Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-11-18
States Support is Warted in
Speakership Contest.
PETE" HEPBURN No CANNON MAN
Hawkeye State Almost the Pivotal
one-DeIegation, However, is Sup
posed to Favor Babcock-Hepburn
and Cannon are Not Friends.
TBY H. ]. MAH1N.l

Washington, d. c., Nov. 13.--t is
becoming more evident every day that
Iowa is going to play an Important
part in the selection of the new
speaker of the House as stated in a
Corner letter An element OF doubt
about the speakership rests very large
ly in three or four states with big re-
publican delegations Iowa, Michigan,
New York and New Jersey may swing
a great deal of influence between the
leading candidates in the race. The
strife for votes particularly from Iowa
and New York will be keen for in
these states seem to arise RESPONSE
bilities for some candidate securing
sufficient strength to turn the tables
against Mr.. Cannon.
The activity of Representative Sher-
man as candidate from New York
state is not important for it is not be-
heved that Mr. Sherman has any
chance of winning whatever his quail
tications for office may be. The Presi-
dent is from New York and the other
states are too jealous about the monop-
oily of high offices to allow the next
highest to that of the President to be
bestowed also on the Empire state.
Those who proclaim the Dalzell, penn
sylvania) boom argue that New York
will naturally come to him but this is
not regarded as at all certain. New
York has twenty republican votes
which is more than any other state eX-
cept Pennsylvania and they will prob
ably go as unit to some candidate
with whom the state can drive the
most advantageous bargain.
Iowa and Mr.. Cannon.
1t appears almost as though Iowa
was the pivotal state of the whole
contest Many concede that the
speaker is to be western man and
that the only two western candidates
of strength are Cannon, of Illinois and
Babcock, of Wisconsin 1t looks as
though Iowa would settle the strife
between these two and thus at the
same time settle the whole question
There are many in Washington who
think that Mr.. Cannon will have g
hard time corralling the Iowa vote
although very little is known here
what the individual members think
with the exception of Hepburn, who is
4 known to be opposed to Cannon ant
in favor of Babcock. If the sentiment
of the rest of the delegation should
develop toward Babcock, as some
think probable, it would not only make
Z big hole in Mr.. Cannon's support
but that vote, coupled with Wiscon
sin and other votes in the west, nigh
fatally weaken Mr.. Cannon in his owl
stronghold, the Mississippi valley. Thu
chief interest is bound to be in tn,
Roadway made by Mr.. Babcocl. HI,
has not yet formally declared his can
didacy and when that comes it is sur
to mean that he has assurance o
strong support and can muster enough
votes either to bring Mr.. Cannon t.
terms or to put him out of. the rur
ming altogether Three years ago MI
Babcock was In a position to throN
the election to Mr.. Henderson an
when that was known the contest sui
sided Snd the rival candidates witt
drew without further struggle.
Mr.. Cannon's Long Fight.
Mr.. Cannon has long wanted tn
speakership of the house. He wa
one of the four cornered fight betwee
Mckinley, Reed and Henderson whe
Reed won out. Mckinley came int
higher honors in the Presidency an
Mr.. Henderson succeeded Mr.. Reet
Now it seems as though Mr.. Cannon
turn should be at hand.
Hepburn and Cannon.
A member of the house remarke
the other day that if Cannon wa
elected speaker he would have col
tinuous and uncompromising warfal
with the Hon. "Pete" Hepburn,
Iowa, from the beginning to the clos
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