Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-07-09
Nv. F. MUSE ON THE CONVENTION
ORATORY.

w. F. Muse in the Mason City Globe
Gazette: The next editorial of
consequence was contributed by our
governor. 1t looked at first as though
1t were a paean of thankfulness and
a song of harmony, but when he fin
1shed the managing editor sent the
copy to the foreman labeled, "The
) Cows Defi"-scare head, top of col
umn. The governor said he subscrib-
ed to the platform in toto, every line,
syllable and exclamation point and he
would nail it at the masthead in
his campaign this fall. Then while
everybody was feeling first rate he
took the people in his confidence.
Il have said only all the time and
all the places where have been what
believe is right. What / said at all
times didn't emit as sort of chance
shot. carefully loaded with my own
kind of ammunition and took deliber-
ate aim, and If the gun kicked any
that's my affair, and propose to load
IN the same old way and enjoy myself
In the same old sport"
OF course this was not the verbiage
OF the eloquent and courageous utter
ance, but the sentiment is there. The
standpatters had not expected the edi-
torial contribution in harmony sheet,
but they voted to let the whole arti-
Gle go without blue-penciling single
expression, and smiled smile like
the boy who feels a sudden and unex-
pected contact with the paddle or a
good leather strap from the South
side.' And like the boy they said,
Gee, you purity near skeered me,p and
let it go at that
Senator Dolliver, who had been
practicing time all day with no
minor tones in it, came out at call of
the subscribers and contributed a
bouquet to Senator Allison, and Alli-
son followed with a chant concerning
the greatness of the governor and the
rest of the boys who had all been good
this time and not kicked over the
traces. The governor had been wildly
cheered by his enthusiastic friends, but
Allison had bunch coming to him
that must have been fiattering in the
city of Des Moines.
There was another man who did a
little editorial writing. His name is
Allison. He halls from the state of
Dubuque. the state of Iowa. and the
, United States of America. He wrote
an editorial called the Greed Of the
Faithful" according to the gospel of
Abraham Lincoln and William McKin-
ley; and the resolutions committee de-
cided that man by theN name of J.
w. Blythe should be the publisher. A
great many in the convention were
glad of the opportunity to see Mr. Bly,
the. He has been greatly writ"
about. Some people expected to see
man wearing horns and uttering
tones that would contain all the scare
sounds of the wool of the Jabber-
wock and the scream" of the Jub-
bub bird Instead, a pleasant faced
gentleman with a tinge of yermillion in
his locks moved forward and neither
Jud Welliver nor Fritz Norris fled in
precipitation from the newspaper
row. Mr. Blythe's voice was hardly
big enough to scare the first robin,
and there were cries of Louder" from
some gentlement who refused to make
use OF the full length of their ears. Mr..
Blythe finished his editorial work, and
moved that the men who represented
the subscription list make good and
they all cashed in at once.
The subscribers We're all feeling
good by this time. And then came the
surprise. There were loud calls for
Cousins. The Hon. Bob was chewing
gum at the time. and he had trouble in
swallowing his cud before he warmed
up to the occasion. There was pink in
his cheeks which looked like health
and soft velvet in his voice like the
purrlng of a tigress just before she is
about to spring. Il offer you as a con,
: tribution to this valuable historic jour.
nal of the doings and sayings of this
convention a little excerpt called the
Dingley bill" quoth Mr.. Cousins. "By
my halidom, my knee hath not crook
ed yet to bow to tariff reform and that
1t will be some days betirnes before IT
doth" This, it must be said in truth
was not Roberts language, for Robert