Surprise Defeat, and Success At House Reform
When running for his twelfth term in 1908, Hepburn was upset in the general election by his Democratic opponent, William D. Jamieson. In a year of strong Republican victories in Iowa (led by Presidential candidate William Howard Taft), Jamieson won majorities in eight of the district's eleven counties. Hepburn's loss was attributed to "purely local conditions and local strife," such as anger over bank failures and Hepburn's choices for local postmasters.
After his defeat but before his final term ended, he became the chairman of a 25-member group seeking once again to reform House rules that allowed Speaker Joe Cannon to amass even greater powers. This time, Hepburn's reform efforts succeeded; Speaker Cannon was forced to surrender the power to block bills he did not like from coming to the floor once they received committee support.
Read more about this topic: William Peters Hepburn
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