Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-04-12
THE CONGRESSIONAL SITUATION
Judge Smith seems to have the
Lead.

% iuE dS We nave Deeu dblt W learn
the candidates who are asking for the
republican nomination for congress-
man from this district are Hon. T. b.
Swan, of Atlantic; Hon. III. W. Byers,
of Harlan; Ex-Congressman A. l..
Hager, of Greenfield and Judge Walter
L. Smith, of Council Bluffs. Others
have been mentioned" but these four
seem to be the only ones who are
actively in the field and asking for
support.
We presume our readers are mostly
acquainted with or at least know of
these four gentlemen. They are all
lawyers. Mr.. Swan is practicing. at
torney of ability and is strong man
on the stump. He came to our party
from democracy four years ago be-
cause of the money question. He
served in the Maine legislature. H. w.
Byers is practicing lawyer. He has
served three terms as member of the
lower house of the legislature, being
speaker one term. He is an attractive
public speaker. Ex-Congressman
Hager served as a member of the up
per house of our legislature and then
was elected to congress, serving three
terms and being defeated for renomi-
nation two years ago by Mcpherson.
He is we'll known in this county as a
fluent and an able speaker. Judge
Smith is one of our four district judges,
having served in that capacity for
the last ten years. He has been hold
ing a term OF court here in
each year and is consequently quite
well known to our people. He is
profound scholar, an able lawyer and
an orator of unusual ability.
From among these four gentlemen it
seems that the congressional candidate
will be selected. The past week has
done much to develope the preferences
of the people of this county on the
subject. Without any attempt to mis-
lead we would say that those prefer
ences seem to be strongly in favor of
Judge Smith. In the town of Audu-
bon the professional and business men
are almost unit in his favor. OF
course there are some who have but
little preference, and occasionally one
who prefers Hager or Byers, but nearly
all want Smith. The same is true
among the laboring men. Among the
farmers over the county there is little
more diversity Of opinion, but we be-
lieve that among them two favor Smith
to where one favors any other candi-
date.
Why are our people so generally turn
ing to Judge Smith? Why should they
prefer him above the other gentlemen
named?
Judge Smith combines the qualities
of unusually strong mental abilities
with strong moral character and with
genial and winning personality. With
his ability. his integrity and his faculty
of winning friends he becomes formid-
able as against anyone.
In ten years as judge the people of
county have opportunity to learn man
pretty thoroughly. In these ten years
Judge Smith has not always pleased
everyone, in this county, but in the
few disappointments made by his rul-
ings no one can justly charge anything
against him. The judiciary of this
district is unusually high in character
and ability, higher than that of almost
any other dirtrict in Iowa, and Walter
I. Smith is fully the equal, in most
ways, and the superior in many ways,
of the other eminent gentlemen on the
bench in this district.
Believing that the sentiment of the
county is strongly for Smith and be-
lieving him to be better fitted by abil-
ity for the position than the other
gentlemen, We hope Audubon county
will choose united delegation for him.
Our county convention is first in the
field to select delegates and we will
have the honor of leading out. Our
decision will have a positive influence
in the result. We have an opportunity.
In our opinion we can practically
assure the nomination of Judge Smith
without long drawn out contest. The
party does not desire a contest with
the bitterness of two years ago.
One of the reasons why Judge Smith
seems to be the logical candidate this
year is that he goes in with Pottawat-
tonnes twenty-seven votes to begin
with. That big vote was what helped
carry Byers so near victory two years
ago. Then he will in all probability
get Mills and Montgomery. If he gets
Audubon this comes within two votes
of nominating him. He has an excel
lent prospect of carrying Harrison and
will likely be the second choice of
many delegates from other counties.
If Byers wit Pottawattomie' s
twenty-seven votes could not be nomi-
mated two years ago how can he hope
for the nomination now? Has his
career since particularly strengthened
him?
If Hager with his prestige of being
congressman and of his three sue
cessive victories, and of his official
patronage could not win then how can
he hone To win now that he il shorn of