Henderson, David B.

HENDERSON

Posted By: Anne Hermann (email)
Date: 3/31/2008 at 07:54:52

Jackson Sentinel, Maquoketa, Iowa
October 21, 1902

Dubuque a Political Storm Center.

Dubuque, which is one of Maquoketa’s nearest neighbors in point of distance and which is commercially among the most important cities in the state, has for the past ten years had quite a political notoriety as the home of a conspicuous presidential candidate, Senator Allison, and latter on as the home of the U. S. official next in power to the president, viz Speaker Henderson.

There is no denying but what the residence of these distinguished people in Dubuque has given eastern Iowa a kind of prominence she never before enjoyed. But if Dubuque was formerly prominent the declination of D. B. Henderson to run for congress turns a search light on all eastern Iowa. The effects of Mr. Henderson’s declination are so far reaching and can be viewed from so many points of view that the SENTINEL shall devote more space to it than it usually devotes to one topic.

To renounce a chance to continue speaker of the national House of Representatives – and that chance with ex-Governor Boise against him, considerably more than an even one and certainly to renounce public life, considering his age and health, calls for some deep seated cause and for some adequate reason. And it seems to the SENTINEL that the colonel is entirely sincere and straight-forward in his letter to the nomination convention as to the causes of his declination.

The allegation that he finds himself at variance with his constituent and with the congressional delegation in his own state on the tariff question means much and is fraught with significance. It appears that the colonel has elbowed with his constituents and knows how they feel and that there is a serious deference between him and them. The meeting with the congressional delegation, the details of which got into the newspapers last week, satisfied the colonel that one half or more of the republican candidates for congress held views and were ready to go on the stump to advocate them, which he could not tolerate.

It is to be inferred from the conduct of the colonel that the feeling in his district is both intense and genial. In fact it is to be inferred that this feelings is so strong and general that no advocate of a high protective tariff can in conscious and honor, any longer represent the Third Iowa district. And this change of sentiment, it seems, is going on throughout the state and this fall a part of the republican congressional candidates are planning to attack certain tariff schedules and Col. Dr. R. Henderson is unwilling to address meetings in company with republican orators who are planning to say practically as follows:

“The Dingley law in some of its schedules is a mistake. It props up trusts. For instance, if one half the duties were stricken off the iron and steel schedule the price of nails, staples and barb wire would immediately decline to the consumers of America.”

Again it may be only Mr. Henderson’s way of retiring from public life. Others have done so before him. Speaker Tom Reed, when the chances for the presidency vanished, stepped from the speakership down into private life. Mr. Henderson is as high up as he can go. He was born in Scotland and therefore is not available for the presidency. Again Mr. Henderson has passed through a long term of public life with absolutely clean hands and after twenty years in congress is practically a poor man and may wish to devote a few years to repairing his fortune.

The popularity of David Henderson is notorious. He was frank, cordial, generous, friendly and could get as many votes outside of party as any man who ever ran in Dubuque. It has been charged up against a certain well known newspaper man in Dubuque, that he was always a democrat unless Senator Allison or David Henderson was running. Likewise hundreds of other Dubuque citizens take a kind of proprietary interest in these distinguished men. In other words if Col. Henderson out of the race they will vote their ticket. In his way the ex-governor is apt to be the beneficiary of Henderson’s withdrawal.

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