Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-09-18
apathy and over-confidence among our

apathy and over-cOnfidence among our
republicans.
The committee has received the polls
from about one-half the state. There
are 2,145 voting precincts in the state,
and those we have heard from are so
we'll scattered that it is probable they
may be taken as the basis of calcula-
tion for the whole state. 1t is true
that our polls show that despite the
fact of the growth of our population
the past four years, our vote as indi-
Gated by this poll is not holding out
to the vote of 1885, Now am certain
that there are no wide spread changes
from Mckinley to Bryan nor can we
find in any part of the state any feel
ing of dissatisfaction. OF course we
will hear of persons here and there
who say they will not vote for McKin-
ley but there seems to be no organ
lied, or in any ways general detection.
For these reasons | can see no explain
alton for this apparent falling off
from the vote of 1896 except it is just
as the democrats claim that our peo-
pie are troubled with too much conf
dence and are becoming apathetic."
Mr.. Weaver feels that if the condi-
ton as indicated by the polls is an ac-
tual showing of what we may expect,
it will be necessary to do some active
and energetic work in the second and
sixth districts.
Referring to the situation in the
sixth district, he said: 81 notice that
Mr.. Steck, the democratic candidate
for congress against Major Lacey has
submitted to an interview in this city
in 1ry1,; nh, I, x1yl,1 I'll 1,o
was confident of defeating Mr.. Lacey:
Don't quote me as being confident.
1t must be remembered that there is
a republican majority of 1,500 to be
overcome in this district, and that ma
jority was given against General Wea-
4 yer, popular man who ran ahead OF
his ticket l realize that that inter
view was simply given out as bluff
or rather it was intended to make us
| think that the very astute politician
who is running against Major Lacey
was only making this campaign for
the, fun of the thing and didn't expect
to be elected We are not taken in
with any kind of talk of that sort.
notice that Mr.. Steck claims that Gen
eral Weaver was so exceedingly popu
lar in his district that he ran far ahead
OF his ticket. and that there was 1,50(
majority against him. Now the facts
seem to be that while General Weaver
did run ahead of his ticket, Major La
cey did also. The latter had plu
rality over Weaver of 1,471, but he
had a majority OF only $50, and at the
same time General Weaver received
$500 votes less than were given tt
Fred White, the democratic candidate
for congress in 1896. Mr.. Lacey's
vote was also reduced 1900 below wha
he received four years ago, so it is
| plain to be seen that it all depend:
this year upon which one is able tt
get out the largest percentage of the
nearly 5000 stay-at-home votes Which
| the records show there were in tina
| district in 1898 as compared with 1896
"Now don't want to be understood
/ as saying that have any fear but tina
1 the republicans will elect every mem
Der of congress in this state this yea
but do feel that it is absolutely nece'
/ sary for us to see to it that every re
publican vote, not only in the secont
and sixth districts, but in every othe
district of the state is polled. In n,
other way can we be certain Of such
majority as we should have, major
sity as large as the prosperous condi
Il lions of the country warrant"