Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-02-19

-fBy Ora Williams.l

time the presidential race, within the
republican party, is entirely between
Roosevelt and Cummins.
1t is q situation that may be de-
scrtbed properly as anomalous: but it
Is absolutely true and any fair dag
nosis will show the fact. From the
Cummins standpoint it is now ques-
ton of heading off Roosevelt. A few
weeks ago there were some friends OF
Cummins who were urging that Roose-
welt become larger factor In the
game. He has already become, too
large. Until the Gary dinner, which
was for the purpose of showing to the
world that "big business" is now as it
always has been for Roosevelt, the
Cummins effort was necessarily
directed toward heading off the re-
dictionary element. Now the situation
has completely changed Witness
what is happening in New York, where
neither Root nor Whitman has been
able to get control. Witness. also,
Pennsylvania, where 1t Is seriously
contemplated that Knox play the role
Of the favorite son just to keep Cum
Minis from getting the delegation.
Witness, also, Massachusetts where
L
from Weeks and his barrel to Mccall.
Out of all the chaos the one big figure
Is Roosevelt.
Under the circumstances the i'm
mediate problem of the Iowa repub-
licans, or rather OF the republicans Of
the midland region, is to see to it that
practically all the delegates from the
Midland and western country, especial
=. II.
gressive republicans, shall be for
Cummins sincerely and earnestly.
That will force the Roosevelt people
in the convention to rely largely upon
reactionary support. In this situation
Cumnins has a distinct advantage
that ne Is an open and ayowed can
didate, and therefore committed to
the outcome of the national conven-
ton, while Roosevelt will not be an
avowed open candidate and will not
commit himself to the outcome OF the
convention. If Roosevelt should be.
come an actual candidate he would
place himself in a position where any
bolt on his part would be of small i'm
portance, for one can not a second
time bolt his party and get away with
1t. And so 1t would seem that at the
present time the great effort of the
Cummins people must be to corral all
OF the western delegates.
And yet Senator Cummins himself
believes that in the finish it is going
to be a measure of strength between
himself and Burton. Of Ohio.
There are good many inquiries as
to why something has not been done
with Blodgett the lawyer and former
book agent In the estimation Of many
persons he is insane. Certainly he Is
not we'll balanced mentally. Hence
here is the fear on the part of many.
and they are his friends in many in
stances, that he will do some" harm II
Blodgett has always in
sisted that his term in prison was IL
legal. That Is on a technical claim
only. He went to a dozen different
courts to try to induce the judges to
side with him, but he never got any
where. He has published attacks upon
the courts that are clearly libelous.
and decidedly threatening in tone At
one time when certain very influential
were attacking the su-
preme court. a few years ago, Blodgett
became greatly excited and menacing
toward the Iowa supreme court. The
here have been urged to
have Blodgett cared for as one men.
tally unbalanced.
In the final settlement Of the Hen
ley estate here a check for over $50, 600
was handed over, which was probably
one Of the largest checks ever passed
in an estate case here. 1t was not
transfer Of funds but actual
cash in the bank and it went to claim
ants who at the outset apparently had
no show whatever of getting a cent
So it was a big victory for the lawyers
in the case. It Is stated that in only
one other state of the union is the law
such that similar conditions would en-
able the claimants to secure a part OF
an estate as this one was. The Issue
involved was one not encountered
often-that Of the right Of inheritance
thru a step mother where property
was left by step children without
direct descendants. 1t was established
that in Iowa a step-mother is on an
exact par with a real mother and an
thru her is aside from any
dover right or distributive share.
There seems to be some question %
to whether or not 1t Is necessary to
hold the early county and state con-
ventions with reference to presidential
The democratic committee
fixed the time and place for their
but the republican COM
mittee has not met. 1t is pretty GER
tain that the state conventions will be
lightly attended. There will be alb
nothing for the county con-
ventons to do but to select delegates
to the state conventions. and the state
can do nothing aside from
passing resolutions. AS these state
conventions will not be able to put up
the state platforms the resolutions
would have to refer chiefly to the
presidential situation. OF course the
republicans could do a fine Job Of ad-
vertising Iowa as for Cummins and
the democrats would whoop it up for
Wilson quite as earnestly as they did
against him the last time. But the
law does not make 1t mandatory that
these conventions be held. They will
be held II the committees call them
and fix the dates. It has been sug-
gested that the two committees enter