Isaac S. Struble

Isaac Sterling Struble (November 3, 1843 – February 17, 1913) was an American politician who was a four-term Republican Representative of Iowa's 11th congressional district.

In August 1862, Struble (then 18) enlisted in Company F of the 22nd Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment, marching in the ranks of the Union Army as a private.

For the next ten years he applied himself to private legal practice in Le Mars, holding no public office until 1882.

[1] [2] But in 1890, after 43 ballots, the GOP nominating convention gave its nod to the newspaper editor and former state senator, George D. Perkins of Sioux City, who held the seat from 1891 to 1899.

Struble's support in Congress for the McKinley Tariff bill in 1890 had been unpopular with farmers in Iowa, who foresaw that a trade war would hurt agricultural exports.

A stage had been prepared, and after welcoming words from the mayor and local dignitaries, Struble delivered his farewell address.

His reflections offer a useful study on the "ombudsman" role as it operated a dozen decades ago, a task so time-consuming in the 21st century that several staffers per Congressman work full-time on constituent services.

[4] The History of Woodbury and Plymouth Counties published in the early 1890s indicates that, from the standpoint of his peers in Congress, Struble "was always considered a strong member."

As a former soldier, Congressman Struble devoted much time to the interests of his constituents in the armed services, including veterans.

Meanwhile, Senator Shelby Cullom of Illinois together with Congressman Struble pushed the Cullom-Struble Bill, whose sanctions against polygamy included exclusion of the Utah Territory from statehood.

Isaac was a charter member of the First Congregational Church in Le Mars, and was also active in the Masonic fraternal order.