Senator Boise Penrose of Pennsyl-
vania over Dimmick, his progressive
republican opponent, by carrying ev-
cry county in the state, came as the
most distinct shock. And on top Of
this comes the news from Ohio that
former Senator Foraker is almost
certain to be nominated for the SEN
ate by the republicans of Ohio. Pen
rose was the prime mover in the Chi
cago convention in 1912 which nomi-
mated Taft and caused the Roosevelt
bolt. Foraker was driven from pub
lie life by the Archbold-Sibley Stan
dard Oil disclosures. The old guard
republicans evidently are determined
to rub it in on their progressive
brothers in the primaries this sum-
mer Certainly they could not have
picked two men more calculated to
rose and Foraker. 1t would not be
surprising if they should go on
through with it and put up Boss
Barnes for the senate in New York.
The progressive republicans, by
the turn of the political wheel, have
been placed in an extremely un-
to the fire Of three batteries The
to fOb
than ever before and encouraged by
the victories which put them in pow
er, are organizing for another sue
cessful campaign. The regular re-
publicans, who maintained their con-
by capturing the 1912 convention and
defeated the plan of the progressive
wing of the party for special con-
vention this summer, have been en-
couraged by their successes in Penn
sylvania, South Dakota and Ohio to
begin a finish fight on the progress
sive leaders whom they blame for
wrecking the party. And the progress
sive party, with it's oil leader back,
to take the reins, is preparing to
fight for it's continued political exis-
throw himself into the thick.
This week Col. Roosevelt is in
Washington to tell about the discov-
cry of that 1000 mile South Ameri-
can river, which runs up hill, and
about which some of the foreign
scientists are skeptical. Then he
goes to Spain to attend his sons we'd
ding. After that he will go into
Pennsylvania to lead the fight on
Penrose in behalf of Pinchot, the
progressive party candidate for SEN
ator. Col. Roosevelt and his follow
ers are showing no disposition to
compromise with the progressive re-
publicans. They have taken the
stand that those who are not with
them are against them, and that they
are preparing to fight along the line. !
Casper Schenk, the progressive
party candidate for senator in Iowa,
gives an evidence of this by his at
tack on Senator Cummins in his first
public announcement. Here is what
Schenk said of the Cummins' candi-
dacy:
Il bear no unkindness toward Sem
ator Cummins nor toward any other
man. But if he succeeds, and the
republican party elsewhere succeeds,
it requires no genius to see that the
politics of this state will be chained
to such reactionaries and standpat-
tiers at Mr.. Smoot of Utah, Mr.. Gug-
genheim of Colrado, Mr. Foraker of
Ohio, Mr.. Penrose of Pennsylvania,
Mr.. Brandegee of Connecticut, Mr..
Lodge and Mr.. Crane of Massachu-
sets, Mr.. Root and Mr.. Barnes of
New York, and Mr.. Lorimer and Mr.
Cannon of Illinois"
And while Senator Cummins is be-
ing cast into the ranks of the Barnes, |
the Penroses and the Cannons by Mr. |
Schenk along comes Mr.. Savage, the
standpat candidate with a
declaration that Mr.. Cummins is not
a republican. For sixteen years, he
says, Senator Cummins has been a
destructionist. Craftsmanship that
appeals to thinking men," he said,
must be constructive" OF Senator |
Cummins' appeal to the rank and file
of republicans to make his campaign |
for him, Mr.. Savage says: i
"Only within a few months the
call comes for union from the strife |
of party disunion and division, in
which he was factor. Few men
have achieved greatness upon the
wreck of their fellows. The dictator
in politics may glory in autocratic
but the betrayer of prin-
ciple, for personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT,
should not prevail as against the
needs Of whole party" Mr.. Savage
says it is the party's plain duty to
the accounting of the Sena-
tors doing, and republicans devoted
to the principles of the party and !
loyal to the standard bearers, have a
right to inquire what the Senator has
done to merit the future confidence
and support of the republican party.
Whether Senator Cummins wins or
loses in the primary, the issue is go
ing to be the same in November. Col.
Pinchot in Pennsylvania,
Murdoch in Kansas, Garfield and Gar
ford in Ohio, Beverage in Indiana,
and other progressive leaders, will
fight the return to power, or rather.
the retention of their power in the
republican party, by Penrose, Forak-
er and Barnes. And the logic of the