Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-06-01
RECIPROCITY IS
ANIS ! IN iowa
NINTH DISTRICT BATTLE PRE-.
SCENTS TANGLED SITUATION
AND WILL BE WATCHED.
!. PARTY LINES MIXED

democrats for TAFT Reciprocity Plan
| While Republicans are Against It;
First Test Vote on Canadian
Plan to b in Iowa.
Chicago, May 30.--While President
Tart is summoning weakened sena-
tors to the white house to secure their
votes for Canadian reciprocity the
same fight is being fought on far
bigger battle ground out in the ninth
conversational. district of Iowa. says
oswald "a. Schuette lin Washington
dispatch to the Chicago Inter Ocean.
The fight there viii be decided a
week. week from todayMJune e.when the
special election will be held to elect a
successor to Judge Walter I. Smith,
VINO resigned from congress to accept
ia seat on the federal bench.
Inc whole nation Is watching that
battle, for the issue of the campaign is
Canadian reciprocity What makes it
more strangely significant Of the pres
the republican candidate Is running on
an anti-reciprocity platform, while the
democratic candidate is supporting
President Taft's Canadian agreement.
In the past the district has been re-
publican by from 5000 to 10000 votes,
although Judge Smith squeezed
| through In last falls democratic land,
publicans are hopeful that they can
win next week, but the democrats are
loudly proclaiming their confidence in
a sweeping victory
The republican candidate is Judge
w. r. Green, an insurgent. The demo-
cratic candidate is w. F. Cleveland.
who gave Judge Smith such a hari
run last fall.
Party Lines Tangled.
Judge Smith is regular republican.
and the district Is not an insurgent
one. SO Judge Green's fight Is doubly
difficult. He has the support of the
insurgents here, and Congressman N.
E. Kendall, one Of the Iowa insur-
gents, has gone out to the ninth dis
republican congressional committee Is
helping little in the organization
work, but It's support does not seem
overstrong. President Taft Of course.
Is not doing anything to help Judge
Green, and the democrats intimate
that the president Is really helping
their candidate
While it is not believed that the
president Is offering any aid to or en-
couragement to tlie eaelny, it does not
! seem likely that h. will shed any
tears over the defer IL a candidate
even republican--who Is out on an
open decentralization platform.
President Taft feels the situation with
added keenness because these are crit
ical days for the Canadian reciprocity
measure In the senate, and to see IT
slain in the house of its friends would
help 1t little here.
II Judge Green wins 1t will be a
heavy blow for reciprocity, and may
even frighten Senator Kenyon OF Iowa
Ia ky~S~ - -.
has been a consistent administration
man. He owes his senatorial election
to Taft's friendship. and he would like
to requite it by voting for reciprocity.
But II Judge Green should win, Ken
yon would almost be committing sui
eide If he voted for the Canadian
measure. For Kenyon must face a
Senator LATE Young, who is after
Kenyon's toga.
! Democrats Force Fighting.
| Should the democrats win, 1t would
not be any particular comfort to any
faction of republicans unless it were
the ultra opponents Of the insurgents.
President Taft could get but little con-
would rejoice with an exceeding joy
! For the democrats are doing all thew
can to helm In the fight. If 1t were not
that congress is busily at work, Speak
er Champ Clark and some of the 9TH
er orators of the democratic congress
would now be chasing each other over
the ninth district trying to elect
ton or so Of literature and personal
appeals, and, their Iowa orators are
busy at work
| Despite the apparent republican ma
jority in the district. Judge Green has
several handicaps. First, Of course, is
his opposition to President Taft and
Taft's reciprocity plan. This is hurting
Of the district. and probably will cost
/ him that important stronghold. Then,
despite his anti-reciprocity views
Green has little support among tho
stalwarts Of the district. They see
change to slay Cumlnins In this fight.
and many of them-according to re-
ports received here-are willing to let
Cleveland win.
Corn Planting 10 Factor.
Possibly more important than either
Of this Is corn planting time In Iowa.
! And the ninth district Is one of the
biggest corn districts of the country
Corn planting is something that you
can't do Just whenever you happen to
think Of it. And unless a farmer gets
nightly aroused over a political stu
alton he Is not going to take any
chances at missing day from work
in this season. The result may mean II
light vote in the rural districts. II this
proves true Judge Green will be snow
ed under.
The democratic candidate is taking
advantage Of all these things, and.
(above all. he has the moral value Of
Hast falls democratic landslide and the
existence Of democratic majority in
the house Of representatives to help
cept Judge Smith last fall Cleveland's
election would have been mighty GER
tain. Not only was Judge Smith per-
sonany popular In the district, but he
had more support among the insur-
gent, end Of things than any of his