Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-02-22
NJ LEAN SEEKS
M0SEST0GU|DE
PARTY SAT- ELY
Dubuque Editor Urges Re-
districting to Save Ter
Congressman to Republi-
cans; Districts Uneven.
TBY E. H. HANSON.l

Washington, D. c., Feb. 21.-Charles
Mclean, former editor of the Dubuque
Times-J Journal, spent part of this week
in Washington. While here, Mr.. Nc.
Lean uttered a prayer for Moses1t to
guide Iowa republicans out OF the
wilderness and at the same time ne
expressed the hope that reapportion-
ment bill would pass the legislature
which would make ten OF the eleven
districts safely republican and at the
same time keep all Of the cities in dis
tricts by themselves.
Mr.. Mclean can see no reason at
all for three democratic congressman
from his state, save the chaotic coEdi-
tions in his party. He admits that
there must be at least one from the
second district, declaring Mr.. Pepper's
bailiwick to be Overwhelmingly Demo
cratic, But as for Messrs. Connolly
and Kirkpatrick again-that is,
If only the Moses will appear and the
legislature will do its duty.
political conditions in Iowa are
anything but satisfactory to relubli.
cans" said Mr.. Mclean. "The result
is that there are several schemes for
reapportioning the state to make
snre that ten of the eleven districts
shal; be safely republican. The
political scheme of reapportioament
would be excellent from their stand
point. but in practically every pro-
poaed district it would bring two large
rival and competing cities In the same
congressional district with the result
that the congressman could be or III
tie real use, because he would be COM
pelJed constantly to pussy foot" In
order not to arouse the jealousy OF the
peonle of one city because he hap
pened to get something good for the
other.
"On the other hand, the commercial
interests of the state have scheme
for redistricting the state along nat,ir-
al commercial lines so that the larger
cities OF the state which are not COM
mel cial rivals shall be grouped IN dis
tricts. while cities which are CONNER
cial rivals will be in different dis
tricts.
"For example, Dubuque and Water
loo. bitter commercial rivals, are now
in the same district. Under the plan
of the politicians, Dubuque and Cedar
Rapids. also bitter commercial rivals,
would be in the same district. Under
the scheme Of the business men Du-
buoue would be in one district, Water
loo in another, and Cedar Rapids In
another.
.Iowa republicans are waiting for
real leader to come forward and re-
mite the party in that state before
another congressional campaign. The
state. which ordinarily Is overwhelm-
ingly republican, Will have three
democratic congressman in the next
congress. It is hoped that things can
he arranged and the party united, so
that in the succeeding congress there
will be no democratic congressman
save from the second district, which
is Overwhelmingly democratic under
the present apportionment."
Districts Are Unbalanced.
That there is serious need Of re-
apportionment is conceded by every
one who is familiar with Iowa affairs.
The first congressional district. rep
resented by Mr.. Kennedy, has nearly
100000 less inhabitants than the
eleventh, represented by Mr.. Scott.
The third, seventh, tenth and eleventh
are the only ones In the state which
exceed the unit OF the new apportion-
ment now. The second and these are