Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-10-01

has devoted all of his spare time to
me reading of history, and 1T is doubt
ful II there is man n congress better
posted on political history thin the
statesman from the c'GNth district.
A Hard Wc:.2r.
Colonel Hepburn has always been a
hardf and persistent worker, and every
year he continues to grow. He never
makes the same speech, but always
comes before the people with some
thing new. This is why he has not
grown threadbare, and why his old
friends always turn out gladly to hear
MIN each year. They always learn
something and are repaid for attending
the political meeting that is addressed,
as they say with pride, "by our con-
gresham" Colonel Hepburn is an or
ator OF the old style. he is not one of
these ready made and latter day col
lege orators Of the Beveridge type.
HIS speech before the late state con-
ventlon was the second one he ever
wrote out before delivering and it was
| useless for him to try to commit it to
| memory word for word. Like Joe
Cannon with his speech before the ma
tional convention, he said: "He had
tried to commit the pesky thing sew
eral times, and finally gave up in dis
gust. Colonel Hepburn did not intend
to write out his speech for the last
state convention, but all of the news
paper boys who were his friends show
ed him why he must do 1t. as it
would be an accommodation and would
save Iowa press big telegraph bill.
He went to work few days before the
convention convened and dictated the
speech to his stenographer, as he said
Just to accommodate the boys" but
he did not take the time to have the
inclination to commit it to memory.
He thought his time could be more
probably employed in reading history
or talking to his friends around the
| square at Clarinda.
| Appreciate Friends.
No man in public life in Iowa appre-
ctates his friends more than does Col
onel Hepburn, and the only thing that
troubles him apparently is that he can
not do enough for them All of his
friends from Page county who are now
living and were members of the dele
cation when he was first nominated at
Council Bluffs were placed on the dele
cation 10 the last congressional con.
vention held in Creston last April
Among them were John Miller, Val
Graft, ]. E. Hill, J. H. Dunlap and 9th
ers who cannot now be recalled. Such
friendships as these extending over 9
life time are very gratifying to Colone
Hepburn, and in all of his political life
he was never known to sacrifice 8
friend to placate political enemy. His
intense loyalty to his friends has been
one of the secrets of his success. He
Is not good mixer, and it is difficult
for him to remember names. He does
not possess that faculty, but he has his
mind trained so that he can spin of
statistics figures by the yard without
missing even the cents. He was going
to introduce his daughter once after
she was married, and for the life Of
him he could not remember her newly
acquired name. 1t Is quite foreign tt
his nature to put his arms around the
"boys" as some politicians do, and kiss
all of the cherubs. To him this savors
of demagoguery, and he cannot do it.
He has never acted part, and this Il
why he has maintained himself SO Ions
in the confidence and esteem of his
constituents, who will continue to sent
him to congress as long as he chooses
to remain there. His possible success
or is never even suggested in the
eighth district.