The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-09-23
is TOWNER CANDIDATE FOR
GOVERNOR,

Is Congressman Horace M. Towner
who is this week visiting his constit-
uents in Appanoose county, a dark
horse candidate for the republican
gubernatorial nomination. 1t was in
timated by northern Appanoose
politician of considerable sagacity,
after the congressman had paid a
visit to Moravia, that such was the
case. Just what grounds the inform
ant had for drawing such an infer
ence from the Congressman's visit
he refused to disclose. The COVER
norship of Iowa is of course consld-
cred promotion from the position
of congressman from single district
of the state, and the ambition OF
course to be governor of Iowa is con-
sidered to be laudable one on the
part of any resident of the state. 1T
it we'll known fact to all close OBJ
servers of political affairs in Iowa,
that the race for the nomination for
governor on the republican ticket has
resolved itself into a bitter struggle
between the wet and dry factions for
control of the nomination and at the
present writing it appears as IT the
fight would be between Attorney
General Cosson, as the principal rep
resentative of the drys and Lieuten-
ant Governor Harding as the stand
ard bearer of the vets. While these
two men are conceded to be the prin-
cipal contenders both sides are max
ing new entries in the race, in the
person of Senator Joseph Allen on
the part of the drys and Carl kuehnle
as business mans candidate, with
the rather general feeling that he
leans more towards the vets than
the drys. The fight is growing SO
warm at even this distance from the
date of the holding Of the primary,
that no doubt many trained political
observers have scented the opening
for a dark horse, and it may be that
the sagacious politician who has tip
ped it off that Congressman Towner
is not out cunning so much Tor
denomination to congress as ne is
for the gubernatorial nomination,
has been impelled by his ability to
mentally grasp political opportun-
ity to suggest the idea, rather than
any, we'll grounded knowledge OF
Judge TOWERS real intentions. OF
course, should Judge Towner decide
to cast his hat into the ring for the
nomination of his party for governor,
he would doubtless have the support
of all of the old preservation crowd
who turned to him following Hep
burns defeat as man of the same
political sympathies as Colonel Hep
burn had been. Should Judge Town
err decide to enter the race for COVER
nor, it is a pretty we'll understood
fact among we'll posted politicians
that Senator James M. Wilson would
Immediately Jump into the race for
the congressional nomination. Sena-
tor Wilson has been known to have
been casting sleeps eyes at the nomi-
nation for sometime, and is under
stood to belong to strong coterie of
politicians over the Eighth district
who have said that no congressman
shall ever again be sent to congress
from the Eighth district as long as
Colonel Hepburn was.
In case of Senator Wilson's nomin-
alton for congress, it is not known
just how the men who have been the
closest to Judge Towner during his
incumbency of the congressional po-
sition, and who were equally as close
to his republican predecessor Colonel
Hepburn, would take to the nomina-
ton of Senator Wilson. Senator Will
sons advocacy of Senator Cummins'
cause, during which he took occasion
to fight some bitter battles with the
local standpat crowd have neither
been forgotten or forgiven. 1t only
remains for Judge Towner to cast his
hat into the gubernatOrial ring to sec
one of the best little cat and dog
fights in the republican ranks of the
Eighth district that has been witness
ed for many day.-Centerville
Journal