Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-06-05

only went republican in 1904 by the
grace CT 10000 democrats who stayed
at home the Kansas City Journal says:
But the figures do not sustain Mr..
Clark's statement, as the Journal
pointed out some time ago.
In 1902 the total democratic con.
gressional vote was 170,359, and in
1904 it was 204,596, gain of 34,237.
The republican vote for congressman
in 1902 was 230,939, and in 1904 it was
315,013, a gain of $4,000. Presumably
both parties voted their full partisan
strength, but the republicans made
the greater gain. A good many demo.
Gratis were dissatisfied with Judge Par.
ker, their presidential nominee but
that fact was hardly sufficient to keep
them from voting for the local candi.
dates on the democratic. ticket. and
the figures show that more of them
voted in 1904 than in the state cleo.
ton in 1902.
President Roosevelt carried Mis-.
souri, by plurality of 25,137, while ut
the same election Governor Folks plu-
rality was 30,100. One was republi.
can and the other democrat. This
oSSo W ohOW lAoC IulSSOuAi Ico OIL III
dependent vote of from 10000 to
100000 which formerly voted with the
democrats but which in the election
OF 1904 voted mainly with the repub.
licans, electing every candidate on the
republican state ticket except the nom.
inee for governor This independent
vote has become disgusted with the
Bourbon rule of the democrats, which
gave the state long succession of
cold-blooded, ambitious, off1ce-seeking
officials, but which in all the years IF
its power never gave the state sin.
gle measure of craftsmanship to pro.
mote it's progress and the welfare and
happiness of its people. The people
of Missouri are conservative to the
point of slowness, and they would
probably have gone on voting for
Bourbon government Indefinitely but
for the saving fact that the democratic
leaders fell out among themselves and
told SO many unpleasant truths about
each other that the peoples eyes were
opened and they turned all of them
they could get at out Of Office. 1t is
chance at Senator Stone and the other
followers they will GUST them too.
The probabilities are that more re.
publicans than democrats stayed at
home in 1904. The party had long
been without any effective organiza
! tion-which is essential to bringing
out the vote-and it had become sc
discouraged by repeated defeats that
many republicans who have lived in
the state all their lives hardly ever
take the trouble to vote. In 1904 how.
ever, for the first time in thirty years
the party had fairly good organiza
ton, which accounts to some extent
for the gain.
Those who figure on the political
complexion Of Missouri fail, as rule,
to take into account the large immi.
grafton of substantial farmers who
have come from Iowa, Illinois, Wis.
consin and Michigan, within the past
few years. Walter Williams. dem.
ocrat and keen observer Of human
affairs, estimates that this immigra.
ton in the very recent past has
amounted to $4,000 people. A large
majority Of these farmers are presum.
ably republicans, as they come from
heavily republican states. 1t Is this
important factor which confounds the
calculation Of the political increases
Owing to certain causes, which dc
not appear on the surface. 1t may be
that Missouri will go democratic this
year, but in the opinion of unpreju
dlced observers the chances are large
ly in favor of the republicans in 1908
And even this year, in spite of un.
known quantities in the equation, the
cast Of affairs looks decidedly repub
lican to many experienced observers
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