Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-09-24
Htisteltaneolts 8eaaimg.
WHY HENDERSON WITHDREW.
A Personal Friend of His Offers One
Explanation.
TO BE CONTINUED,

A Personal Friend of His Offers One
Explanation.
The opinion appears to be universal
here, says a Washington dispatch to
the New York Sun, that Speaker Hen
derson played the baby act. His
friends here profess to be utterly at a
loss to account for his inexplicable
course. but all agree that "a niger in
the woodpile" will yet be uncovered. A
personal friend Of Henderson's offers
an explanation Of his strange conduct
in the following statement:
"The whole story Is bound to come
out" he said today, land 1t might as
we'll come out now as at any other
time I regret that the situation is so
bad on account of the party, but I
heartily indorse Speaker Henderson's
action. In fact. he could not honorably
and courageously do anything else.
For some years there has been treach-
cry in the Republican camp. Chair
man Babcock, congressman Hull, of
Iowa, Tawney, of Minnesota and sew
eral others have been trying to bring
about Henderson's defeat for the
speakership. They did not want him
the last time: but he was too strong
for them. Since the Fifty-sixth con-
gress they have been conspiring to beat
him, and on the quiet they gathered
enough strength to insure the success
of their plans.
Speaker Henderson, partly by pure
accident, learned of these plans, and
after a close investigation he took the
only step that he could take under the
circumstances that would be to his own
interest and at the, same time rebuke
his enemies. He has stepped down
and out. If he had consented to run
for congress he would have been elec-
ted without doubt. but his election to
the speakership would have been next
to an impossibility.
mr. Henderson and I have gone over
these matters in correspondence during
the past three months, and he reached
the conclusion that his enemies had
succeeded in gaining enough strength
to defeat him. did not know that he
intended taking this radical step, but
1 am not surprised, knowing the man
as I do. The speaker expressed to me
the greatest regret that Hull had turn
ed against hirHssdt was. as he regarded
it. treachery in the house Of his friends.
"Mr. Henderson told me, after he
discovered what Babcock. Hull, Taw-
ney ond others were doing, that he
would never return to congress and
lose the speakership. He would rather
not be in congress at all than take a
back seat at the hands of people who
pretended to be his friends. He has
stepped down and out and people who
think he will reconsider the step do not
know the man. He has placed the
ground of his declination Of the nomi-
nation on the tariff difference in his
party His last words are ringing
defense of stalwart protectionism. He
Is strictly in line with his party. If he
cannot accept the nomination on these
lines. it means that the party in Iowa.
or rather the younger element headed
by Cummins, Hull, bolivar and that
crowd. are not in line with the party.
1t is they who are read out Of the party
and not Dave Henderson.
''The thing that angered Henderson
beyond endurance is the use Of the ma
tional congress machine by Babcock
and Hull to work for Henderson's de-
feat for speaker. 1t is difficult mat
ter to prove but Henderson is satisfied
that Babcock is using his place as
chairman of the committee to bring
about a change in the speakership.
Hull. as a member of the executive
committee. has been working hand in
glove with Babcock. I don't know
whether they have a candidate or not,
and don't care. What they want is a
speaker who will favor tariff revision.
To get him they have betrayed Dave
Henderson. That is the bare truth. and
it might as we'll be told now as later"
Among the politicians at the capital
the prediction Is freely made that Mr..
Henderson will not fill out his term
as speaker; in other words, that he Will
abdicate before the 4th of March. Be-
fore that time, 1t is figured out, his at
titude toward his constituents and to-
ward the Republican party at large will
have become so intolerable that he
| will not be able to stand even as the
igurehead of his party in congress. If
! he had accepted the situation as he
| finds it and decided to make his fight,
standing on the Republican platform,
even though the chances were against
him, he would have had the sympathy
and support Of the Republican party
throughout the country. But for him
to withdraw now before the congress
nominations are completed and while
the campaign issues are being made up
can result in nothing but discredit to
| himself.
To put it in a nutshell. Henderson's
| friends here, who are his critics as
well. are inclined to believe that he
must have been unduly alarmed by the
knowledge of the opposition to him as
speaker in the camp Of a number of the
influential Republicans Of the house
and, persuaded by his own fears or the
advice of ill-adVised adherentS, he be-
lieved discretion to be the better part
of valor and thus showed the white
feather. If he had made his fight and
won he would have been regarded as a
political hero. Had he been beaten he
would have been regarded as defeat
ed leader. AS the case stands now he
| is adiudged a pOlitical Weakling, and