Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-03-20
KEEPING HISTORY STRAIGHT.

MuSCat1ne Journal.--A very acriln- |
onous discussion Is now going on in
the columns of the Des Moines Reg
lister and Leader relative to the causes
which contributed to the defeat IF
Hon. John S. Woolson. the republican
candidate for congress in the first
district in 1884. The Register and
Leader asserts that 1t was the rail-
road influence. engineered by Joseph
w. Blythe, that caused the defeat of
Mr.. Woolson. The friends of Mr..
Blythe deny this charge and claim 1t
was through the manipulation OF Tom
Potter, an ardent democrat and at
that time general manager Of the Bur-
llir gton, that the r .publican candidate
vas defeated. Neither Of these asser-
| items Is correct
In a recent interview with man,
| Who Is now a resident Of Muscatne
hut who at that time was resident
| of the first district and took a promin-
Git part in the campaign, we are ell
abled to give some of the true inward.
Hess of the campaign and some of the
causes which led to Mr.. Woolson's de-
| feat. In the first place, he says. that
the railroad had nothing to do with the
Mr.. Potter nor Mr.. Blythe took an ac-
tive part in the campaign. Mr.. Wool
1 son lost the election on account of n
bolt in the ranks of his own party, in
his own county and in his own home
town, Mt Pleasant. The railroad
cnestion had nothing to do with this
holt. 1t was purely on personal
4 tivenoss and hatred which always ac-
companies e. fight Of this kind. Hon.
i E. j. Hall, the democratic candidate,
j was only elected by majority. of sew
4 onty-one votes in the entire district
u and more than that number of repub-
licans voted against the republican
candidate in his own home. Some Of
these same republicans not only con
!. tributed to the defeat of their own
PARTY candidate in personal work, but
/ also helped in a financial way, fur
, nlshing the democrats with money
> enough to wage a spirited campaign
and get out every vote they possessed
: III the county.
There was another incident connect
ed with this compaign which contrib.
uted largely to the defeat of the re-
publican candidate At that time there
vas q paper published in Mt. Pleasant
called the Herald. 1t was the organ OF
!, the greenback party and was run ir
! their interests. Some of Mr.. Wool
: sons friends conceived the idea thai
: it would be a good thing to buy this
PAPER, keep the sale a secret and by
4 this means so manipulate matters a.
vote to the republican candidate. This
move was vigorously opposed by some
: of the influential men at the head o
!. the Woolson campaign, but, notwith.
!. standing their protests, the deal wal
= carried through and the paper pur.
chased. 1t turned out just as thes'
= lren predicted. The democrats wer'
= Informed OF the sale in less than TWEEN
ty-four hours after it. mas made ant
they used 1t with telling effect, turn
ing many Of the votes of this thirt
: larty to the democratic candidate AM
; so disgusting others that they refrain
: cd from voting altogether. This on
= thing alone probably changed vote!
: enough to more than make up tn
. small number by which Mr.. Woolso.
: was defeated.
We give these inside facts at thi
n time for the purpose Of keeping his
i tory straight. 1t is very popular u
= this time to blame the railroads witt
:. about all the evils from which tb
4 tody polite suffers but this is one in
h stance when they can certainly plea
i.ot guilty. There is enough laid a
their door now without adding to tn
pile by going back for over twent
: years and ralSirg up an old matte
: where they were entirely innocent
:. What defeated John S. Woolson wa
!. party treachery and personal hatre
D coupled with some very bad manage
nent on the part Of the men at tn
VI head of his campaign.