The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-06-16
IOWa'S Rise Info
Political Power
From the Philadelphia Press.

From the Philadelphia Press.
GF HE virtual selection of Congress
man Henderson as the Republi-
can candidate for speaker of the
u next house of representatives
means more than the temporary trans
fer of one of the chief offices in the
nation to a state on the other side of
the Mississippi river. 1t means that
a new political power has arisen in the
West and that q state which was con-
sidered only a few years ago as on the
frontier of civilization is to WELD an
influence in national affairs which will
oVershadow that of some old and strong
states in the East.
o.
The rise of Iowa in national power
and influence has been neither rapid
nor undeserVed. 1t has been won by
persevering effort and by the high
average intelligence of its inhabitants.
The sturdy character of its New Eng
land settlers has left traces all over it's
history. The states political record
shows this influence plainly. The first
presidential election in which Iowa took
part was the election of 1S4S and it's
four electoral votes were given to
| Lewis Cass, the Democratic candidate.
1t repeated this in 1852 when Franklin
Pierce was elected president. But with
the birth of the Republican party Iowa
deserted Democracy and Joined the par
ty Of liberty, and from that time its
electoral vote has gone to none but
| Republican presidential candidate. In
the eleven national elections from and
including 1856, Iowa has never once
faltered in its Republicanism. In the
elections of 1889 and 1891, when state
Prohibitionism had alienated many Re-
publicans, Democratic governors were
elected by small pluralities. But with
! prohibition modified the political bal
ance of the state was restored and Re-
| publicanism resumed its ascendancy.
The character Of the state is also
| shown by the high class of men it has
sent to congress and the length of time
! it has kept them there. Senator ALI
! son is serving his fifth term in congress
and if he lives to March 4, 1908, will
| have completed thirty years service in
| that body. He had previously been
elected four times to the house of rep
resentatiYes. Senator Allison has had
| for colleagues in the senate such men
as Harlan, Kirkwood, Wilson and
Gear. or the eleven Republican men,
berG Iowa sends to the next house OF
| representatives two will begin their
third term with the Fifty-sixth con-
| gress, three their fourth term, three
| their fifth term, one his sixth term,
one his seventh term, and probable
Speaker Henderson will begin his ninth
term. Many Of these men also had
legislative experience before they en-
! tered congress. As a consequence of
sending trained men to congress and
keeping them in their seats for years,
Iowa members had in the last congress
the Craftsmanship of such important
committees as Expenditures in the
Treasury Department, Interstate and
Foreign Commerce, judiciary, Military
Affairs and Puulic Lands, while Mr..
Henderson followed the speaker on the
committees on Rules, Mr.. Dolliver was
seventh on the Ways and Means Com
mittee, Mr.. Cousins was fifth on the
Foreign Affairs Committee, and other
Iowa members held places on impor-
tant committees.
There can be no danger to the nation
in bringing to the front a state which
is represented in congress by such men.