Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-09-12
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IOWA PRESS COMMENT;
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

stories are coming to the surface each
day concerning the wonderful genius
of the Hon. T. Jefferson Phillips in be-
ing able to adapt himself to most any
KIND of situation. For example, the
editor of the 'Idler's Column" in the
Davenport Times declares that the
democratic nominee for governor does
not even apply to Mr.. Cleveland
source of sound logic, the encyclo-
| pedla, but always has a convenient
friend, usually Senator Smith, to pre-
pare his addresses for him
OF course it is possible that in Mr..
Phillips dreams of success at the
polls next November, Senator Smith,
or some one equally as good, is given
a place in the private secretary's chair
and all these little matters which in
volve some knowledge of readin,'
wrltin and 'rithmetic" are thus pro
vlded for, as we'll as the matter of
spellbinding which is always more or
less an incident to the gubernatorial
career.
However, the more the matter is
considered the more convinced does
one become that the intelligent voters
OF the state Of Iowa can be depended
/ upon to see that the joke perpetrated
by the Iowa democratic state conven-
tion will not be repeated at the ballot
boX.-Des Moines Capital.
November VIII TeII.-Hon. F. P.
Healy of Ft. Dodge is now named as
one of the Iowa democrats who will
not support Mr.. Phillips for governor
on the Kansas City platform. How
many others there are who are not
named there is no way, at this time, of
knowing. November will give some
basis for an estimate of their number
Davenport Democrat
| Figure This Out If You Can't. ].
Phillips, the democratic candidate, is
sound money candidate on free sill
yer platform. If the silver men don t
support him they are inconsistent and
unfair, because he is making the cam
palgn upon issues which they them
selves presented. If the sound money
men don't support him they are I'M
faithful to their precepts and princi-
pies. Ii the vote is small both sides
are equally to blame and both ele-
ments will be censured. If the vote is
light both sides have equal rights to
claim that the other faction sulked.-
Burlington Gazette (dem.).
| unguarded Talk.-Referring to the
Phillips interview with the Burlington
Hawk-Eye, which followed closely up
on his nomination for governor by the
Des Moines convention, the Dubuque
Herald pleads as follows for the candi-
| date in eXtenuation.
Mr.. Phillips supposed he was carry
Ing on a conversation with a fellow
passenger, and not with newspaper
reporter who made public what was
practically private conversation, u
practice that is almost reprehensible
and not much above the purloining
and printing of private letters. Had
MI. Phillips known he was talking 70
newspaper man he would have been
more guarded. If indeed he had, talk
ed politics at all. He talked freely,
Just as a gentleman would do who sip.
posed the conversation would be for
gotten and never appear in print.
! That he talked freely is precisely
what pleased the newspaper man, for
he was after an honest expression of
the views of Mr.. Phillips touching the,
platform upon which Mr.. Phillips had
been nominated. The intimation Of
the Herald is that MI. Phillips would
| have diSsembled had he known he was
talking for publication. The public,
however, is only interested in what is
really Mi. Phillips relation to the
questions over which his party is ii
i Vlded, to the end that some knowl-
edge may be had of what is to be ex-
pected OF him in sincere way. Mr..
Philips gave the young man and 9TH
ers who We're in the company heart
to heart talk. He made it clear that
he stood on the Des Moines platform
because he was placed there. That is
all. For some reason he wanted thu
democratic nomination for governor
and for the rest he was not particular.
He was not in favor of re-afirming the
Kansas City platform, not that he be.
lieved or disbelieved in it's declara-
tons, but because it seemed to him a
matter of the best discretion to be ST
lent on the subject of the Kansas City
platform. 1t may be inferred that he
thought everybody disposed toward
the democratic party could stand on
platform of silence, and that a plat
form that said anything would GER
talnly create discord. The fact that
he went Immediately to talking, fol
lowing the adjournment of the con.
Vention, jars the thought that he had
settled conviction on the point of sill
ence. In truth, there is no logical ex,
PLANTATION of what Mr.. Phillips said,
and this is explainable on the theory
that he had not bothered himself with
any logical thought about what he was
saying. The Dubuque Herald misses
everything of consequence in the Phil
lips interview to the democratic par
ty or to the politics of this quiescent
campaign.-Sioux City Journal.
Demoralized.-The Ida Grove Pho.
neer uses language, as it disconso-
lately discusses the political situation
in this state today, that betrays, by
the ENHANCEMENT of ideas, quite as
much by the statements made, the sad
state to which the Iowa democrats
have been reduced. 1t says, "While
the democratic party may not be liter
ally demoralized, yet it is completely
demolished.
If that is the way the Pioneer feels
/ fnI