Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-06-25
BOTH ENDS AGAINST the MIDDLE.

BOTH ENDS AGAINST the MIDDLE.
! good angel and owner Mr.. Marsh, is
democratic committeeman and in full
charge of the democratic machine in
| Iowa-along with other machine demo-
cratic papers is devoting much space
to the merits of Lieutenant Governor
Harding as a republican candidate In
fact practically the entire demand for
Harding's nomination comes from DEM
ocratic instead of republican news
papers. Among republican journals
which may be assumed to secretly IA
! vor Harding the urgency is for the
suppression of the wet and dry issue
which is to all intents and purposes
water on the Harding wheel. But the
outspoken demand for Harding is led
by the Waterloo democratic organ,
wringing wet sheet controlled by wet
| owner who is present boss of the dem
ocratc machine. Thus the Times
Tribune:
Suppose it were true that Lieutenant
Governor Harding so far desired the
reelection of Governor Clarke that he
did go among the wet republicans
anu assure them that Governor
Clarke would not hurt the booze
business" If the lieutenant governor
did such thing he was doing it be-
cause he had grounds for it, and he
was doing it for party service, without
question. If it were not for the
continual harping of such as the Mar
shalltown paper and number of
others, it is probable that Iowa would
close the next campaign without giving
over everything to the liquor question
as an issue. The very fact that they
insist upon Cosson for governor and
belittle and malign almost every other
candidate, makes it absolutely certain
that that question will be the issue
and wet republicans, not feeling any
too good at this time on account of
being deceived by the party, will take
such course as seems to them to be
to their advantage. In fact, the wet
republicans are just about driven to
take this stand.
| Add to the above the prophecy of
the Davenport Democrat which says:
| If the democrats of Iowa unite on
their best man for governor there
would seem to be more than a pos
sibility Of his election.
| The democrats and the ultra vets to
whom the machine democracy of this
state has always made its appeal are
| playing both ends against the middle.
| II Harding may be nominated. Mr..
| Marsh, If he shall be the democratic
| candidate for governor as the oracles
forecast would find him the easiest re-
publican to beat. Marsh would poll the
democratic vote pretty solidly and take
much of the republican wet vote away
from Harding. for Marsh is popular
which Harding is not, he Is prominent
in sense that Harding is not, he is
rich and has many strings to work
which Harding can not pull. The DEM
ocrats would capitalize for themselves
the disgust of the drys over a Hard
ing nomination. Marsh would stand a
good show to beat Harding as the Dav-
\
about way. AS between Marsh and
Harding, Marsh would get many dry
republican votes as the better choice as
a general proposition and that consid
cradle element that would turn to him
to vote against Harding in rebuke. If
another than Harding should be nomin-
ated then Mr.. Marsh as a candidate
would, of course, figure that he would
get a considerable ultra wet republican
vote. The other end Of the bet is pc
culiarly that of the vets. Whether
Marsh beat Harding or Harding beat
Marsh they would have attained their
end-a governor in full sympathy and
with record pleasing to them.
1t is shrewd politics on the part Of
1.-THE democratic machine 1t is salts
factory to the wet leaders for the
liquor interests know no political par
ties where the traffic exists legalized or
Illicit Altogether 1t is the Greeks
again bearing gifts.
Where the Times Tribune and other
papers which are asserting that the
Times -Republican is insistent upon the
nomination of Mr.. Cosson get the au-
thority for their assertions this news
paper does not know-but not from any
definite declaration in it's columns. It
would be happy with either Cosson or
Allen were the other dear charmer
away. There are sevccs! ether men
with any of whom as candidate for
governor it could enjoy itself. But the
Times Republican refuses to be fooled
by Greeks bearing gifts, and is for
candidate whose record and ability
give assurance of statutory enforce
ment from the beginning of the aboli-
ton Of the saloon and the drinking
place in Iowa