Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1914-05-08
Our Washington Letter.

The first week in May finds the lows
campaign in full tilt with the primary
less than four weeks off. The last
wesk has been marked by a settling
down in politics. The Savage adher'
ents are organized for their primary
fight on Senator Cummins and the oid
organization Of regular Republicans
Ire solidifying and marshaIling their
forces. The effort to drive Judge Lee
from the race for governor against
Clarke failed, and the contest between
the two has settled down with one
side raising the question of "eligibil-
ity" and the other side crying taxa
tion.' g.
The Savage candidacy seems tc
have stirred Republican ranks as deep
ly as it was expected to. The press is
full of it. The Manchester Press OBJ
jects to this ''raking up memories OF
past feuds'' and ''opening fresh the
wounds of inter-party conflicts" and
can see:no motive for the Savage candi-
dace except ''irreconciliable malice
and fractional frenzy run riot To
this, opponents of Senator Cummins
retort that it is no unworthy motive
to seek to prevent the nomination ::for
Senator of one who deserted the party
two years ago and turned against its
candidate for President. There were
119, 805 Iowans who voted for Mr.. Taft
for President in 1912, one paper says,
while Senator Cummins voted for
Roosevelt. Is it reasonably to be con-
ably it asks, that the
Taft Republicans have no other end
but the qualification of malice against
Cummins? The press is lining up on
both sides. The Fairfield Ledger says
in Savage the Republicans have an op-
portunity to cast their ballots for a
man "in whose Republicanism and
steadfastness there can be no ques-
tion." The Iowa City Republican
thinks Savage's candidacy would be
futile for the "Cummins crowd would
knife him almost to a man, as they
have done with every prominent re-
publican who has been a candidate for
Office who had the hardihood not to
support Cummins." The Eagle Grove
Eagle says: "Cummins' election is i'm
possible and his nomination would mean
the election of q Democrat, Cummins
successor, it says, will either be Saw
age or a Democrat. The Fort Dodge
Chronicle say Savage was one of the
leaders Of the constructive legisla-
tnre" and is inclined Ito thank God
that Cummins will have to be defeated
~ 1 Democrat. :" The Sheldon Sun
says Savage will get clicked good and
plenty" The Marion Register says:
Savage looks=like a man of senatorial
size." All this is evidence that the
G. o. P. factions are preparing for
such fight as the Cummins- Perkins
state campaign.
Judge Lee has started out in the CUB
ernatorial campaign as the aggressor.
He fred first >volley when he siren.
uously denounced the charge that he
was ineligible to Office because he was
serving as district judge, declaring
that the term eligibility to Office"
referred to the time of taking office
and not to the Itime of election. HIS
term as Judge expires Dec. 81, 1914.
The term of the governor begins the
second Monday in the following Jan.
uary.
Judge Lee opened his speaking cam
paign at Boone with speech on the
tax issue. He declared that lat this
particular time we are confronted with
an enormous increase in taxes" and
that ''many believe the tax is greater
than the taxpayer can afford to pay"
He asked, who is responsible for this
increase?" The blame for this he laid
on the executive council. after the
ID gislatnre adjonrned, he said, 'the
execntive council did what former ex.
efntiye councils had refused to Do; rails
"a IL valuation Of property 90 e TO-
enormonsly increase the amount which
WpnA he raised by leyies already fixed
btlstatute." Al head of the executive
ce11eil he blames Gov. Clarke for this.
The Republican press Of the state is.
worked up over the goyernorship fight
i1xhe party. The Mason City Globe.
Q4sette Gays that ''some people talk
= iftJndge Lee should be thrown into
jill for becoming a candidate against
Gov. Clarke" Answering the Sheldon
Nails inquiry as to how Judge Lees
candidacy would improve matters as to
taxes, the Webster City Freeman-Tri.
bune says: HE couldn't possibly do
worse than Clarke has done" The
Narshalltown Times Republican COM
pares Judge Lee to 1.-The greedy animal
which dropped the meat to.grab at the
shadow in the water" And the pri-