Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-05-08
THE OTTUMWA COURIER

- " \ i " MI w Ia wv " lllIOI
the measure authorizing the sale of
the old arsenal grounds at Indianapo-
lis, which will be the first step
toward the movement for an army
post there.
Chances Are Good.
1t is possible that in case the ap-
preparation for Des Moines is increas.
ed to $150,000 that this item may be
knocked off in conference. The chances
for the increase, however, are very
good. There will be many items add
ed in the senate that will be agreed to
in conference and this may be one Of
them. The case of Des Moines asking
for an increased appropriation, and
Muscatine asking to have an item in
serted appropriating funds for public
building, are radically different. 1t
was not So much the amount of money
asked for by Muscatine but as l have
pointed out, the determination on the
part of congress not to break over the
only one building in one district
rule. That objection would not obtain
in the case OF the Des Moines appropri.
alton desired.
Mr.. and Mrs. Seeds Return.
Judge Seeds, deputy auditor for the
war department, and his bride have re-
turned from their wedding trip and
will at once commence housekeeping
in Washington. The judge says he
made up his mind to have a little
touch of high life upon this suspicious
occasion and he and Mrs. Seeds stop.
ped at the Waldorf-Astoria during the
time they were in New York. The
judge says it is really first class no.
tel.
DoIliver Treats of Chinese Situation.
Senator Dolliver has an article in the
forthcoming number of the North
American Review treating of the Chi
nese situation The senator takes
some advanced positions and makes
some statements that are likely to at
tract international attention. He I'm.
dertakes to outline the probable and
patriotic attitude of this government in
certain eventualities.
Madison Not Doubtful.
Congressman Hull says he had ad.
vices from his friends in the seventh
district that there is no more occasion
for counting Madison county in the
doubtful column than Polk. They say
Madison is solid for Hull that Judge
Prouty cannot get even a foothold and
that there is no ground for apprehen.
sion. Governor Hull feels perfectly
confident he will not only have Madi.
son, but all the other counties in the
district, save Story, which has chosen
Prouty delegates.
Interest in Fourth Now.
Interest in the contest in the sew.
enth district has been transferred to
the fourth, where Messrs. ]. E. Blythe
and Duncan Rule are struggling for
supremacy in Cerro Gordo county.
Naturally Congressman Haugen is
very much interested in the situation
He says he has information that Mr..
Rule will defeat Mr.. Blythe. Asked
what would be the probable attitude of
his (Haugen's) supporters in Cerro
Gordo, in the fight between Blythe and
Rule, and he replied that he imagined
his friends would be for Rule.
Haugen Rests Easy.
Mr.. Haugen intimated that he had
easily the best of the fight in the dis
trict even if Mr.. Blythe should carry
his own county, and thought it doubt
full if the latter would be able to carry
more than two counties beside his own
in case he won that.
Mr.. Haugen also gave it as in an Off
hand opinion that Mr.. Rule would be
fully as strong in the district as Mr..
Blythe.
Washington Interested.
Iowa congressman and politicians
in Washington are taking a lively in
terest in the fight and there appears
to be unanimously expressed hope
that Mr.. Blythe will secure the sup
port of his own county. The feeling
prevails that Mr. Blythe's work for the
republican party has earned him the
right to ask for the verdict of the re-
publican voters of the fourth district
as such verdict would be expressed at
the convention. He is willing to abide
by that decision. If Mr.. Haugen or
any other republican is able to get a
majority of votes at that time, Mr..
Blythe will turn in and work for his
election. 1t is well known that four
years ago Mr.. Blythe lacked but a
dozen votes of sufficient to nominate
him. He had big plurality of the
vtoes; a third more than his nearest
competitor, Mr.. Updegraff, and twice
as many as Mr. Haugen. A combina-
ton by means of which the candidate
with the least votes received the
strength of the candidate having the
next highest number, was made, and
of course, this combination was too
strong for Mr.. Blythe. Notwithstand-
ing, it is claimed by his friends that
he was the choice of large plurality
if not in fact, majority Of the dele
gates at that time. 1t is stated by a
man from Fayette county, conversant
with the situation and who was pres
ent at the convention two years ago
which nominated Mr.. Haugen for the
second term, that Mr.. Blythe would
have been the nominee at that time
had he consented to permit the use OF
his name. Mr.. Blythe, however, had
publicly stated that he was not can
didate and would not allow the use
of his name and he adhered to his
| pledge.
Blythe Popular.
Without desiring to disparage
| Mr. Haugen it NAV he said that Mr.