Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-07-31
JOHN P. REesE,s "pReAMs.D

Mr.. Reese's speech before the NOM
mating convention was taken in short
hand and We present his estimate of
what he expects to do.
Let me say to you, with all due re-
spect to Mr.. Lacey, his long congress.
sional career. and his ability as poll
tician, let me siE that if l cannot do
more in one minute in my sleep for
the Mine Workers of the Sixth dis
trict than he has done in all his years
of congress, then / am ready to re-
tire at the present moment My repub-
lican friends who conduct the newspa-
pers have pointed out that John F.
Lacey is the Mine Workers friend:
hope he is, we need all the friends We
can get. They say he has done great
work in congress for the Mine Work
ers. Go ask any of the five thousand
Mine Workers of the Sixth congress
sional district in what particular they
have been benefited by Mr.. Lacey's
work in congress"
Does not Mr.. Reese know that the
questions of operating coal mines and
ShS PloISSlioh VI III IuS Maui
district must be managed solely by
the state legislature?. Mr.. Reese want
ed to run for the legislature last year
in Monroe county but the miners told
him that good republican miners
friend could do much more for them
than he could, and they nominated
Hon. N. E. Kendall, who showed the
miners that it is not what man docs
in his Sleep or in his dreams that is
of use. but what he does when awake
that counts.
The only authority congress has
over mine operations is in the ter
ritories, and Mr.. Lacey looked after
their interests and procured the "act
for the protection of the lives of the
territorial miners" in 1890, and pro
cured the shot firers and mine sprink-
ling law" for the territories in 1902
Mr.. Reese will not find that he will
himself with republican
miners by his attempt to belittle what
Major Lacey has done for them. Many
of the miners thought Mr.. Lacey was
wrong in favoring sound money and
the protective tariff They know now
by the actual working of the law that
he was right, and the republican mine.
ers are able to show their brethren
that experience has demonstrated that
the policy supported by MI. Lacey was
the only correct one
Mr.. Reese is running on the Kansas
City platform of free silver and free
trade. The congressional convention
endorsed that platform. No miners
should vote for Mr.. Reese who do not
believe in that platform. Mr.. Reese
will find that his attempt to capitalize
politically the position in the union
which republicans helped to give him
will not work. The Miners Union are
not ready to have their organization
made a political side show for any par.
ty. Mr.. Reese has no right to use the
time PAID Tor by all the miners of the
district in building up the fortunes of
a political party.
The miners of the United States
have their own political views, and
have not surrendered their political
opinions and rights by electing Mr..
Reese as president Of a union. They
never inquired his politics when they
put him in, but they will inquire his
politics when they come to vote. The
miners are among the most independ'
ent thinkers in the land, and when il
comes to questions of politics, they
have not selected any man to do their
thinking for them.