The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1902-09-20
why He Declined.

II is very evident that Speaker Henderson
saw the handwriting ON the wall, and declined
to be a candidate for reelection TO Congress.
A Washington dispatch printed in the Balti-
more American Of Thursday says:
ssIn view Of the fact that, at the conference
between President Roosevelt and the Repub-
lean leaders of the Senate, held at Oyster
Bay Yesterday afternoon, it was distinctly de-
cided that no attempt at tariff revision will be
made for the present, the sensational announce
menf of Speaker Henderson that he would
not stand as a candidate for reelection be-
cause he is not in accord with the views of
his constituents on the same subject, becomes
all the more remarkable. Mr.. Henderson
has been the successful candidate of his party
in the Third district of Iowa for 20 years.
He was reelected to the present Congress by
a majority Of more than 10000 votes, and the
statement of Governor Cummins that he does
not believe Mr.. Henderson withdrew because
of his tariff views is constantly finding more
believers in Washington.
The truth is that the general belief in this
city inclines to the view that Nr. Henderson
die not believe that he could be reelected to
Congress this fall because of his own personal
unpopularity in his district, and, furthermore,
that he believed that even if he were elected
TO Congress he could not be reelected speaker
of the next House because of his unpopularity
with the Republican members of Congress
and with President Roosevelt
X
Before the sensation caused by his defeat
over Cuban reciprocity had died away Mr..
Henderson again encountered singing de-
feat, for, in spite of his opposition, the Irri-
CATION Bill was passed. In one word, Speak
er Henderson has completely failed to rule
the House, and his defeat in the Republican
caucus was certainty.
Mr.. Henderson's persistency in smothering
all resolutions intended to give justice to Ad-
miral Schley intensified the sentiment in his
district against him.
The conditions in Mr.. Henderson's district
are not such as to encourage him. 1t is true
Mr.. Henderson telegraphed to scores of men,
bers that he would assist them in their cam
paign this fall by making speeches for them.
As soon us it was known that ex-Gov. Horace
Boies would be nominated against Mr.. Hen
derson the Republican Congressional Com
mittee at New York understood that Mr.. Hen
derson would fill none of these engagements,
for it recognized that only the most stipend
GUS efforts and the most untiring work by the
Speaker himself could save the party the UNI
precedented humiliation of having the Speak
er of the House defeated. Governor Boies is
probably one of the best politicians in the
West. He is low tariff Democrat, with
very adjustable views on silver, prohibition
and. indeed, every other issue that presents
itself He has carried Iowa by most remark
able majorities, and the votes that he has
rolled up in the counties comprising Speaker
Henderson's district, particularly Black
Hawk county, the Speakers home, are most
disquieting When he was nominated re-
Gently TO oppose Speaker Henderson Cover
nor Boies intimated to his friends that he
would ignore free silver and the Philippines
and would devote himself entirely to demand
ing revision of the tariff and to curbing the
trusts. Hence Governor Boes, the Demo
cratic candidate for Congress in Mr.. Hender-
sons district, came nearer to standing on the
platform adopted by the Iowa Republicans
than did Mr.. Henderson himself.
While at first glance the enormous majority
Of nearly 1900 votes by which Speaker Hen
derson carried his district in 1900 would seem
to make the election of Republican candi-
date an absolute certainty, this safety was
more apparent than real. Some of Mr.. Hen
derson's majorities have been very slim in
deed. Ten years ago he squeezed into Con-
gress by beggardly majority of 159 votes.
1t was only when the Democrats became free
silver men that Mr.. Henderson's majorities
began to leap into the thousands, because he
had in his district thousands of gold Demo-
Gratis who voted for him. Governor Boies
will get all these Democratic votes. and if
Henderson had remained in the field he
would, in addition, have obtained thousands
of Republican tariff revision votes, for news
comes from Iowa that mass meeting had al
ready been called at which the Republicans
intended to express their Indignation at Mr.;
Henderson's opposition to tariff revision, and
at which they would doubtless have ;ndorsed
Mr.. Boies.
From these considerations, it is evident
that Mr.. Henderson, keen politician as he is,
saw the coming storm and the shipwreck that
threatened him. Hence he presents the fig
ure unique in politics-the Speaker of the
House of Representatives unwilling to go be-
fore his constituents and ask their verdict on
his course.