Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-08-06
ANSWER FROM
WERTS COMES
Ar LAST HOUR
Henderson County Representa-
tive Candidate Tardy
Reply
N A REPUBLICAN PAPtR
Attempts to Take Advantage of Others
in Discrediting Charge of
Bad Faith.
n A REPUBLICAN PAPtR

If anything was needed to demon
strato the sly and unfair tactics that |
enter into the political practices of |
Representative Everett l.. Werts, who
is striving to force a denomination for
the legislature, III the face of former |
pledges by himself and by his sup
portors and friends in Mercer county, |
it came forth today in the columns of |
the Aledo Times-Record, a republican |
paper. Waiting until too late for the |
Aledo Democrat, his own party paper, |
whose columns have nevertheless been |
open to him, to reply on behalf of the |
democrats of Mercer county to unreiia- |
BILE statements, Mr.. Werts plays what |
| he considers cute trick of indulging, |
| through the republican paper, natur-
ally only too willing to give vent to his |
allegations, in eleventh hour charges
at random. In a long communication,
| in which he endeavors to discredit the
understanding that was had with him
two years ago, which was, in effect,
that if the Rock Island county demo-
Gratis would overlook the circumstances
/
support his candidacy just as if moth
ing had happened. he would not seek
q denomination, Mr.. Werts now essays
TO disprove charges of bad faith that
have been made over and over again
against him in both Rock Island and
Mercer counties. This latent effort is
made notwithstanding that weeks have
| Nv, inh h. hn- ,,irr
the accusations of bad faith no atten-
ton, awaiting all this time for a moment
when he considered he could attempt.
a denial without feaI of contradiction
in his own county. That Mr.. Werts
has had the opportunity to print what
he now seeks to distribute through re-
publican channels. both in Mercer and
Rock Island counties. is a well known
Itact Mr. Werts has been frequently
lassured that the columns of The Argus
were open to him TO make any state
ment in his own behalf that he might
desire. either in reply to anything the
lpaper might have Said of him, or in
IadvQcacy of his candidacy, The Argus
making no exception to its well under
stood and recognized rule i'll this in
stance. Mercer county democrats,
with whom The Argus has frequently
disagreed, will testify that they have
had access to the papers columns in
their own behalf regardless of differ
ences. The same practice seems true
of the Aledo Democrat, for even in its
last issue before the primaries it adj
vised Mr.. Werts of the opportunity he
has had to present his own side of the
situation in the Thirty-third district
Does Not Strengthen His Position.
Despite the fact that Mr. Werts con
sumes some three columns of the
Times-Record's valuable space, he does
not in the least strengthen his own pc
sition in the pending campaign. In
the first place, he strives - in or
der to controvert the statements OF
Mercer county delegates published
lSome time ago - to show that
two of the delegates who went from
this county TO the Keithsburg conven
ton were not aware of an understand
ing that Mr.. Werts was not to be {
candidate to succeed himself, if nom
mated at that time, and he presents
statements from certain Henderson
county delegates along the same line
The object of dragging the Rock Is
land county delegates into the contro
: versy is manifestly to convey the i'm
lpression that they are supporting Mr.
Werts in his candidacy now. Thu
fact that both the gentlemen whom Mr.
Werts asks to verify his position, ar
working now for Rock Island count.
candidates for the legislature is al
sufficient to indicate their ideas of tn,
righteous claims of Rock Island coun
; lty at the present time. whether or no
:. any of the Rock Island county dele
- gates were aware of the eli
cumstances of two years ago, a
. far as it pertained to Mr.. Werts
o does not alter the case. There is m
4 question of veracity between them an,
those in both Mercer and Rock Islam,
o counties who now charge Mr.. Vert
% with breaking a political agreemen
q. and at the same time breaking hi
.. word. That there are a dozen or S
:, who heard from his own lips, and fror
the lips of his friends and supporter
II whom he called to speak and to vouc
n for him, that he would join with Me-
o. Ger county in conceding to Rock Islam
il county, this year, still remains witheu
6. successful contradiction. The peopl
,e to whom the pledges were made Kno'
10 of it regardless of what the CONVEX
n ton may or may not have agreed to.
IS where He Did Pledge.
c. Mr. Werts in his communication a.
at knowledges the interview in The A
to gus Office i'm which he was accorhpal
n led by Mercer county friends, bt
y says he has no remembrance of b
IN cal didacy to succeed himself bein
e discussed, but he goes on to say. "e
re cept as l stated in both these conve
Stations that if Rock Island and Me