Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-07-01

1 w
sire to attend these conventions. The
primary law fixes a date with relation
to the time of the primary and the rule
is inf1exible. With regard to state
conventions the fixing Of the date is
left to committees confined to certain
limits. 1t has been suggested that the
fixing of an exact date for the county
conventions might be left to the gov
ernor or to some other body to be
fixed according to the changes or the
calendar from year to year. Certainly
the hard rule which forces the county
conventions for July l this year is not
the best arrangement The state con-
ventions come on the 18th and the 10th
respectively and it is generally con-
coded these are about as good as any
other summer days for the state con-
ventions. In former years there was
fixing Of convention dates all the way
from June l to Sept. l. There are a
great many who believe that the whole
primary should be moved over to
date later in the year and the state
conventions might well be held as late
at Sept. in every year the presiden-
tial years included. Some agitation
along this line may be expected in the
next legislature. If there were any
reason for it the state committees
could be got to work almost as soon
as the primary had been held. Just
now the feeling is that there is really
no use entering upon any political
work for several weeks and no effort
will be made to start things until after
the two state conventions. 1t would
not be possible to arouse much politi-
cal activity at this season Of the year.
Even the national campaigns will lag
for quite while before the people
commence to gather in corners to dis
cuss what should be done.
In the various republican county
conventions held today there will be
selected delegates to the state conven-
ton Of July 10. These county conven-
tons are not likely to be we'll attended
at this time of the year and probably
there will be light attendance at the
state convention as a great many OF
the people who perhaps ought to be
most interested in maintaining party
organization and keeping tight rein
on political affairs because of the is
sues involved in the future are mani
Testing a disposition to get "out OF
politics" for the time being. Undoubt-
eddy some effort is being made to Sc
cure delegates favorable to this or that
candidate for attorney general or rail-
road commissioner. There is not much
general interest manifested s to either
one, tho perhaps a little more regard
ing the legal department Of the state
because in recent years it has also be-
come almost the executive department
Of the state. 1t would be idle to specu-
late on the result in :he state conven-
ton as to either of these offices. There
is a good field from which the con-
vention could choose. No mistake is
likely to be made
There will be little to call the demo-
Gratis together for their state conven-
ton of July II, unless it is the plat
form. Their entire ticket was nomi-
mated at the primary. The democrats
'nominally maintain an open headquart
tiers but nothing is as yet being done.
1t would be entirely proper for the
party leaders in both parties to give
some particular attention to the two
state conventions this year with spe-
cial regard for the platforms Of the
parties. Too little attention has been
paid to party platforms in recent years
tho they have been growing longer
with the advance Of the country. The
result of putting up stump speeches
and calling them platforms is that few
persons pay any attention to them. and
their promises are forgotten. For in
stance, the last republican platform in
cludes some promises on these sub
jects:
The shorter ballot.
Shorter hours for women laborers.
Custodal farms.
The initiative and referendum
Amendment of the judicial election
law.
Farm land banks.
And the last democratic state con-
vention touched on these subjects:
Change in workmens compensation
law, Physical valuation of railroads.
Government ownership of telegraphs,
etc.
Semi-monthly payday for everybody.
Teachers pensions.
Revision of the banking laws of the
state
Those who are so fortunate as to
recall the last state campaign will have
difficulty in remembering about these
things.
There will be much interest in the
temperance pledges of the two parties
this year, tho, as is usual, the issue
as between the parties must in this
case now as in the past he hetwean
the parties on their record and repu-
tation. 1t will be recalled that few
years ago when Claude Porter was a
candidate for governor a desperate eff
fort was made by the late General
Weaver and others to commit the
democratic party to prohibition and
there are many democrats who believe
yet that II the dry plank had been in
serted instead Of the one more in line
with democratic history, Porter would
have been elected. Porter was himself
unquestionably in favor Of the strong:
est kind Of temperance legislation. But
his personal views mattered little so
long as the party as whole was
committed to something different and
the men in charge of the party were
in favor of anything but prohibition.
1t will also be recalled that some years
ago an effort was made to effect de-
feat OF the republican party because,
as 1t was asserted, the candidate was
personally opposed to prohibition; but
the record Of the party as a whole car
ried 1t thru to success. But this year
more interest viii be taken than ever
before in the party utterances on the
prohibition question. Both parties have
been on both sides of the question
officially-and 1t now remains to be