Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-04-13
Little Interest Manifested
Throughout County in
Newly Tried Primary
BUT GIG VOTES ARE
CAST IN CITY WARDS
Outside Precincts With One
to Hear From Have
4 Total of Only 553

About one-tenth Of the voters in
\ wapello county voted at Monday 8
I .nresidential primary election. Inter
est was SO slack that great many
people did not even know there was
IN election on, and the scarcity OF con
tests on the various tickets made the
iDlection Of no Importance whatever.
q; on the republican ticket there were
,lbut two contests, and but one local
ksman was concerned. w. T. Harper OF
!! his city participated in three cor.
ssnered race with H. w. Spaulding OF
i0rfnnell and w. H. Bailey of Buxton
Tor the two appointments as district
slAelexates to the national convention.
Mr.. Harper and Senator Spauld1ng
|Mere the successful candidates.
4 The only other contest of interest
Eion the republican ticket was between
k5ohn II. Adams of Dubuque and John
SOIson OF Forest City for republican
ssAational committeeman. Mr.. Adams
was easily the winner in this county.
Senator A. B. Cummins being the
only one ON the ballot for the presi-
dental nomination, Of course received
The bulk Of the vote. There were
numerous scattering votes for Hughes,
Root and Roosevelt, their names hav-
nx been written into the ballot. In
many instances where the name was
written in the voter forgot to vote
st1or his choice by making the proper
y mark In the square. But as far as the
primary giving the voters an oppor-
B tunity to express a preference for
Il presidential nominee, it can be said
4 that the election was an absolute fail
ure. This Is true not only In Iowa,
but in every state where the presl-
Dental primary exists. Due to Sen
ator Cummins being "favorite son.
lin other words, an Iowan of promln-
] ence-those other republican candi-
dates who are going before the public
with their candidates., refra1ned from
h having their names put on the ballot
n Iowa and so the name OF Senator
I Cummins stood alone on the republl-
can ticket. There was no opportunity
! presented for the honest vote on the
honest preferences of the voters.
This same condition rules in other
1 states where the favorite son is a
I candidate and there are few II any OF
1.-THE candidates who are not being
guided by this practice.
Democratic Vote.
Two factions fought for control OF
me democratic state organization at
MONDAYS primary. The progressive
Wing, representing those who are op'
4 posed to the present democratic state
Flowers, was unsuccessful. Their op-
llhonents with the exception OF one
Imam, rot the delegates at large and al
sfternates at large to the national con,
sfyention. Marsh easily defeated Dunn
Cor state committeeman in this county.
with every voting precinct except
INV ashington No. heard from the total
vote cast in the county was 1,179. or
hhese there were 626 cast in the city
and 553 outside.
Few Progressives.
Ballots for progressives and social
s1sts were printed and available at
every voting place but only few of
Them were used. The socialist party
jtakes care of it's nominations by
means other than the regular primary
a and there were no names on the bal
l Hot. The progressives had few candi-
hates on their ticket but there were no
Ieontests and no local interest attached
tOne or two Of each ticket was the sum
hotal Of the vote in each ward.
u; We're Instructed.
The voters expressed themselves as
wishing the delegates to be instructed
i ~ the vote Of the state at large and
nv that Of the congressional district
las we'll. The votes on the former
on the republican ballot
WAS 269 for and 1874 against, while on
the democrat ticket it stood 1875 for
II and "a against For instructions by
1.-THE congressional district vote the
Republicans voted 1872 for and 1877
against, and the democrats favored 1t
sssby 1853 to So against.
The votes received by the various
candidates in the county with all the
slprecincts in but Washington No. 4, is
los follows:
Republican.
President-Cummins, 446.
Vice president 49, webster, 3O3;
Burkett, 295.
State committeeman-Olso 1853;
adams, AT.
u Delegates at large-Kenyon, 553;
4 Brewer, $40; Clark, 53S; French, 534
Nts DlsLT1cL ueleSdtes - IldAp ol' o'o'
6paulding, 472; Bailey, 214.
ss Alternate delegates at large-Whit
siney, 489; Darrah, sol; Dewitt, 1893;
u 6ammis, 4S6.
Il Alternate district delegates-Neas
S!N68; Mowery, 464.
Democrat.
N President-Wilson 412.
Vice president, Major, 37S.
State committeeman-Marsh, 237;
dunn, 1853.
Delegates at large-Meredith, 312;
Meyer, 81; o. P. Myers, 113; Stivers
a18s; Connolly, 236; Hamilton, 2S7;
yHughes, 1877; Wilson, l19.
u District delegates-Platt, BIZ; Bates
1855.
y Alternate delegates at large-Shel.
sjdon, 2s1; Swift, 1853; Weber, 2e4;