Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-09-22
HENDERSON,
FEAR WAS
DEFEAT
PARTY LEADER FORS00K HIS
COMPANIONS BECAUSE HE
FEARED HIS BOAT WAS UNI
SEAW0RTHY.

WATERLOO, Ia, Sept. 20.-It was fear
of defeat at the polls that caused Speaker
Henderson 10 desert his party and leave
his ticket in the midst of the campaign,
and after he had accepted the nomina-
ton for congress, and had filed his lnomi-
nation paper with the secretary of state.
All other theories of his dramatic and
ensational withdrawal are imaginary.
Henderson's position on the tariff re-
vision was the real cause of that fear,
and he told the whole truth in his letter
when he said he could not remain in the
field opposed by a large portion Of his
party, because he was not in sympathy
with their tariff revision ideas. The
story comes from a Waterloo Republican,
who spent several hours in Dubuque yes
terday with Speaker Henderson and his
congressional chairman, Colonel d. G..
CHASER. The letter admitted in CONVEX
sation that Speaker Henderson really
made up his mind to withdraw from the
race while he was on the train going to
his home in Dubuque. from his meeting
with the committeeman of the district
in Waterloo, last Saturday.
Speaker Henderson called Colonel Glas-
ser TO his seat in the car and spoke Of
the enthusiasm shown in the committee
room.
But" he said, there's something
wrong, and 1 don't like the situation.
know the feeling existing in Waterloo
and could stand that. In the meeting
the committee seemed enthusiastic
enough, but after the meeting adjourned
every one of them came to me privately
and told me of dissatisfaction in their
counties because of my position on the
tariff question. cannot place myself in
the position they want me to, and 1
might as we'll quit"
Colonel Henderson was emphatic, and
e was easy to see that he was greatly
wrought up over the situation. Colonel
CHASER endeavored to persuade him the
outlook was not so dark as he fancied,
but Henderson would not be convinced.
On Monday the speaker sent for Col
onel Chaser, and together they can
vassed thoroughly the reports which had
been brought in by their committeeman.
They were not encouraged. Waterloo was
the center of the opposition movement,
but II was found that scarcely a precinct
ia the whole district was free from It.
Colonel CHASER and his chief remained
together in the speakers room until l
o'clock Tuesday morning, and at that
hour Henderson's decision TO withdraw
from the ticket was flnally made and
firmly announced.
Tuesday forenoon and until after 3
o'clock in the afternoon, Colonel Chaser
labored with Henderson and pleaded with
him to postpone his action for just one
day to call others in to talk the matter
over, but to no avail. At last the
speaker wrote the note to the newspapers.
Colonel CHASER refused to deliver 1t, and
he dispatched 1t by his secretary. He
told the truth in that note. He could not
agree with his constituents that free
trade in part or in whole would remedy
the trust evil, that position which he
manifested since last winter had cost him
enough votes to lose the district to him.
He knew 1t and rather than go through
the ordeal and worry of the canvass, he
decided to give up the fight at once,
trusting to his energetic defense of pro-
lection to give plausible cause to the
world.
Speaker Henderson held a conference
today with Senator Allison, who arrived
from the east. Mr.. Henderson will leave
tomorrow for Atlantic City to join his
wife and daughter.