Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-01-01

ingly demonstrated than by\ thesfa ct
that of the 100000 Registered mack
ages passing thru the mails FAST Year,
only 81 were lost thru cafelessnAss,
accident or theft. Equally impres-
siveAis the record showing that 81 ,667,-
500 ,0Q0-o of government money wasGar-
ried in the same way without the loss
Of single dollar. The packages. con.
tanning these valuables passed Thru
the hands of thousands of employees,
and the fact that this vast voiume,o of
business was transacted with such
trif1ing losses constitutes a record of
integrity and skill which is unsurpass-
ed in any public or private service in
the world. There. could be no more
eloquent testimony to the rectitude
and thoroness of our postal system. =
Burlington Hawkeye.
Were Zealous.-The delegation from
Centerville which waited on Cover
nor Shaw lin the interests of Judge
Feel might have waited until Judge
Deemer had accepted. But perhaps
the regents will raise the price Of the
chancellorship. Even regents car
not expect d man to resign $4,000
job to accept a $4,000 one.-Cedar
Rapids Republican
Less "Past'-Since a Polk county
court has decided that the tax ferret
is constitutional and that he has the
right to delve into the past it may he
that the tax dodgers will SO arrange
their business for the future that there
will be less past attached to the pay
ment of taxes.-Cedar Rapids Gazette.
Says She Did WelI.-There is a
lot of yellow nonsense over the Beck
with-Lincoln marriage and the row
that society contrived to stir up for
the young people. There is no good
reason why the granddaughter of a
rail splitter should not marry rail-
way employee if she sees fit, since rail
fences have gone out and there is little
chance for the young man to follow
the trade of the great president. Miss
Lincoln did a great deal better than
the other society women who have
married titles and have come home to
live with their relatives. Any good
American is good enough for any 9TH
er good American. provided the two
are agreed.-Cedar Rapids Gazette.
Don't Be So Sure.-The committee
on census has decided in favor of the
Hopkins bill, which leaves the men,
bership of the house of representa-
tives at the present number, 357. AS
the republicans are certain to have a
good majority in that body for several
years to come, the house can be de-
pended upon to adopt wise policies
even tho it be given no additional
help-Davenport Times.
1t is an unwise and politically dan
gerous assumption that "the republic
ans are certain to have a good work
ing majority in that body for several
years to come" Nothing can be much
more uncertain than party dominance.
The next house, of course, is republic
an, but there is no guarantee that its
successor will be. Much depends up
on the wisdom and acceptability of re-
publican legislation and administra-
ton, The republicans can easily leg
islate themselves out of power.
1t is a principle in physics that ac-
ton and reaction are equals. Some
thing Of the same prineiple seems to
obtain in the careers of political par
ties. Whenever a: president and CON
gress are elected by one party by an
unusually large majority there is "a
tendency to a reaction at subsequent
elections SO that it has frequently oc-
Cured that presidentais. inaugurated
with congress, or at least a house Of
representatives, of his own political
faith to sustain him, but two years
later the opposition carries the con-
gressional elections. That nearly
happened in 1898, and only the Span
ish-Americap troubles averted demo-
cratic majority in the house. The re-
publicans won by small lead. The
next house is strongly republican;
what its successor, to be elected in
1902, will be, it would be temerity to
predict-a fact which ought to be a
wholesome restraint upon the party
in power. The republicans have an
opportunity to maintain party SUI
premacy for4years to come, but, aside
from the historical swing of the pen
dulum, the future of the party depends
chiefly upon its own conducts. II the
republicans lose control in 1902 and
1904, the responsibility will rest chief
ly with them. and not with the politi-
cal parties.-Burlington Hawkeye.
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