The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-17
"WHY DID HE DO iT?"
Walter WeIlman Wires From the East :
"a Scandal Campaign"

Why did he do it? This Is the question |
which every politician in the country is
asking. Up to this hour no adequate
explanation has come from Iowa. The
speakers personal and political friends
here say that there must be something
behind it that has not yet been made
known to the general public. They de-
cline to believe shat differences Of opinion |
between Speaker Henderson and Governor
Cummins as to the wisdom Of the Iowa
tariff plank could have caused this up
heaval. 1t is we'll known that the speaker
was displeased with that plank. At the
Des Mones conference he declared he
would not have adopted it, and he regard |
ed it as purely in the subjunctive. In
other words he did not think the tariff
was a shelter for monopoly" But he
was willing to abide by the platform.
That Is to say, he would ,nominally adj
here to it. and in his district make a
ideas.
Again, it is we'll known that Speaker
Henderson was one Of the Iowa repub-
lican leaders who wanted to defeat the
ambition Of Mr. Cummins to be governor
of the state He did all he could, and
failed, and Cummins has become the state
leader Of the republican party. The 'old
crowd has been routed. But none Of
these things in the opinion Of the speak
er's friends. is sufficient to account for his
volcanic eruption "
Another Interesting Explanation.
Another explanation is suggested by
republican congressman who are we'll in
formed as to the various phases of life
at Washington. About the time congress
adjourned an Iowa man who holds close
and confidential relations with Speaker
Henderson greatly surprised an Iowa rep
resentative by saying to him:
II am afraid the speaker will not stand
as candidate for another term in the
house"
What do you mean?"
'Well, he has heard that his enemies
intend to make a scandal campaign
against him. They are going into his life
here at the capital and will make a nasty
fight on him along those lines. The
speaker will not stand that. He will re-
tire from office and bring his long public
career to an end rather than face that
sort Of a campaign"
He has nothing to fear from that
source, has he?"
mo. He has never done anything
worse than to have a good time in his jol
ly way among his friends. But there is
a certain story-a false and malicious
story-which his enemies may try to use
| against him, and If they do, believe the
| speaker will retire from public life. He
is as innocent as a babe on that score;
but. as you we'll know, Dave Henderson is
chivarous soul, and to protect the good
name of the other innocent party, now
dead. 1 believe he would go so far as to
sacrifice himself. That is his idea Of
| honor
| This incident is recalled by the speak
ers friends affording a possible expla-
| nation of his surprising decision to with
draw from the race. Should this, and not
| the tariff question, prove to be the real
cause Of the speakers action, his political
friends will cease to blame him, and their
criticism will turn to praise. Those ia
miliar with the facts in the case men
| toned know that not a word can be said
against him in regard to it, and they
wonder why the speaker did not face his
enemies and confound them in their ef-
! forts to put stain upon him. They are
sure he could do so. At the same time, If
this proves to be the secret of his action,
they can appreciate his chivalrous self
| sacrifice.
"News from Oyster Bay"
Upon the assumption that the tariff
question was the actual cause of the
speakers withdrawal. his political asso-
ciates here were at first inclined to think
Henderson must have had some news
from Oyster Bay which led him to take
| himself out of the race. Their theory
was that President Roosevelt had an
nounced to his senatorial guests that he
was going to support the Iowa tariff
IN II
state next week. and that Senator ALI
son had telegraphed this decision to Mr.
Henderson. causing that gentleman to lose
his temper and act In anger and without
sufficient thought of the disastrous conse-
quences to his party. Later in the eve
ming this theory was abandoned, when 1t
became known that not word about the
conference at Sycamore Hill could posi-
bly, have reached Speaker Henderson al
Dubuque before his withdrawal was an
nected, and BESIDES that conference de-
cided against committing the party to i'm
mediate tariff revision.
Gloom Among Leaders.
Chairman Babcock and Representative:
Hull, Hepburn and Overstreet were in E
gloomy state of mind over the astounding
5 news. They confessed themselves utterl,
unable to understand it. One of then
recalled that, while the speaker did no
3 like the shelter to monopoly" tariff planl
in the Iowa platform, Mr.. Henderson hat
said in the Des Moines conference a fort
+ night ago that last spring he proposed t.
o President Roosevelt and other republican
v leaders in Washington that they go ahea
8 and revise the tariff on some schedules
i particularly iron and steel.
y Another recalled that few weeks age
i when Mr.. Henderson was in this city O.
:, his way west he spoke of his observation
j. in New England, where, he said, there ap
o peared to be an overwhelming popular de
IS mand for revision of the tariff Thes
10 things were mentioned to show how mys
II tifying is the speakers present statemen
that his withdrawal is the result of diff
e ferences of opinion on the tariff question
- Cannot Explain 1t. 5...s .-
j. In his telegram to Chairman Babcocl
IS Speaker Henderson says he withdraw
n from the race because he is unable
,. agree with many Of the party who beltev
!" free trade is the remedy for trusts.
@ Commenting on this, Representative HUI
II of Iowa said:
Ii ",rhere are no republicans in Iowa VIII
. believe in free trade. Governor Cummir
n himself is a protectionist. No one claim
'e that the Iowa plank means free trade {
anything like it. We have been maxim
our campaign in Iowa and throughout tn
"a country on the argument that the reput
r, licans stand for correction Of the tariff Q
q protection lines, while the democrats e
n in for tariff for revenue only, which NEAR
lie free trade s.- -, -. r.. I'LL H..
,g Thus the action of the speaker is f0un
ut lnexplicable by his friends here upon ar
"a "a information now at hand. ..,." .. -
of WASHINGTON AMAZED
Id s-.. . r..
- Henderson's Decision Certain to Ora