Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-01-30
i EXCHANGE OF COUNTIES BY SEC
oND AND FIFTH DISTRICTS
~
81 CONTEMPLATED
/ NO EFFECT ON COUSINS

Fifth District VIII Lose Few Citizens
and the Second viii Gain Repub-
Icans.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE
Des Moines Bureau Of the Courier.
Des Molnes, January 20.
Inquiry as to the question of redis-
tricting to make the second and fifth
districts more symm etrical and the
vote better equalized, discloses the fact
that the chance for adding Jones coun-
~ to the second and adding Iowa and
johnson to the fifth is reasonably
good.
Indeed, it is stated in republican
circles that Congressman Cousins, who
is chiefly concerned, will not vigorously
oppose this sort of readjustment. No
one has thought from the outset, that
the proposition to set him off into a,
pew district by adding Cedar, in which
Re lives, to the second, would be sue
1essful without his consent; and since
e is the only congressman In that
pody Who was born, educated and sent
to congress from,this same county and
district, he and his friends feel some
pride in his continued residence in
Cedar county and the fifth. Of course
he could move up to Cedar Rapids,
where he is as well known as In Tip
ton, but it seems not to be made ne
Fcessaryl by the exigencies of the occa-
sion. On the other nand, the extrac-
tion Of Jones county from the fifth can
displease no one, in particular; even
the republicans there are said to be
scomplacent abolltsthe matter.
Wade Removes Obstacle.
1 Naturally the democrats will yigor-
sously protest. They see in the plan a
scheme to retire Martin J. Wade from
politics. Since he himself, by letter
has withdrawn himself from politics
and declares, as every one believes in
good faitn, that he will not be candi-
date for congress, it is not seen that he
is done an injustice by removing his
county from the second to the fifth dis
trict; for in this great state there is
no validity in objection to association
with fellow counties in any district,
except political. Fifth district folks
entertain the idea that they are just
as good as second district people, and
would rather resent Judge Wade init
mating that he would prefer to live in
the second; but he does not intimate
1t, and since he has eliminated the po-
litical objection himself, there is dis
position to go ahead with the plan and
remake the two districts that they
may be symmetrical and given more
complete political autonomy. At pres
ent the second district is more or less
inconsistent, politically.
Towner on Rate Regulation.
One of the most scholarly addresses
to which the members of the Grant
club in Des Moines have ever listened
was that presented by Judge n. M.
Towner Of Adams county the past
week. He discussed the power of the
people to control their own creature,
the corporation. His paper was a COM
prehsnsive discussion of the question
and pointed out some Of the evils
which will have to be met In this
country, in curbing the strength of the
corporation.
Judge Towner ably defended the
right of the government to control
corporations, and the power Of the gen
eral government as well as the state,
to regulate railroad rates. He pointed
out the desirability of such regulation,
as being the most affective defense
against what he believes to be mon
strous danger-goyernment ownership.
He believes that If regulation and con-
troll be SO difficult as they have proven,
such regulation and control plus own
ership and management would be inf
nitely worse. He was amazed that the
railroads deny the right of the govern
ment to regulate rates.
Contest Nears Its Close.
The fourth week of the session of
the legislature opens with the promise
Of an exciting time.
Tomorrow the Whitmer-You con
test will be settled. That is the de-
bate on it will begin and the vote will
come some time during the week. The
debate will furnish opportunity for
men who really are constitutional law
yers, like Col. L. M. Temple of Clarke
county, TO expound the law for the in
struction and edification of the other
members.
There has been persistent rumor
that a trade was offered by the stand
patters to the dem ocrats-that the
former would deliver twenty votes to
seat Whitmer over the republican
Youde, if the democrats would assist
jr ring the primary bill: one legis.
ID heard that trade had been
IN the other SIDE
inquiry revealed no foundation for
~, Co.. 80
are for Wilmer, on the principle of the
thing, and will speak for him, it is
true. But they are said to have been