Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-09-25
OUTSIDE POINT Of VIEW
For the Times Republican.

| FOR the Times Republican,
| The passing of Henderson should be
the headline, for he is practically dead
And his obituary notices are the oppo-
site of the usual. Policy held quiet
the pens of many editorial writer's, but
now they are loaded, and the man that
two weeks ago held the most powerful
| political position, next to the presiden-
cy, in these United States, now can read
many sighting remarks, many inuen-
does on his private life, and a whole
deluge of denunciation Of his act of
withdrawal, coming as it did, under the
circumstances that involves the as
tendency of the republican party in
Iowa. to say nothing of the effect it will
have in national politics.
Dave Henderson owed all Of his phe-
nomenal political career to tempera-
ment God gave him. He was born with
a faculty of making friends and holding
them. OF course. with this went the
other necessary faculty of remembering
them. He knew Jim and Bob and 10
wherever he met them, and shook hands
as cordially with jim, the bus man, as
with 10, the banker. Again, he was
ldeservedly popular in his army career,
and up to the time of his election as
speaker the soldiers had no better or
truer friend in Washington or else
where than Comrade Henderson. Most
emphatically Dave was one of the boys
during the first fifteen years of his pub
lie life. This without going to the ex-
treme limit that occasionally is shown
by the convivial Afe of some of our
|congressmen and public officials.
| But his downfall, his political suicide,
dates from his elevation to the speak
ership. Unquestionably it affected his
brain. In the expressive slang of the
day it gave him "the big head" He
and unreasonable letters. Probably it
is true he had no time to attend to such
little things, but those little things
were attended to and received his per-
sonal attention during the first years
of his political career. Then his trip
abroad was most unfortunate affairfor
"a man of the people," Add to this his
peculiar notion of the Importance of his
social position as speaker and his re-
fusal to attend public and private social
functions unless he walked ahead Of
certain other officials, or sat above
them at the festive board, and we see
him losing again on the hold Dave"
had on his constituency. This, followed
by his public reference to "the lying
press" gave the said lying press" of
this country none too cordial a feeling
for Speaker Henderson. And then came
the greater mistake of writing letters
to his friends (?) in which It was no
stretch Of the imagination to see he
knew more about public matters than
they did and the implied logic was, he
knew better what they needed than
they did themselves.
And now comes the finale. Dave
Henderson, the man that for eighteen
Years has received the loyal and undi-
vided support of the Third congress
| sional district, in fit of anger, Of I'M
pulse, without warning, leaves those
friends In the lurch and resigns his
leadership. Leaves them in dismay.
confronted with the strongest political
battle only a few days ahead and when
1.-The most cunning and resourceful man
lin the state leads the democrat hosts.
1 Well may 1t be said, II Governor Boies
goes to congress he will owe it entirely
| to the action of Speaker Henderson.
| And If Mr.. Henderson had deliberately
sought out a plan to give aid and COM
fort to the enemy, nothing more sue
cessful could he have conceived than
his virtual acceptance of the NOM
lination for congress and then to have
refused 1t at so late date that new
satisfactory organization is impossible
before the day of election.
Within the memory of many readers
was the action of Conkling. We re-
member the retirement of ex-Speaker
Reed. Both OF these men with exalted
ideas of their own political Importance
dropped into political insignificance. as
they deserved to, but it can not be said
of them that they deserted on the eve
of battle. No one can accuse them of
| imperiling the chances of the political
supremacy Of the republican party of
state and nation.