Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-05-01
TALK OR REORGANIZATION.
Old Line Democrats Hope to Regain
Former PRESTIGE,

Des Moines, April 3O-Sound money
democrats all over the state are look
ing forward to this years campaign
hopefully and are planning to regain
their prestige. A strong effort will be
made to displace what the gold stand
ard, sound-money element of the party
terms the populistic wing, and to re.
store to control some of the leaders
who were chief in the party councils
before w. J. Bryan took the reins in
1896.
Prominent democrats who have been
in Des Moines of late say the time is
ripe for a reorganization of things.
They point to the fiat failure of the
democratic campaign of last year. 1t
is well remembered THAI the sound
money forces made an attempt to con.
troll the convention held in Des Moines
last August but failed. The result was
the nomination of T. J. Phillips of OF
tumwa by the silver wing of the party.
Though nominated by this element Mr..
Phillips took pains later to discredit
Bryan and made campaign SO lacking
in strength that thousands of demo.
Gratis refused to go to the polls. Others
that did go, in many instances, voted
the republican ticket.
Think Time for Change at Hand.
The democratic element was never
at lower ebb in iowa than it was on
election day last November. In conse.
quence of the general encouragement,
it lost much strength in the general
assembly. Old line. democrats see in
this an opportunity for reorganization
and for the harmonizing of the party
again. Then, too, Che general dissatis-
faction over the republican tariff pol.
icy and the unrest caused by the con-
duct of affairs in the Philippines,
makes the time opportune for demo.
cratic action. Holding this in view,
the old time leaders of the party will
make a hard effort to shape the policy
of the party in Iowa this fall. The
prime object of this is to organize for
the campaign of 1904.
1t is said the plan will be to put up
a strong democratic state ticket, and
to make an active campaign on the
stump this fall. The sound money
men will also try to take control of the
state central committee and elect
some capable leader as chairman. The
committee is now about evenly divid-
ed as to silver men and sound money
men, the silver men having majority
of one.
Those committeeman whose terms
will end this year are: N. G. Roberts
of Ft. Madison, e. M. Carr of Manches-
ter, D. A. Lyons of Cresco, George A.
Huffman of Des Moines, A. w. Max.
well of Seymour, J. B. Romans of Den
ison, and ]. H. Quick oflSioux City,
Roberts, Maxwell and Romans of these
are silver men and perhaps one other
of those named If any one of them is
displaced by a sound money man, the
control of the committee will be lost to
the silver forces. In this district, it
is not expected George A. Huffman
will try to secure another term. If a
strong man is put on the committee in
his place, it is said he can secure the
Craftsmanship for the asking.
Able congressional candidates will
put up wherever possible. That any of
the districts can be carried by the
democrats seems doubtful, though
Reese of Abba will be an uncertain
quantity is he unifies the miner vote.
Judge Wade of Iowa City, if prevailed
on to run, WILL in all probability, make
Congressman RUMBLE an exceedingly
lively race.