Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-06-25
THE ABUSED NATIVE SON

THE ABUSED NATIVE SON.
While we have been boasting of the
states influence in public affairs, that
influence has been nine-tenths exerted
through men born outside the state, .
asserts the Cedar Rapids Republican,
in commenting on the fact disclosed
through the recent publication Of the
Red Book that out Of the list Of TWEEN
ty-two state officers, but three are ma
tives of the state.
The list shown in the Red Book, as
may be seen, does show rather pre-
ponderance of foreign born officials:
Albert Baird Cummins, governor.
born in Pennsylvania
Warren Garst, lieutenant governor,
born In Ohio.
William c. Hayward, secretary Of
state. born in New York.
Beryl F. Carroll, auditor, born in
Iowa.
Wilson w. Morrow, treasurer, born
il, Ohio.
John Franklin Riggs, superintendent
Of instruction. born in Iowa.
Silas M. Weaver, supreme judge,
born In New York.
Scott M. Ladd. judge, born IN Wis.
consin.
Charles A. Bishop, judge, born in
Wisconsin.
Horace E. Deemer, judge, born in
Indiana.
John Collins sherwin, Judge, born
N Ohio.
Emlin Mcclain. Judge, born in
Ohio.
John c. Crockett, clerk of court,
born In Ohio.
Wendell W. Cornwall, reporter Of
court, born in Wisconsin.
Nathaniel s. Ketcham, r. R. COM
missioner, born in Pennsylvania.
Willard L. Eaton, R. R. commission.
or, born In Iowa.
John Taylor Hamilton, state board
of control born in Illinois.
John Cownie, state board of con-
troll, born In Scotland.
Clifford S. Robinson, member Of
board Of control, born In Illinois.
Has the native born Iowan fallen
short of achievement and of the glory?
asks the Republican Is he lacking
as compared with the man born in
some other part Of the country? Can
we produce corn and cattle and hogs
and oats, but not men?
Discussing the shortage of native
sons filling other offices in the gift
of the state the Republican says:
In congress we have Jared no bet
ter, of the thirteen members in the
senate and house at Washington, only
three are native born Iowans, Charles
A. Kennedy of the First district, Rob-
ert G. Cousins of the Fifth district
and Walter Inglewood Smith Of the
Ninth district. Fortunately, of the
three native Iowans, Cousins and
Smith have established themselves as
men of leadership. not surpassed by
the foreign born members of the Iowa
delegation, showing that the Iowa pro-
duct has ability.
In the governors chair we fine, in
the long list from Lucas, in 1880
Cummins in 1907, not a single native
Iowan.
What a remarkable thing this IS
when one stops to think about 1T. In
seventy-five years Of governors, not a
single man born In the state has been
elected to the highest Office.
OF the six judges of the supreme
court not one is Iowa born.
The facts revealed in these biogra
phies are nothing short of disgraceful
and discreditable to the state. 1t is
a serious reflection on the ability of
the state to produce men of leader
ship when nineteen Of twenty-five
state officers are natives of other
states, and ten out Of thirteen con-
gressmen and all the governors for
seventy-five years are natives of other
states
The native born Iowans must I'M
prove their stock, or insist more upon
their rights to the highest honors and
emoluments of public Office
The Republican as a remedy sug-
gests that natiyist's movement be
begun in the state to relieve the dis
grace of state "that stands condemn
ed of not honoring it's own sons. or not
having produced men worthy of such
honors."
All of which is rather far fetched.
The native sons of Iowa are not en-
titled to whit more than the sons of
pioneers who have aided Iowa with
their brain and Drawn and who great
ly outnumber the native sons eligible
to the offices mentioned. The Iowans
born in Kalamazoo, Oshkosh, or Sche-
nectady are just as good Iowans and
are entitled to just as many honors
In proportion to their numbers as are
the native sons.