Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-09-02
NOTE OF WARNING.

The republican party of Iowa is on
the verge of congressional campaign.
Conditions have arisen at the begin
ming of this contest which have called
forth from some republican papers Of
this state a warning note. They see
In the present situation a state of af-
fairs that was experienced immediate
ly prior to the Cleveland administra-
ton and to prevent the people from
falling into the same error, tendency
toward tariff revision, these papers
ask that the voters draw from former
conditions the lesson that will carry
them safely through the coming strug-
gle. Though the comparison may be
quite far fetched the note of warning
can at no time be out of place.
In 1888 Harrison was elected Presi-
dent Of the United States and assumed
the duties of that office with the sup
port Of thoroughly republican con-
eress. The Mckinley law had been
enacted but a short time. Business
was fiourishing, work was plenty,
wages We're good and the affairs of the
nation were generally prosperous.
The democrats began to scatter the
seeds of discomfort among the people.
They minimized the good features of
the Mckinley tariff law and distorted
any points that would permit of an at
tack They enlarged to immense pro-
portions every evil, whether public or
private, and ascribed it to the ruling
administration.
In 1890 the crisis was reached. The
effects of the continuous harping of
the agitators began to be visible and
the results of their efforts were har-
vested in the election of that year.
Iowa, conservative and sound minded
Iowa, which had two years previous
given to Mr.. Harrison a plurality of
$1,000 votes lost six out of the eleven
congressman to which she was EMIT
led,
4 In this district John F. Lacey was
defeated by Fred E. White.
The election of Walter l. Hayes in
the second had been conceded as that |
district was at the time nominally
democratic.
In the first John H. Gear was de-
feated by j. j. Seerley.
w. H. Butler defeated John H. Swee-
ney in the fourth.
Daniel Kerr was defeated by John
T. Hamilton in the fifth.
Thomas Bowman carried the cleo
ton over Joseph R. Reed in the ninth.
Aside from this landslide the repub-
lican majoritfes were greatly reduced
in many of the other districts.
Today the democrats are again
attempting to sow the seeds of dis
content among the voters of this state
as they did in the campaign of 1890.
Would the people of Iowa pre-
vent even the possibility of a defeat
in any of the congressional districts
which the democrats are purporting to
claim, they must take decided stand
against the doctrine that is being
preached by many agitators.
Would the people of Iowa do their
share toward averting even the posi-
bility of a recurrence of the hard
times, the suffering, the general de-
preston of commercial and industrial
interests. the scarcity of labor and
the many other disasters that came
as the result of that election in 1890
and 1892, they must follow steadfastIy
the banner of republicanism az it
marches surely and steadily through
the troublous seas and on again
through a successful election to
strengthen and give reinsurance to a
continuation of the prosperity that is
now being experienced
COURAGE OF HIS CONvIcTJoMe