Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1898-08-10
BE HONEST.

OuucT Ill drtiClc ucducu lie 4 GU
pie Want EN-" in the last issue of the
Repub,ican, Mr.. Bailey endeavors to
belittle Hon. James f. Blythe, the
candidate for congressman from this
district, because he happens to have u
half brother who is an attorney for the
G.. B. & @. r. r.. Is it any fault of
Mr.. Blythe's that relative of his
holds such position, and because this
brother naturally enough used his in
fiuence to prevent the passage of the
Temple Amendment, does it signify
that the candidate for congressman
was connected with the affair In any
way, any more than the fact that MIR.
Bailey's brother is an honest, truthful,
man and good republi-
can signifies that Mr.. b. is one? Was
not Thomas Updegraff almost always
in the employ of the G. Nj. q st. p. Ry.
as their attorney and lobbyist when he
was practicing law, and If he is defeated
this fall how long will it be before he
will again be transacting legal business
for this company? Did not Mr.. Bailey
ride on railroad passes when lie was
senator from Howard county, and was
he not invariably found on the side of
m0nopolies and trusts when in public
office? You will find that this ring of
men who are politicians for the sake of
Office and the spoils thereof cling to-
gether. Can you tell us of any in
stance where Tom Updegraff used his
influence to secure a pension for an old
soldier or soldiers widow unless he
expected some direct political favor in
return, or can you show US where A.
X Bailey has ever given any sympathy
to the veteran through his paper, since
he fell heir to 1t, or since he and Tom
Updegraff staid at home and saw the
soldiers go to war? Has Mr.. Bailey
not oftentimes even assisted in obtain
ing evidence to cut down and take
pensions away from the old soldiers
We would like to see q little more con-
sistency and honesty. Will the senior
editor of this great moral weekly have
the affrontry to deny that at the begin
ming of the canvass for congressman
two years ago he said that Hon. James
Il Blythe was one Of the best and
brightest men in the district, and that
be was deserving of honors and would
receive them in due time, and that Up
degraff wanted and should have "just
one term more?" Is he not contradict
ing his own statements now? And
did not Mr.. Goddard say positively
that he would not be candidate for
the post office, and Mr.. Bailey that he
was not seeking political preferment
for himself or any of his friends? And
did not Mr.. Goddard shortly afterward
circulate petition for the post Office
and secure fen names thereon.
Talk about consistency. Bosh! You
have fooled the people of Winneshiek
county long enough, and already find
the moose tightening. You have cast
your bread upon the waters and the tide
is returning, bringing with it the har-
vest of the seed you have sown. You
call the editors of the district who have
seen the corruptness of your ring and
cast it from them ''pigoen-headed."
Aye, two years ago they were honor
able gentlemen of morality and intelli-
gence. Now they are not fit for you
to treat with any degree OF editorial
courtesy. They have looked up to you
and your ring because they believed
you honest and working for the inter-
est of the party; but since you bolted
the republican ticket last fall, and are
now arguing in direct contradiction to
your promises oftwo years ago, they
shrink from you as from lowly rep
tile. Those who have been intimate
with you have found you out. The
good people who have not will soon
follow.