Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-06-06
Try Ora Williams. ]

ers do not exercise an intelligent dis
erection in casting their ballots for all
offices. is not a new discovery. put
each primary election in Iowa has en-
phasized the weaknesses OF the sys-
tenn as il is applied here. The COM
plants against the present system are
chiefly:
The primary ballot is too long; too
many candidates are nominated by
vote. and the voters can not inform
themselves as to personal merits OF
all.
Lack of provision for publicity re-
garding all the candidates leaves vot-
ers IN the dark, and this lack is not
being supplied voluntarily by news
papers or otherwise.
The scheme OF so-called non parri-
san election Of judges is snare and
a delusion. and simply will result in
haphazard selection of judges in most
districts.
Where machines are used they COM
pei distranshisement OF many voters.
because Of lack of sufficient number OF
machines TO care FOR the business.
The rotation of names on the bal
lot does not remedy the matter, but
merely makes a slight change in the
chances Of candidates.
The nomina ton petition is a useless
thing.
Holding the primary IN the spring
is needlessly Fastening the political
campaign each year. A september date
is better.
That the rotation of names on the
ballots merely results in 2 slight shift
in the chances OF candidates was
shown in the vote on republican noHi-
nees for state auditor. Out of sixty
seven counties first reporting. fifty six
OF them showed that the man whose
name first appeared on the ballot car
ried the county OF the eleven others,
five Of them were the counties in which
the candidates lived In some other
counties it was local influences which
caused the reversal of the rule. But
it can De set down as certain that I'M
less something extraordinary happens
The man whose name is first on the
ballot for an Office over which there is
county. The same is true as TO rail-
road commissioner and supreme judges.
Nothing that has happened in Polk
county politics in recent years is more
the republican ticket OF Fred Alder
for county auditor. He had over
thousand majority to his credit. Yet
when he started out he was advised
by many friends not TO go into the
race more than that, he was threat
ened and warned and everything done
possible to keep him from becoming
candidate. In fact he was informed
right at the outset that the succession
20 that office had been decided four
or FIVE years ago and 1t would be no
use trying to break into the game now.
Put all this Just made Fred more deter
mined that ne would win, and he did il
| ny main force and not with the Use
| Of money or machine. Alder started
out in life in Wurtenberg, Germany.
and ten years ago he was doing little
/ gardening in Des Moines suburbs while
rearing a family of a dozen children.
| Then he was q janitor in the state
! house and being big burly German
| he lifted many a load from the Shout
! ders of bent war veteran. But with
| all his own cares he was one OF the
| kind always ready to visit a sick fam
| lily or give words of cheer to poor
| neighbor State Auditor Bleakly gave
| him a cierkstlip in his office which he
now holds. He fitted himself for it
| by long hours OF study at night by the
| light of a candle. In short, his is the
! typical story of the life Of the poor
! immigrant making his way upward and
onward by force of his own strong
| character. He is just the type OF man
very much needed in the Polk county
court house at the point of vantage in
the auditors office; for, as has often
been pointed out in this correspond
! ence. there has been the usual county
court house clique handling things
sometimes with disregard Of the propri-
cites and public interests. and with
! Fred Alder as county auditor there
never will be any suspicion even OF
wrong doing. He is four square to
all the world, and that is why he won.
| Give Polk county republicans credit
for readiness to help in keeping their
own dooryard clean.
While Story county, the home Of the
state college, voted more than two to
one II favor Of condemning the millage
tax system under which state educa-
tional institutions have been and are
being admirably built. UP, johnson
county, the hcrne of the state univer-
sity, evidently repented Of the start
ing of such a campaign and voted a
comfortable majority against condemn
ing the millage taxes. Black Hawh
county, the home of the teachers col
lege, voted strongly for continued ad'
/ vance along the Greater Iowa" direc'
ton in all things. OF course 1t was
generally supposed the fight against
the millage tax for the capital extern
sion and other mi1lage taxes started II
+, vau Bare. county But In justice Il
the political dictator Of johnson county
this is not true. Be 1t recalled that the
first comprehensive and sensations
J attack on the millage tax system wa