Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-11-25
POLITICAL GOSSIP
CIR. Benedict Will be Chief Clerk of
House.
]. c. CROCKETT is NOW OUT OF WAY
The Agreement Was to Let Crockett
Have Place in Thirtieth General
Assembly But He Does Not Now De-
sire the Office.

c. R. Benedict of Shelby county, will
undoubtedly be chief clerk of the house
of representatives in the Thirtieth gen
eral assembly, as he was in the
Twenty-ninth, according to a Des
Moines newspaper. Concerning this
and other political matters it says:
Last winter there were two candidates
for the position, Benedict and John e.
Crockett of Hardin county. Finally an
understanding was reached between
the two that If Crockett would accept
the second place this time that Bene-
dict would retire and allow Crockett
to have the chief clerkship in the 1904
general assembly The compact went
through and Benedict was made Chief
clerk and Crockett reading clerk.
Immediately after the adjournment
Of the general assembly Crockett be-
came candidate for clerk of the SUI
preme court and was nominated at the
state convention held in August, and
elected at the November election.
| This, of course, removes Crockett
from the lists next time and dissolves
| the Benedict pledge to stand aside for
the Hardin county man. Rush Bene-
dict was very popular as chief clerk
and he has had many tenders from
the friends of Crockett and will I'M
doubtedly get his old place without
serious opposition.
Great Gap to Be Filled in Senate.
i The passing of the fall elections
brings the senate political workers up
/ to next years campaign without so
much as a suggestion OF an intarmis-
sion. Already speculations are being
INDUCED in with respect to legislative
! candidates for 1908. The Iowa senate
will see many new faces and it remains
to be seen il many of the strong men
who closed their legislative careers in
the last general assembly will be sue
ceeded by as able men. With the re-
tirement of such leaders as Trewin,
Healy, Junkin, Hartman and Blan-
chard from the floor of the senate,
there is left a yawning gap that their
districts will find hard to fill, besides
numerous other familiar faces of less
active members will be missing. Sen
atorial candidates are becoming sug-
gested with more reGerve than those
!; for membership in the house and in
|
house will ask for senatorial nomina-
tons.
, Representative Eker in the Ring
gold Decatur-Uni district is under
, stood to be q candidate to succeed
, Senator Allyn of Ringgold, and will
be opposed by Editor Stoolsey in his
own town. Representative Amos Boy.
son Of Audubon, who has served two
= Il
, Der Of the state committee from the
ninth district. is a possible candidate
in the Audubon Guthrie-Dallas district
5 against Senator Hopkins.
/ The result of the fifth district judi
t cial convention at Earlham last sum
l mer, which resulted in the nomination
e of Edmund Nichols of Perry as judge
S over John Guiher Of Winterset to sue
4 coed A. W. Wilkinson, leaves little
< doubt of the combination that hal
s been effected between Guthrie ant
" Dallas counties, and Mr. Boyson i!
t hardly likely to go up against such
h stone wall. Rather will he ask to b.
l. returned to the house for third term
$ Want to Fill Healys Shoes.
L In the Webster-Calhoun district tn
= question OF who will attempt to fill tn
9 shoes of Senator Thomas D. Heal
:. of Fort Dodge is being preached. Bot
, mebmers of the last house from thi
district have ambitions.
d. j. Townsend of Calhoun county i
in the race for the position and
i likely to meet with opposition from
"a T. Meservey, who served his first teri
g in the house last winter.
= In the Marion Monroe district Repr,
y sentative j. L. Warren of Pella is
IS candidate to succeed Fred Townsen
OF of Abba, democrat. 1t is rumored tha
Nate Kendall may oppose him, al
though Kendall has already done som
work looking to his return to the hous
n for third term in order that he ma
IS enter the lists for the speakership
10 Representative Tim Donahue tn
Irish wit of the last house, is bein
- pushed by his friends to become
candidate against Senator G. w. Liste
of Sibley, and will probably do SO. Ii
ter has had but one term, however.
In the Woodbury. district it is unde
stood that the matter Of the senate
ship is already settled. Hubbard wi
reire, and will probably run for co
gress as soon as opportunity offer
Marlin J. Sweeley, poet-laureate of til
last house, is to take up the senator's
toga.
Senator James J. Crossley of Il
Madison-Adair district will be retur
ed without opposition. He has serve
but one term.
AS to the Speakership.