Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-01-16
JUDGE wADE,s WITHDRAWAL.

/. Judge Martin j. Wade. after having
enjoyed for two years the distinction
of being Iowa's lone democratic con-
gresham, has announced in the most
positive language that he will not be
candidate nexs fall for the office
which was taken from him in 1904 by
A. r. Dawson. Judge Wade says he
withdraws from politics entirely on &C.
count of personal business that his
law practice is so large that he can
not afford to sacrifice it to become
his party's candidate for congress-
man or for any other Office. He states
very specifically. however that any
democrat can be elected next fall in
the second district and intimates that
his withdrawal therefore is equivalent
to throwing away a real prize
But there always have been and al
ways will be doubtless. men who re-
fuse to believe what politicians say,
especially when they say they are
giving UP politics. Judge Wade made
national reputation when he broke
through the ranks of Iowa's solid re-
publican phalanx in congress and
when he was beaten after his first
term the race was SO close that he
has every reason to feel that he
could make another such race and
could possibly come out at the end in
the lead.
Such reflections may yet cause him
to see the matter differently and to
decide to lay aside his legal practice
for two years turn with the law
makers at Washington.
Considered in the light of other
events, Judge Wades withdrawal
locks like what in popular American
game is called bluff" The talk of
re-districting the state is very strong
h and the republicans of the second dis
trict think they have a right to de-
mand that they be put in possession
of a working majority now that
they have wheeled the old district
back into the republican column.
They know that Judge Wade is the
one democrat in Iowa who can carry
the district, others things being equal,
and they are anxious to complete sue
cessfully the negotiations for re-dis-
tricting if the Iowa City man is like
| ly to come up again for the nomina-
ton 1t is not at all improbable nor
. IllCl, In0 WHY JuuSS
learned as he is in the political game,
should read the cards and announce
his withdrawal from politics in order
to allay any fears the republicans of
the second district might have. These
fears gone, the matter of re-districting
would naturally appear as of small i'm
portance to them and rather than an
tagonize the people of the fifth dis
trict the republicans Of the second
would let the matter go by default
this year.
Now, if Mr. Wade has really with
drawn, this arrangement would no
doubt be satisfactory, for. regardless
of what the judge may say as to the
prospects, there is little hope for any
democrat except him against Dawson.
But. on the other hand, if Mr.. Wade
should, after it is too late to hope for
a re-districting of the state, sudden
ly learn that he could, after all, make
the race for congress without sacrific-
ing too much of his private interests,
the second. district republicans would
have merry fight on their hands.
Though Judge Wade and his friends
all declare positively that nothing can
change his determination there are
cases on record where stranger things
than this have happened. So it will
be the part of wisdom for the second
district republicans to stay by their
guns. Judge Wade is, of course,
truthful. honorable and all the rest,
but he hasn't yet surrendered his in
alienable right to change his mind.