Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 3.djvu/165

 The campaign was conducted with great vigor, especially as to candidates for the Legislature. Prohibition was the chief issue and there was a large defection from the Republican vote on that account. The loss of that party from the vote of 1880 was 19,984, while the Democratic vote for the same period was increased 33,363. The loss of the Greenback vote was 9,691 during the same time. There was a Republican majority over the combined vote of the other parties, of less than 20,000. The contest over members of the Legislature was very warm but the Republicans elected a majority of each branch of the General Assembly.

M. E. Cutts, a Republican member of Congress, died before the expiration of his term and a special election in the Sixth District for his successor resulted in the choice of J. C. Cook, the Democratic candidate over E. H. Stiles, Republican, by a majority of two hundred forty-one.

The winter of 1882-83 will long be remembered by the fruit growers of Iowa from the great and widespread damage to orchards. During the latter part of the summer and the early weeks of autumn an unusual drouth prevailed and early in October warm rains began to fall. The vegetation which had been dried up and withered in August was revived by the moisture and heat of October, making an unusual and very late growth. Buds started and sap was found to be abundant. While in this abnormal condition a sudden and very hard freeze came in November, which found an unusual amount of sap in the stimulated late growth which had not ripened. When spring came it was observed that the orchard trees were