Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-11-25
Reasons Why Mr.. .Babcock With
drew From Race.
IOWA HAD MUCH TO DO WITH IT
Stand of the Delegation Despite Atti-
tude of Two of its Strong Men Had
Influence on MIR. Bebcock-Wash-
ington Political Etchings.
CBY H. j. MAHIN,)


drawal from the speakership race was
the result of some pretty strong in.
timations that he would be unable to
win. There is even a rumor out that
he could not secure the solid support
of his own states delegation. There
is no doubt that Iowa's stubborn po-
sition favoring Cannon in spite of the
declarations of her two strong leaders
Hepburn and Hull, had much to do in
bringing about Mr.. Babcok's decision.
In fact heard very prominent Iowa
politician who favored Babcock an
grily inquiring why Iowa went off
half-cocked?' He was referring to
the symposium in a Chicago newspa--
per, in which the great majority of the
editors in the state were shown to ia
vor Cannon. He declared that he had
seen the telegram sent out by the Chi
cago paper in question. 1t concluded
with the query, DO you think Cannon
the logical candidate?" 1t was SO
worded as to put words in favor of
Cannon into the mouths of the Iowa
editors. He said that many of them
answered for Cannon without having
any idea of the abilities or fitness Of
the two men,
Mr.. Cannon Will Win.
| However. Mr.. Babcock now being
| out of the race, the prize is conceded
to Mr. Cannon. OF course, strange
things may yet happen and some day
they will, but at present the west unit
| ed on MI. Cannon faces the east di,
vided over several candidates. The
| friends of the 1llinoisan now assert
that he has 100 votes sure from the
STATES west of the Alleghenies, with
the positive proxies of fifteen votes in
| the east This number, even if he
shonld not be able to get any more,
would give him the nomination on the
| first ballot in the republican caucus
and then as members of congress, like
the rest of humanity, are prone to get
on the winning side, his election will
probably be unanimous. When | talk,
ed with Mr. Hepburn, who has been
Mr.. Cannon's most active opponent he
gave evidence of having withdrawn
from any active part in the struggle
when Mr. Babcock decided to pull out.
He still declared that Mr.. Cannon was
4 not the right man for the place,
declared that Mr. Cannon will be "one
/ to the utmost. However, he said that
he would abide by whatever the Iowa
delegation decided is best to do and
would not divide the vote of the state.
Col. Hepburn's Views.
j AS he is now settled in Washington
/ for the winter Col. Hepburn was I'M
liable 10 attend the meeting of the Iowa
/ delegation at Des Moines Tuesday.
| which was called for the purpose of
taking action on the speakership ques-
| ton. He however, wired his COL
leagues that if action was taken en-
| dorsing. Cannon he wished his vote
added 30 that of the other members of
the delegation so that the vote of the
state would be unanimous. In dis.
cussing the speakership contest MI,
Hepburn remarked that the election
/ of Mr.. Cannon seemed certain. This
remark was made Just at the conclu.
sion of long conference between Col
Hepburn and Representative DalZell
I of Pennsylvania, the most formidable
eastern candidate for the speakership
When asked his opinion of the rumor
that Mr.. Babcock had made a deal
with Mr.. Cannon to throw his inf1u-
ence to ham in return for the chair,
manship OF the committee of ways and
means, Mr. Hepburn said that he had
no information whatever as to such a
deal and did not think it was true.
Was There an Agreement.
However, many think that Mr.. Can
non has agreed to make Mr.. Babcock
chairman Of the ways and means com
mittee, in return for his getting Out
of the way, and in addition supporting
Mr.. Cannon for the position of speak
er Many think that it was the tariff
that caused Nh. Babcock to make such
a deal. He is pronounced in his dec
laration for tariff revision; he prom
ised it in the last campaign, and is
said to be determined that it shall
I come up in the next congress, in some
shape. AS chairman of the ways ant
means committee Babcock would have
/. control of the tariff bill. It would
;. bear his name and he would receive
:, the credit for it, which, when one
thinks real hopefully about it, might
, be the result of promoting him to the
senate, to the yice-presidency or ever
to the presidency.
Extra Session Rumor.
Il Mr.. Babcocks sensational alleged
announcement that he had positive in
formation that the President would
call an extra session in March to take
up the tariff question, has stirred
Washington deeply. The first intima
, ton was that Mr. Babcock was au
thorized to make this statement by
MI. Roosevelt himself, but private ad
vices from the President and denia
from Mr.. Babcock quieted such talk
, Nevertheless, an extra session, OF
rather the calling together of the
fifty-eighth congress Immediately af
ter the close of the next, session of the
) fifty-seventh, is not regarded as at al
improbable The stated plan is thai
trust legislation will be taken up al
the next session, but that tariff revi
sion Wilde postponed until the new
congress just elected can get chance
at it, since many of the members OF
that congress We're elected on tariff
revision platforms. AS the tariff re
vision question is regarded as impera
tive an extra session is considered
necessary rather than waiting until {
year from this coming December fol