Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1916-12-05

represented in congress by eight
democrats, was, 1920. On the same
election day in 1912 that the Mis-
sissippi democrats elected eight
members of congress with total
vote of 1920, the people of the
Tenth congressional district CT Iowa
held an election for member of con-
gress. They gave Hon. Frank p.
Woods g5,263 and n. L.. Rood 49,
PAP. total of 40,4O5. Down in Mis-
sissippi 1920 voters elect eight
members of congress, while in Iowa
40,405 voters elect but one congress
man. In other words, it requires the
votes OF 40.405 citizens in the 10th
congressional district of Iowa to
count for as much as 1854 votes in
the Third Mississippi district and as
much as 7,649 votes in the Sixth
Mississippi district. This result in
Mississippi is not the free express
sion of the voters of that district 1t
| is obtained through intimidation
and crime against the government.
|Still, President Wilson and his at
| torney general blind their eyes to
this outrage against government
| of, by and for the people and pro-
pose to investigate the way elections
are carried in states where the peo-
pie have full right to vote and where
votes are cast as counted.
Speaker Champ Clark has gone on
ord as favoring a reduction in tho
membership of the national house
from 435 to 500. This would be
move in the right direction, but the
membership might as we'll be cut to,
200 or $50 while congress is at it.
Six men could represent Iowa in
congress just as we'll or better than
eleven, and it would not cost the
taxpayers nearly as much in salar-
les and mileage. But it will require
years Of agitation to get the men,
bership of the house cut down. Prac-
tically everybody Will admit that it
is the right thing to do, but men,
bers of the lower house will oppose
it because they fear they may lose
their seats. Any plan that contem-
plates reduction in membership
MO, hot LOT ? I,n foil -t,pI
now hold certificates of membership
will lose out. II it could be known
in advance just who would lose the
problem would not be so difficult, be-
cause the ones who knew they were |
to stay in the service wouldn't care
a rap about those who were going to
lose out. However, some day a con-
gress of enough patriotism to put
personal interest aside will be elect
ed, then the number will be reduc-
ed and the country will wonder why
the old cumbersome membership was
so long. Reforms of this
kind come slow, but they come.
If the north would take political
tip from the south there would be
no election campaign expenses to
worry about, and there would be no
close districts to distract the public
the day after election. Just look at
for instance. Candi-
dates down there don't have to spend
4 cent to get elected and there is no
such thing as a close contest. We
have not the figures at hand of the
election this year but in 1911 the
vote on governor in Mississippi was |,
40 200 for the democratic candidate
and 3,S22 for the socialist. The re-
Dublicans had no candidate. Every
democratic candidate for congress
vas elected in 1912. The First dis :
riot gave the democratic nominee T.
'54 votes and he had no opposition.
There was no opposition in the Sec :
md district, the democratic candi-
late getting 4,S01 votes There was f
10 opposition to democracy in the a
Third, Fourth and Fifth districts, y
tut some socialist in the Sixth had n
he courage to stand as candidate. IL
however, the democratic nominee Il