Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-01-05
THE coyERNoRs OF IOWA.
lSioux CITY Journal.1

tSlOuX A!ly
Every man who has been mentioned
for governor in 1915 either now holds
or has held office-Harding, Cosson.
Thorne. the two Aliens, Stillman.
Kendall and Prouty among others
and II Iowa chooses one of them 1t
Will only be carrying out a time hon
ored custom Of selecting its governors
from among men who are experienced
in public office.
Lowe. Drake and Shaw attained the
governorship without having previous
Is held public office Of consequence.
Boies had never held office in Iowa.
but he had served in the legislature
Of New York. Every one Of lowa's
other governors had seen service in
the legislature OF Iowa with the ex-
ception OF Stone Sherman and Jack
son. and they had held Office Of some
other sort. Larrabee had served
twenty years In the state senate. maxi
ing a record for continuous legislative
service, which never has been eQualed
in Iowa.
II history may be counted on to
repeat itself. StilIman would seem to
have a little advantage over the other
candidates for 1916. as ne is the only
one OF them who has served as speak
er OF the house, and Iowa IN the past
has elected as governor two speakers.
Gear and Clarke-a distinction which
Harding and w. S. Allen may be
grieved to learn It has according to
only one lieutenant governor. Clarke.
and to only one secretary Of state.
jackson. and still worse news for
Cosson and Thorne-to not one at
I torney general and not one railroad
commissioner. Carpenter and Lar
rabee became railroad commissioners
after they had served as governorsO
| Two auditors Of state, Sherman and
| Carroll. became governor. It Is bit
hard on Kendall and Prouty, too. but
| no man ever became governor OF Iowa
after having served in congress.
! Carpenter and Gear went to congress
after having been governor, to say
| nothing of Grimes, Kirkwood and
Cummins, who became United States
senator.) Incidentally. Two COVER
nors rounded out their careers by
serving In presidential cabinets. Kirk
wood as GarfieId's secretary of the In
terior and Shaw as Roosevelts secre-
tary Of the treasury. while Gear was
assistant secretary OF the treasury
under Harrison.
Carpenter seems to have been the
prize Office holder. Before becoming
governor he was county surveyor OF
Webster county, member Of the leg
Iislature and register Of the state land
office, and after leaving the COVER
nors chair he served as second con-
troller OF the United States treasury,
railroad commissioner. congressman
member Of the legislature and post
master at Fort Dodge.
Only three-Iowe. Jackson and
Drake-of the eighteen men who have
been elected governor Of Iowa served
less than one term. Kirkwood and
CImmins were the only ones to be
elected to third terms. Cummini
served the longest time Of all the gov
ernors-nearly seven years: Garst tbs
shortest. thirty-six days. Newbold
and Garst were the only Lieutenant
governors to become governor.by right
of succession, the former taking Kirk
woods place and the latter Cummins
upon their going to the United Statei
senate.
Stone at SO, was tho youngest gov
ernor; Drake, at IS, the Oldest. TIT
former took Office In 1861: the latte'
lin 1895. The average age Of Iowa'i
first ten governors was a; Of it, las
! ten governors 81.