Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-08-07
GATHERED BY THE WAYs1DE

GATHERED BY
| Dos Moines, Aug. People Of Iowa
! who have long held to the idea that
state as rich as theirs, and especially
fruitful of strong intellects, ought to
have to show at the presidency, must
be prepared to meet situation where
their only available personality will not
be even a candidate for nomination. It
need not surprise any one If Senator
A. B. Cummins should decline to per-
nit the use of his name at all In the
primary of six months hence. Those
who have the notion that the senior
Iowa senator is consumed with ambi-
, ton do him great injustice. as has
been long we'll known by all those who
are close to him, and he has been close
enough to the throne and familiar
enough with what goes on In national
politics so that there Is very little
glamour about a een-hour-a-day
Job in the White House. or course the
presidency is great office, but for
any one who really does the work and
comes up to his own ideas Of what is
right it is a slaves task. 1t is but fair
to have it recorded now that as Tor
Senator Cummins If he should consult
only his personal feelings he would adj
wise his friends to cease all talk OF
him in connection with any office other
than the one he now so admirably fills.
But fourteen years ago, at the request
of a large number Of Iowa people who
believed that he was best fitted to lead
reform movement, he dedicated his
life to the public and since that time
he has lived continuing sacrifice.
Perhaps the obligations he has incur
red ara more important than his per-
sonal feelings. He owes something to
the cause which he has championed
and TO the men who have suffered
with him in that cause, and If he Is e
candidate for the presidency or even
permits Iowa to present him as can
didate or an available personality II
will be because of this debt to society
rather than because Of any desire to
WELD the power of the chief magistrate.
But the necessity for the sacrifice has
not vet been shown. The situation is
one calling for decision by the repub-
licans OF Iowa rather than by any one
person or group of persons.
But aside from the drawbacks tho
presidency itself presents, it must be
recognized that In the present state OF
disorgaI!zed and chaotic national pol
itics-except as TO the democracy UNI
der the Wilson generalship-the task
of making a proper campaign 1or
nomination and a platform and
campaign management to follow that
will mean success. is a tremendous one
Suppose you were appointed by the
republicans of Iowa to be manager OF
a nationwide campaign for The Pres
idency for Iowa" Suppose you SET
out on fight for Cummins-what
would you do or expect to do? The
first task would be to corral the
votes oc the western group Of states
where republica nism is generally of the
Iowa brand There are eleven states
west of the Mississippi river with
early presidential preference primar-
les. To assure those states for any
candidate west of the Mississippi river
means a campaign in every state ex-
cept Iowa and possibly two or three
others. 1t means a fight. Now there
is not doubt that if Senator Cum
Minis could go into each one OF those
states and make such a campaign as
he has made time and again in Iowa.
he could win wherever that campaign
was made. But he could not do 1t.
No man can do II. The alternative Is
organization, and that means laoo!
and expense Then. again, there is not
particle of doubt that II Senator
Cummins could go into half dozen
of the states Of the east, and make
snch a camnaien as he is capable OF,
presenting to the people the principles
for which he stands and which the ma
ton demands, he would get the dele
gates from those states; but no man
could do that and no man will 90 II.
What. then, is the outlook making II
possibility that Iowa may get the
presidency next time? Simply this
that the leaders in the republican
party in many states are tooay actu-
ally cropping in the dark to find a man
who is most likely to win the election
a wear from November against WILSON,
that they are sufficiently selfish or
polite that first consideration is sue
cess. that the availability of the Iowa
senator is fully recognized, and II
might be quite easy to turn the Wnoie
convention this way, not SO much pc
cause a majority Of the delegates are
Of his way Of thinking as because a
majority have become convinced that
he is the man most likely to be elected.
And there is sufficient force in the
argument to overcome all objections.
Senator Cummins is in better physi-
cal condition than he has been Tor
wears. He took long trip west and
on the ocean and threw aside all care.
He has been sitting in his office morn
ings anc playing golf in the afternoons
and he is tanned and strengthened as
never since he first became governor.
Doubtless II called upon for extra work
next year he would respond as OF OLD;
but a campaign covering score OF
states would be different from a cam
paign in Iowa alone.
However, it is not for him to decide.
Hon. C. ], Wilson, of washington
who has been attending the X. P. state
convention, was one of the governors
STAFF on the San Francisco trip re-
Gently.
"That which impressed me most at
the Panama Pacific exposition" SAID
Mr. Wilson, was the magnificent art OF
the exposition. OF course it is great
show OF the arts and industries. but we
are generally familiar with all these
things and no observant American can
.,ov1, much NJ ANYTHING to