Ottumwa Semi Weekly Courier

WARM CAMPAIGN.

Close Contest in Fourth Congressional District.

Des Moines. June 14.-Lively interest is taken in the contest in the fourth district, where Congressman Haugen is seeking renomination. The convention meets on June 19, and Haugen's supporters claim he will defeat Duncan Rule, who is making an energetic contest for the place. The failure of Rule to show the strength in other counties in the district that he exhibited in his home county of Cerro Gordo may be explained by relating a bit of political history of the fourth district. A year ago it was believed that the fight would be between Haugen and Blythe. The Haugen men and those who opposed Blythe got together and decided to make common cause against Blythe. Thus in Fayette, Clayton, Mitchell and other counties the opposition to Blythe enlisted under the Haugen banner and organized their counties for the latter. The district. then, so far as the Haugen and anti-Blythe forces could make it so, was put in line for Haugen.

Rule Enters the Race.

This state of affairs continued through the winter and far into the spring. when Duncan Rule, a prominent attorney of Blythe's home county, announced himself a candidate for congress. It at once became a question whether or not Blythe could count upon the support of his home county with Rule in the field. and if he could not his candidacy must fail.

As the fight in Cerro Gordo progressed it was plain that it was assuming a Cummins and anti-Cummins phase, Rule having been an ardent Cummins supporter, and just in proportion as these lines were drawn did the Blythe support melt away, his chance for being sent to congress disappearing entirely when about half the precincts in the county held their caucuses and selected Rule delegates. At this Blythe withdrew from the race.

With Blythe eliminated, the Rule men found themselves in possession of Cerro Gordo county and its organization. The Blythes claimed that the Rule candidacy was brought about for the sole purpose of killing Blythe. The Rule men contended that Blythe stood no show to win and that the candidacy of Rule simply gave Cerro Gordo county a fighting chance to secure a congressman.

Feature of the Contest.

But the Rule men, if it is true that they thought to provide against the possibility of the Haugen and anti-Blythe forces in other parts of the district failing to defeat Blythe by doing it themselves in his home county. knew that as between Rule and Haugen the arrangement made a year ago would make it rough work for the former in many counties of the district. They soon learned that the Cummins and anti-Cummins lines did not exist outside of Cerro Gordo county, and that in Mitchell, and Fayette, and Clayton such Cummins leaders as Senator Smith, Thomas Green, Lew Sturgis, A. C. Wilson and others were using all honorable means for the success of Haugen Under such circumstances the Rule candidacy was continued, the Cerro Gordo county men pressing his claims throughout the district, in order that it might not be said they had not entered the field in good faith, but being careful not to offend those who were supporting Haugen in line with pledges made long before the Rule candidacy was announced and who might be for Rule two years hence.

These circumstances of the campaign are described in order to throw light on the present situation, which might be easily misunderstood. Haugen will receive practically the unanimous vote of the convention unless the Blythe men shall cast their votes for Reed or some other man in order to give another than Rule the second largest strength, thereby putting something of a damper on the aspirations of Rule and his followers to go into the next campaign with a free field and a great advantage