Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-02-25
EIGHTH DISTRICT CONGRESSMAN
vlNDlcATEs HIMSELF BE.
FORE CONSTITUENTS.
FACES HENRY WALLACE

Answering to the Allegations Of Lack
Of Good Faith In His Dealings With
the Railroad Rate Problem, He
Fully Explains All His Actions--Po.
IlticaI Drama Witnessed at Corning.
Corning, Feb. Especial Corn.
ing yesterday furnished the theatre
for a political drama whose equal was
never before seen In Iowa. It was a
battle of wits, fight by one of the
country's greatest and most prolni-
nent men for recognition Of his ser.
vices, not the recognition so readily
accorded him abroad hut that so much
desired and so much more valued rec
ognition by the people at home, Of sin.
cerity Of purpose and faithfulness to
a trust.
Colonel w. P. Hepburn, congress.
man from the eighth district was
the central figure in the event.
He had travelled all the way from
Washington to tell the people OF
Adams county and his district Of his
position on the railroad rate question.
Armed with letters from Attorney
General Moody and President Roose.
velt in which they endorsed his views
and his acts, Col. Hepburn defended
himself against the attacks Of his
critics. And he won. At night he
left for Washington, to return to the
work for which he was elected by the
people Of the eighth district. And had
he been of the kind who boast Of their
victories he could we'll have sent
ahead message like the one Caesar
wrote after his memorable victory in
Egypt-"Veni, vidi, vici.'
Both Sides of the Contention.
Yesterdays happening was the cli-
I max OF a series Of attacks upon Col.
Hepburn, carried on, so he says, for
almost twenty years. At Corning, Col
Hepburn met Henry Wallace, Of Des
| Moines, the one man whom he holds
responsible for the greater part Of
the dissatisfaction which has been ex-
pressed in Iowa and the eighth dis
trict with the work of the Iowa delega-
tion in congress and especially the
work of Col. Hepburn as chairman Of
the house committee on interstate
commerce. Mr.. Wallace repeated the
charges he had previously made. He
was applauded by the audience. Col.
Hepburn sat upon the stage in the lit
tie opera house, listened with half
closed eyes while the Des Moines man
hurled charge after charge upon
his head. When he had finished
4 the congressman arose and faced
his constituents, faced too one
of the most serious situations
he has ever known In his long
connection with politics. He an
swered Mr.. Wallace. He justified his
acts in committee and on the floor Of
the house. He carried his hearers
with him and when the sentiment In
his favor swept over the audience
every man could feel it as il it were
a tangible thing. Like an electric
shock it affected the senses of every
one In the audience and when the
speaker concluded his address with let.
ters which expressed, over their sigma.
lures, the confidence and gratitude of
Z President Roosevelt and Attorney
General Moody for Mr.. Hepburn's ef-
forts for railroad legislation, cheers
resounded through the little audito-
rum and were heard out upon the
i Il.
dicated himself.
Yesterday was the first day of the
: annual meeting of the Adams County
Farmers institute, an organization
, which has been in existence nearly
twenty years and mum bers among It's
members nearly every farmer in the
, county. Though the roads were bad
and travelling was almost impossible
in some parts Of the county the at
tendance at the meeting was large.
The fact that Henry Wallace and Col.
Hepburn were to- speak had been
noised about the district and men
were present from Union county and
other adjoining counties. The meet
ing was held in the Corning opera
drama which means much to Iowa and
to her congressman.
Not Political Meeting.
Jerome Smith, president of the Ad-
i ans county Farmers institute and of
the county branch of the Corn Belt
Meat Producers, opened the meeting.
He said that the report that had gone
abroad, to the effect that the meeting
was to be of political nature was al
together wrong that there was no
political significance to 1t but that the
farmers were called together to con-
slider the question of marketing their
products and that the subject Of rail.
road .ates, rebates and determinations
. was an important factor in the bust.
ness life of the farmer, especially the
Iowa farmer. Mr.. Smith stated in a
general way the grievances the farm.
ers and stock raisers of western Iowa
: have against the railroads and intro.
q duced A. F. Ames, of Buckingham
president of the Iowa Corn Belt Meat