▁Republican - lean ing ▁count ies ▁( Page ▁and ▁F rem ont ) ▁in ▁south western ▁Iowa . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 8 ▁( mid way ▁into ▁his ▁four - year ▁Iowa ▁Senate ▁term ), ▁Jam ies on ▁ran ▁for ▁the ▁U . S . ▁House ▁seat ▁in ▁Iowa ' s ▁ 8 th ▁con gression al ▁district . ▁In ▁a ▁year ▁of ▁strong ▁Republican ▁vict ories ▁in ▁Iowa ▁( led ▁by ▁President ial ▁candidate ▁William ▁Howard ▁T aft ), ▁Jam ies on ▁ups et ▁long time ▁Republican ▁Congress man ▁William ▁P . ▁He p burn , ▁winning ▁major ities ▁in ▁eight ▁of ▁the ▁district ' s ▁eleven ▁count ies . ▁ ▁The ▁thirty - five - year - old ' s ▁defeat ▁of ▁a ▁Civil ▁War ▁and ▁political ▁veter an ▁more ▁than ▁twice ▁his ▁age ▁was ▁attributed ▁to ▁" p ure ly ▁local ▁conditions ▁and ▁local ▁str ife ," ▁such ▁as ▁anger ▁over ▁bank ▁fail ures ▁and ▁He p burn ' s ▁choices ▁for ▁local ▁post master s . ▁ ▁Jam ies on ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁Si xty - first ▁Congress . ▁C iting ▁health ▁reasons ▁and ▁the ▁costs ▁of ▁keeping ▁his ▁seat , ▁he ▁decl ined ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁candidate ▁for ▁ren om ination ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 0 . ▁Instead , ▁he ▁res umed ▁newspaper ▁activities ▁in ▁Sh en ando ah . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁Post master ▁of ▁Sh en ando ah ▁from ▁May ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁until ▁his ▁res