Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-11-11
Next Congress More Easily
Handled.
LABOR VOTES FACTOR IN ELECTION
Publication Of Story that Henderson
Wants to Be Governor of Iowa
Causes Sensation in Washington
Gossip from the Nations Capital.
TIL. ]. MAHIN1

Washington, D. c., Nov. 10.-Now
that the fortune of politics has allowed
to the republicans only comparative
ly small majority in the house of rep
resentatives many shrewd politicians
see that this condition has in it fea
lures of great advantage to the party.
There will not be as many votes to
spare in the next house as there was
in the last. Big majorities are re-
garded as dangerous. They are likely
to encourage loose thinking and reck-
lessness. 1t is declared also that
big majority is likely to cause the set
ting in of factionalism and once that
appears in an organization demorali-
cation as rule is not far behind A
small majority, on the other hand re-
quires skillful handling on the part of
the leaders and imposes obedience and
care on the part of the rank and file.
Everybody must be cautious and sure
footed if good work justifying the con-
tidence of the people is to be done. For
these reasons it is declared that the re-
publicans in the next congress will be
better organized and do more telling
work probably than ever before.
The votes of the laboring men, the
members of organized labor, are said
to have been great factor in the re-
publican victory of the election. New
er in their history have the laboring
men of the country had such strong
and such an able man in the position
occupied by President Roosevelt. come
out for them SO unmistakibly as did the
President in the settlement of the coal
strike. In most instances this stand
was appreciated by organized labor
and they evinced it by the way in
which they voted.
The rumor emanating from Des
Moines to the effect that speaker Hen
derson would be candidate for gov
ernor of Iowa as opposed to Governor
Cummins, caused a sensation in Wash
ington. 1t has revived the story which
says that Hendersons withdrawal was
due to the opposition of Cummins and
some of his influential friends at
Washington, who were said to be
working for Hendersons defeat as
speaker. The reason for such action
given was that Cummins desired Hen
derson out of the way SO that he
would not have him as very likely
opponent to succeed Senator Allison
when the latter retires from public
life in six years. as it is declared he in
tends to do. 1t is said that there is
absolute truth in the statement that
| Speaker Henderson is to enter the
gubernatorial race in Iowa next year
1t is said that if Mr.. Henderson runs
he will have the backing of the entire
railroad and anti-Cummins element
However this may be regarding Mr..
Hendersons intentions succession to
Mr.. Allison's place in the senate is I'M
doubtedly the ultimate goal. Some
aver that the two gentlemen might do
| well to make sure that the place will
soon be open, the idea being that
Iowa's grand old man will not be ready
to step down in six years and if not
! nobody could secure the nomination
/ against him.
The career of H. B. Martin, who was
elected congressman from the fif-
teenth New York district as demo-
crat, is one of the interesting occur
rences in politics and of especial in
terest to Iowa. Mr.. Martin is an old
resident of Iowa. He has been for the
most of the time in Washington in re-
cent years, prominently identified
with labor organizations and the anti
trust league. During the sessions of
! congress he has been almost daily at
the capitol as sort of lobbyist for
labor interests. Mr.. Martins biogra-
ply states that he is lawyer, born in
Minnesota in 1860; after a common
SahNn1 n6npatipn uorl, n