The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1916-03-06

up as manufacturing and distributing
centers and showing splendid and
substantial growth every year"
CONGRESSIONAL POLITICS.
In the Burlington Hawk-Eye of
Feb. 81 appeared two articles copied
from the Mt Pleasant News and the
Mt. Pleasant Republican in which it
is sought to show that w. F. Kopp of
Henry county. is entitled to the con-
gressiona1 nomination in this district.
One Of these papers being of the
regular" variety, the other being So
called progressive, it is claimed shows
that all republicans Of that county
are for Kopp and Tat the other coun-
ties in the district should follow suit.
The News article says that Ken
nedy has been well treated" 1t might
have added that the News had never
supported Kennedy and it might fur
Their add that they had openly fought
him nearly every campaign. In writ
ing this article Mr.. Kopp should have
remembered these things as he was
on the ground and knows what eff
forts were made to induce Rogers to
support Kennedy.
No doubt Brookhart will be out
soon in an article supporting Mr..
Kopp, Notwithstanding all the lam
basting he gave him as a railroad at
torney, trying to control the politics
Of the first district. 1t is rumored
that Kopp has made a personal ap-
peal to Brook" not to come out for
him in bis paper, but that "Brook"
has sworn "by his gods" to do it I'M
less he can succeed in getting Thorhe
to enter the race.
VI
that candidate should have the fol-
lowing qualifications: First, he must
be qualified for the position: second,
he should be the choice Of the voters
of the district. and third. he should
be available, or in common parlance,
vote getter. Mr.. Kopp possesses
the first qualification, but does he
have the other two?
1t would be interesting to have Mr..
Kopp publish list of the republicans
Of the district who have asked him
to become a candidate for congress.
The impression prevails that he has
jumped into the race without consult
ing the voters and Is now frantically
going over the district, appealing for
support on the ground that he Is en-
titled to the nomination.
Mr.. Ropp has been before the vot
ers of Henry county as a candidate
for three different Offices and the re-
suit Of his efforts as vote getter Is
before US. His biographer only men
tons two Of these so we will supply
the omission. Shortly after his grad
uation from the law school he was
elected county attorney and served
four years in that position. He next
secured the nomination for state SEN
ator for the district composed of
Henry and Washington counties. The
normal republican majority in that
district is about fifteen hundred and
yet Mr.. kopp was defeated by his
dem ocratic opponent who carried both
counties. He was elected a member
of the present legislature by plu-
rality of little over four hundred in
a county whose normal republican
majority Is about eight hundred. So
as a vote getter Mr.. Kopp is not a
bowling success.
Lee county is democratic by about
eight hundred and yet Mr.. Kennedy,
in this same election, carried it by
more than six hundred. In each case
there was a progressive ticket in the
field. The question may get into the
minds of some republicans as to
whether it Is wise to nominate can
didate who has made such a poor
showing as a vote getter. Kennedy
can surely be elected.
The claim is made that Henry
county is entitled to this nomination
because 1.-The river counties have mad
more than their share" A district is
unit and we doubt If within the
seven counties single republican can
be found who will claim that Mr..
adp hos henn bl,y
diligent in looking after the affairs
Of all parts of the district. His first
plurality was 2S8; his last one was
more than $500. This does not look
much like the voters of the district
were demanding new candidate.
II It be an argument that one
county has had the office too long
then - would surely follow that the
county that has had the least politi-
cal recognition would have the best
claim to the nomination in case of
change. We recall that in the period
named Henry county has had a Unit
ed States senator. a governor, a can
didate for congress and a Judge Of the
supreme court, not a bad showing for
small county. Mr.. Kopp has been
holding an Office nearly all the time
since he got out Of school. We think
the county and Mr.. hopp have been
fairly well taken care of Our Henry
county friends have been really max
ing an argument for Senator Mols-
berry who comes from a county
which has never had an elected state
or federal officer.
During Mr.. Kennedys term in of
fee the party in this state has been
badly split up. We have lost the sec
nnd third sixth and eleventh dis
tricts The republican majority in
each of these. except the second dis
trict, is much stronger than in this
district. Nearly all republicans will
admit that Mr.. Kennedy. by his per
snr,nl nnn1Ilar it.. hog .nnt the d:s