Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-05-02
The FOURTH DISTRICT
Strenuous Efforts Made to Sc.
cure Harmony in Cerro
Gordo County.
Blythe Men Claim Success OF
Rule Would Mean Loss
OF Congressman.
Statement of Situation. Signed
Statement OF Situation, Signed
by Fifty Leaders, Issued
1.-The Text.
Special to Times-Republican.

| tween Blythe and Rule in this count
grows more bitter as time passes. l
has been hoped by the friends of Blyth
that Rule would withdraw in the inter
ests of harmony and this he has beer
repeatedly urged to do. 1t has beer
pointed out from time to time that ever
if Rule should be able to carry Cerrt
5orio ou,ty, ii would only result IL
the county losing q congressman, as 1
is claimed by Blythe men that Rul'
would not stand the ghost Of show il
the eastern part of the district. Thurs.
day the Globe Gazette, which is sup.
porting Blythe, printed an interesting
and rather rovel document. 1t was
printed in big type, four-column meas
ure and covered nearly an entire page
1t is review of the situation in the
district and is signed by about fifty
prominent republicans. 1t purports tc
be issued in the interests of harmony
and fair politics and is an important
document. The statement says:
THE CONGRESSIONAL SITUATION
"a true statement of the congression-
al situation, made in the interest OF
county harmony and fair politics.
an view of the fact that there is a
contest, now on between two of the re-
publicans of Cerro Gordo county, for
ton for the fourth congressional dis
trict; we the undersigned, republicans
of the county, desire to present to you
facts, bearing upon the candidacy OF
these two men which are within our
and which we are confident
can be fully substantiated. AT the New
Hampton convention in 1898 there were
three candidates for congress, Mr..
Thomas Updegraff, of Clayton county,
the then encumbent, who went into the
with seventy-five votes. Mr..
G. N. Haugen, of Worth county. who
went into the convention with forty-siN
votes. and Mr.. Blythe, who went into
the convention with ninety eight votes.
Three hundred and sixty-five ballots
were taken and Mr.. Blythe was finally
defeated by a combination of the Up
degraff and Haugen forces, which had
been agreed upon before the conven-
ton, and which, by the application Of
the unit rule, resulted in the nomina
ton of Mr.. Haugen. Nearly all Of the
men who supported Mr.. Blythe then.
are strongly for him now, feeling that
the wrong then done him should be
righted by according him the nomina
ton this year. Many prominent men
>,h0 way 0rr0ca1 n him IN ~ ~
paign are now ardently in his support.
Some months ago Mr.. Blythe was an
nounced as a candidate for congress by
the republican press of this country
and he is now supported by a very
arge majority of the republican news
papers in the district. He entered the
race in response to the urgent request
IF many prominent and active republic
,an leaders in Ctrro Gordo, Allamakee,
chickasaw, Fayette, Floyd, Howard and
counties. For a long time
t has been generally conceded, thru
out the district, that Mr.. Blythe was
certain to defeat Mr.. Haugen, and the
of Cerro Gordo county OBJ
aiming the congressman this year have
oeen most promising. This condition
grew out Of the fact that Mr.. Blythe is
widely acquainted and has strong fol-
owing In every county in the district.
As soon as it became apparent to the
Iaugen supporters that Mr.. Blythe was
aasunably certain to carry the next
convention in this dis
riot, they turned their attention to the
Of affairs thruout the en-
ire territory, and strenuous efforts
we're made to persuade other candi-
ates to run, for the sole purpose of de-
eating Blythe and renominating Mr..
iaugen. Ali such efforts failed in 9TH
r parts Of the district. in view Of the
act that the prominent men In other
ounties, who are recognized as con-
ressional timber, had conceded the |
omination to Cerro Gordo county, with
1r. Blythe as the candidate. Long prior |
o the announcement of Mr.. Rules can
idacy, and in fact prior to the an
ouncement of his own candidacy, Mr..
'lythe had said to many of Mr.. Rules
riends and to his own friends gener-
lily, when solicited to become a candi-
ate for congress, that he would will
Ugly stand aside and support Mr.. Rule,
r any other Cerro Gordo county man
Tho would go into the congressional
ace and make a fight for the nomina-
on, in the interest of Cerro Gordo
ounty. Mr.. Blythe was assured by
lany Of Mr. Rules friends that Mr..
ule did not desire congressional hon.
rs and that he preferred to attend to
is law practice, and that he had no
nbition in that line and would not be
candidate for congress.
Under these circumstances, Mr..
ule's candidacy, so unexpectedly an
from Beaumont, Texas, came
a surprise to his best friends. 1,
as evidently decided upon after con-
lltation with but a few of them and
ter Mr.. Blythe had been allowed to s
axe thorough organization of the
tire district, relying upon the state {
ent of Mr.. Rules friends that he |
ould have no opposition in his county /
contest for the legal delegation
aces this country in grave danger OF $
sing congressman. Men thorough
posted upon the general situation .
port, from all parts of the district
at there is unquestionably no pros
ct for Mr.. Rules nomination, that he
not we'll known outside Of Cerro n
'rdo county in the district conven. I
IN. The four eastern counties of tho Y
strict have 100 votes. as aginst 10l h
the SIX western counties. Mr., +
ythe Is the only man in the western r.
TT OF the district who can expect to Ii
rry any one of the four eastern q
lnties as against Mr.. Haugen, under "
listing conditions. The loyalty to n
:. Blythe in these counties is largely
: outgrowth,of long personal and po-