The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1906-06-14
PARTISAN MISREPRESENTATION.

Herald, has been talking all
winter as if he would like to debate
the tariff question with Congress
man McCleary. Being busy with
his official duties, McCleary paid
no attention to Eddy's staggering
attacks. But a short time ago the
Faribault Agricultural Association
invited Eddy and McCleary to hold
a Joint debate on the tariff question
at it's annual fair in September. In
reply Mr.. McCleary promptly
wired as follows:
"You may announce that l stand
unequivocally and without stutter7
ing for the republican doctrine of
protection and reciprocity as
enunciated in the republican
national platform of 1904, as that
platform has been interpreted by
Theodore Roosevelt.
eff Mr.. Eddy opposes that plat
form thus interpreted, l shall be
pleased to debate the matter with
him not only at Blue Earth, but
also in every town in the Second
Congressional district.
at seems only tair that Mr..
Gutterson should be invited to
participate IN the proposed series
of debates. James I. McCleary.
Mr.. Eddy's reply indicated that
he would like to discuss some pet
notion of his own. These notions
may seem very important to him,
but they are of no special interest
to anyone else. Mr.. McCleary
holds himself ready to maintain the
republican doctrine as stated and
defined by the highest authority.
If Mr.. Eddy agrees with the
republican doctrine, there is no
room for debate. If he opposes
that doctrine, the opportunity for
debate is wide open. Eddy's bluff
has been called.
For absolute downright mis-
representation the above clipped
from the Heron Lake News stands
in class by itself.
1t is we'll known that we have
very decided views on the subject
of tariff revision, reciprocity, the
trusts and other subjects, in fact
all our views are decided. When
we assumed control of the IL eral d
we wrote a series of editorials on
these subjects. We thought we
had right to publish anything we
pleased in our own paper. We did
not feel under any obligations to
have them 'revised" by any one
They did not contain shadow of
suggestion of challenge to debate
with Mr.. McCleary or anyone else.
Mr.. McCleary's name was not even
mentioned. Some of his fool
friends, simply because these
articles did not coincide with Mr..
McCleary's we'll known views on
the subject, took it upon themselves
to assert that they reflected on him.
We did not feel and do not feel
now that we are under any more
obligation to agree with him than
he is with us. Mr.. Ellickson,
Secretary of the Blue Earth Agri
cultural society wrote US to know if
we would meet with Mr.. McCleary
and discuss our different, views.
We wrote that we would be glad to
do so and stated our terms.
When this news reached Wash
ington Mr.. McCleary rushed to the
wire and franked the bombastic
messages to his friends quoted
above.
Everyone knows that the tariff
plank In the republican platform is
wide enough to drive load of hay
through. Everyone knows that it
is SO extended that if Mr.. McCleary
or any one else who stands on it
with foot on each edge of the
plank that his legs would be
stretched like a pair of overalls
when a hired man takes them up in
his hands and stretches them out to
see if they are long enough. In
substance it is sThe measure of
Protection should at least equal the
difference between the cost of pro-
duction at home and abroad"
Everyone at all conversant with the
history of that platform knows that
the words Sat least were smuggled
into the same and not fifty members
of the convention ever knew they