Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-04-14
JAMES E. BLYTHE A CANDIDATE.

JAMES E. BLYTHE A CANDIDATE.
The Mason City Globe-Gazette on
Monday made a formal announcement
of the candidacy of Hon. James E.
Blythe for the Republican nomination
for congress from the Fourth district.
The paper assures the Republicans of
the district that the Republicans of
Cerro Gordo county will present his
name with the confidence of success.
His candidacy has already been talked
of informally, in many of the district
papers, and the comments have in
variably been favorable.
Mr.. Biythe's candidacy is matter
which concerns the Fourth district.
However, a paper like the Register
which has been in position to watch
Mr.. Blythe's conduct of state politics,
while he was chairman of the state
committee, would be neglecting duty
and foregoing pleasure if it did not
speak word in regard to his fine quail
ties as man, his abilities as an organ
izer and his qualities as public man.
1t is often hard to determine how much
of political victory is due to manage
ment and how much is due to circum-
stances. But no one can detract from
the positive reputation which Mr..
Blythe won for himself while at the
head of the state committee. We are
inclined to regard the Jackson cam
paign, fought when eX-Gov. Boies was
still large in prestige and which had
an unfortunate accumulation of politi-
cal embarrassments, as Mr.. Blythe's
best campaign. That campaign set the
pace for the return of Republican ma
jOrities in Iowa. In it Mr.. Blythe was
bold and brilliant: sagaciOus and wise.
AS far as Mr.. Blythe's deserts are
concerned there is no question as to
them. There is nothing in the way of
political honOrs which he does not de
serve at the hands of the Republican
party. But the final test for office
should not be deserts, but merits. De-
serts are sometimes accidental mot,
however, in the case of Mr.. Blythe)
merits are not. No man had ought to
be sent to congress except on his merits.
Tried by this test Mr.. Blythe is one of
the best equipped men for congress in
Iowa to-day. He has genius for or
ganizatiOn, and if there is anything
that our delegation in Washington is
lacking in, we have sometimes thought
that it was in this of organization.
Now that Mr.. Gear has gone into the
senate, there is room for man like Mr..
Blythe in the house. By organization
we mean the grouping of men for a
definite end; the pulling together and
getting others to pull with them, Mr..
Blythe arouses men to action, and in
spires them with the faith of success.
We have known few men who can
bring so many men together for one
purpose. 1t is a fact often commented
upon here in Des Moines that men are
always ready to help Jim" Blythe;
men like to work with him, especially
the young men. We believe it is be-
cause those who work with him have a
lively anticipation of success.
But Mr.. Blythe is more than an or
ganizer. AS a speaker he is incisive
and eloquent. He does not speak for
the sake of Oratory, but for the sake of
making others see what he sees and be-
lieve what he believes. In the cam
paign last fall, he made series of
speeches which attracted as much at
tention as his management of cam
paigns had attracted previously. He
has convictions and he is never afraid
to speak of them. He is one of the
lIduhCSV IlloSI Dlcu III
Iowa politics to-day. If he under
stands men it is because he understands
issues. His is happy combination of
qualities and abilities. But as we have
said the matter is one for the Fourth
district in whose internal affairs we
are not minded to interfere. What OPP
position Mr.. Blythe will have we know
nothing of, but suppose that Mr.. Up
degraff, who has been an able and
energetic congressman, will be a candi-
date for denomination. But as we have
said, Mr.. Blythe is more than dis
trict quantity and therefore we have
written these few words i'm commenda-
ton of a youngman for whom we have
the highest respect personally and
whose abilities and services we cannot
Overestimate, we esteem them so great
ly. We know these things because we
know Mr. Blythe. We say them be-
cause we respect and admire him.
Iowa State Register, Mch. 26, '96.
The above article well expresses our
sentiments concerning the candidacy
of Hon. James f. Blythe, and also in
dicates the way in which the announce
ment is being received outside of the
lsat t~sa