Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1898-08-10
NOT FOR TOM NOW.
One Who Supported Updegratf Two
Years Ago Gives His Reasons For
Opposing Him This Year.
August s. 1898.


We believe it is but honorable when
man misjudges another and publicly
voices such opinions through misap-
prehension of facts, and after lapse of
time he finds his conclusions were
wholly incorrect, that an apology is
due.
Two years ago the writer of this arti-
Gle entered into the campaign using |
what little influence and talent he had
to promote the nomination and cleo
ton of "Our Tom," "Honest Tom Up
degraff;;" believing he possessed tUo at
least of the qualities essential in the
makeup of good representative; viz:
honesty and ability, and we so public
ly expressed our opinion.
After waiting nearly two years for
some evidence of the correctness of our
conclusions so that we could say to the
other fellows ~ told you SO" we are
now forced to confess ourselves wholly
at fault in both propositions.
When congressman pledges him
self both personally and over his own
signature not to perform certain Of
fetal act without first fully consulting
his constituents who will be affected by
that act, and then, in the face of these
pledges, at the instigation of one of his
henchman, who two years ago is said
to have done some dirty work for him,
does the very official act he stood
pledged not to do. He is unworthy of
the confidence or support of the voters
of the Fourth District. This may be
political honesty but in the individual
it would be perfldy.
Will some of his admirers stand up
and tell us what act or acts he has per-
formed in the last two years to entitle
him to q reelection this fall. Where
has Honest Tom of the Fourth been
all these years while the great, patriot
ic, liberty-loving heart of the people of
this nation has been stirred to its GEN.
ter by its sympathy for oppressed and
down-trodden Cuba, and giving gener-
ously of their substance to relieve the
sufferings of that outraged people,
when such noble men as Billy Mason
and others were eloquently pleading in
the halls OF congres, xor the rights of
recognition for people fighting for
home and the right to be a free and in
dependent people?
While virtuous womanhood was be-
ing outraged by the minions of Spain;
while innocent women were arrested
and cast into loathsome prison cells to
be the companions for months or years
of the vicious and depraved; while in
nocent babes were snatched from their
mothers breast to be murdered by a
hellish fiend and thrown back at the
mothers feet bleeding and stiffening
corpse; while old age and innocent
childhood were ruthlessly murdered by
heartless soldiery; while the people
of Cuba were driven like sheep to the
SHAMELESS, into fortified towns, by the
order of Butcher Weyler, there to die
noble sailors of the Maine were murd.
cred by the treachery Of SPAN; me-
thinks midst all these scenes of horror
L see tour Tom" stand indifferently by
with his hands thrust to the elbows in
Uncle Sans breeches pockets, draw
ing from thence his salary and perhaps
a.few dimes to help out that campaign
fund this fall. Will some one tell the
public when Honest Tom, by public
speech, act or vote, favored the recog-
milton of Cuba, until it dawned upon
his astute mind that it would not do to
return and ask the suffrage of his con-
stitueDts unless his vote was recorded
for Cuban Independence.
His congressional biography pub
lished in his home paper and evident
ly written by himself says he did not
make any Cuban speeches for the rea-
son that there was sufficient excite
ment without. Poor, honest, patriotic
Tom, knowing the power of his rhetor-
ic and his wonderful eloquence, and
feeling that the ears of the nation
weuld take in his every utterance, and
might be carried off their feet and dc
some act that would condemn them
before the nations, has nobly sacrificed
himself TO save the nations honor
and while under this great weight OF
self impression he has been able to dc
but little. OF course he has sent out q
few thousand packages of seeds, bought
paid for and franked by Uncle Sam
and sent out to the farmers as sort Of
political pap, reminding them that hs
Is still sucking at the public teat and
doesn't want to be weaned yet for the
next two years.
Then the debating of those 20,0O(
letters; what strain it must have
been. Many of them perhaps were
written trying to excuse his sins o.
emission and commission, while other.
were written to his dear constituent
pleading with them for thu
good of the nation to give him just ons
more term as their representative
No! Honest Tom. Although you
are willing to be led like lamb to the
slaughter for the sake of the dear PEG
pie, the people of the 4th district love
you too we'll to permit you to be sacri
iced. On the Oath inst the delegates
representing this district will name 1
A. -.