Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-12-18
IOWA PRESS COMMENT.

4
Will Not Down.-A question of SUI
preme Importance is now before the
American people, question that can.
not be long ignored, that must be met.
| The 18th amendment to the federal
constitution is as follows:
when the right to vote at any cleo
| ton for the choice of electors for pres
| tives in congress, the executive and
| judicial officers of state or the men,
bers of the legislature thereof. is de-
MED to any of the male inhabitants of
such state, being q years of age and
citizens of the United States or in any
| way abridged, except for participation
| in rebellion or other crime, the basis
of representation therein shall be re-
duced in the proportion which the num-
| Der of such male citizens shall bear
| to the whole number of male citizens
81 years of age in such state"
The duty of congress could not be
made palmer. Shall be- is the Ian
guage. 1t is mandatory and congress
has no discretion. Now for the facts
which raise the question referred to.
At the recent election Iowa cast
about $4,000 votes. Mississippi about
$4,000 and South Carolina about 5O,-
| 900. Iowa has eleven members of con-
gress and the other two states named
seven each. In Iowa it takes nearly
| $4,000 votes to elect congressman.
In each of the other states named So
| 600 elect seven. During the late
presidential campaign the Register
called attention to these facts sever
al times and asked the Bryan press
of the state to epress an opinion in re-
| gard to one southerner having as
| much voice in congress and the cleo
| toral college as seven Iowans. But
they We're as silent as the grave.
Based upon an equality with Iowa
Bryan would have received only three
electoral votes in South Carolina and
the same number in Mississippi, six in
all, and four of these on account of the
United States senators, each state in
the union, big, or little, being CIV
en- vote in the college for each sena-
tor. But the election is over now.
The next four years will be history
making years. This question among
others must be decided and again we
ask the democratic editors of the
state to go on record either one way
or the other. Honor bright, gentle
men, should a South Carolina or Mis-
sissippi democrat have an equal voice
with seven democrats in Iowa.
Some of the leading democrats of
the country-men who helped win the
democratic victory in 1884 and again
in 1892 are outspoken, and say that
If the south disfranchises its colored
men the southern states should yield
that proportion of their representa-
ton based upon the colored VOTE
1t is only a question of time when
all parties, and all the men of every
party in the country must face this
issue. 1t is here now. 1t may not be
decided in month or year but it
must be decided soon and right
Marion Register.
Garry 1t Up.-The fight on the Titus
amendment will be carried to the SUI
preme court from Decatur county. A.
P. Olson, county attorney-elect of De-
catur county, was at the state house
recently to consult with the attorney
general
The present auditor, clerk, recorder
and attorney of that county are dem
ocrats and they refuse under the
amendment as it now stands to give
way to their republican successors.
The board of supervisors met and
made out certificates to the newly
elected officers and the county auditor
refused to sign them.
The attorney general assured Mr..
Olson that he believed the decision Of
the court would be favorable to the
newly elected officers.-Creston Amer
lean.
Won't Stay Dead-The Titus amend
ment was killed, all right. The Bur-
lington Hawkeye jabbed piece of
cold steel thru and thru its medulla
oblongata and twisted it around sever
al times and then mauled it over the
head with McClain's annotations and
supreme court decision. The only
trouble is that the blamed thing won't
know enough to stay dead.-Keokuk
Gate City.
Per Capita circuIation.-Brad
streets states that the money in cir
culation in the United States increas-
ed $19,600,000 during the last month,
and $1S0,200,000 during the past
twelve months. 1t also thus sized up
the per capita circulation and the per
capita increase:
The per capita circulation, estimat-
led on the basis of population of 76,-
$4,000, is put by the treasury experts
at s28.04. This represents an increase
|of % cents for the month, and, if
comparison were made with the esti-
mate made year ago, would mark
gain of $2.19 as compared with the cor
responding date year ago.
The people of the United States thus
have the proof that the establishment
of the gold standard has reduced the
general interest rate nearly one-half
And is monthly increasing the per cap
| tia circulation to an extent that
breaks all previous records.-Iowa
State Register.
Are Not In It.-Talk about gold
| fields and diamond mines and other
hidden places of wealth, to reach and
dig in man will undergo any sort OF
privation and discomfort, they are not
in it with the fertile fields of Iowa.
T. r Sage director of weather and