Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-05-23

i Will say ILLS luTlucT, UQdL i Will
not accept any such question as evil
: dence of hostility or unfriendliness.
will rather accept 1t as evidence of a
: desire to reach an honest understand
ing. You have right to know what
think respecting public affairs and
interests. 1t will be impossible to
pass over all the phases of the last
i, few years, so if you want my judg,
ment, my opinion about anything to
: which I don't refer, rise up and put
that question to me as 1 proceed with
my address. 1t will not disturb, it
will not embarrass me, for am not
declaiming any set Grafton. I am
here to render an account of my
stewardship, and If there is any cues.
ton from this vast assembly desire
to answer it now. Don't wait until
you get out on the street corner when
1 am not there to answer IT..
We are here now face to
face we are here now, face to face.
and If you have anything to say t.
me say it now or forever hold your
peace.
Now, want to say further, don't
imagine for a moment that in making
these suggestions am claiming that
/ have made no mistakes. If / have
made no mistakes in the last six and
one-half busy years, filed and over
flowing with controversy, dispute and
contention, If l have made no mis-
takes then l am entirely too good TO
go to the United States senate and
instead Of being candidate for that
exalted position should be candi-
date for transformation to the golden
precincts of the new Jerusalem. So
let us begin with a full and fair un-
derstanding.
Tells Of Finances.
don't know how long am going
to talk to you but lest I forget and
reach the limit of your endurance, |
want to say a word in regard to the
finances Of the state of Iowa. I am
told that there has been a circulation
of the statement that the treasury at
Des Moines is bankrupt and that the
administration has been guilty of ex-
travagance and recklessness. first
heard of this about two weeks ago,
; and left home at o'clock that
evening. At ten minutes before left
: the Office there came into my room
the state treasurer. Now the state
treasurer is one of the best men in
the state and he is a standpatter.
Not like my friend Lacey he is not
a standpatter from Standpatville, but
he is standpatter, nevertheless. He
handed me a paper which l have in
my pocket. Yes, here it is, in his own
handwriting. And this paper says that
on the 4th day of May Of this year
at o'clock and thirty minutes in
the afternoon, there was in the treas
ury>>in cash, $1,023, 56S.73. You may
be pretty rich in Ottumwa-I believe
you are, but from my standpoint of
poverty, do you know would like to
be bankrupted in that way every day
in the year. Now, there have been
only a few times in the history of the
state from 1S46 to the present mo
ment when there has been more cash
in the treasury than now And / ask
you standpatters, because you have
just as much interest in your com
monwealth as I have, just as much
concern for her honor and her diff
culties as have. ask you to put the
stamp Of your disapproval upon these
wicked, slanderous falsehoods that
have been circulated about the state
with regard to this treasury at Des
Moines. I ask you to rebuke that com
bination of falsifiers who are willing
to defame their state in order to de
feat candidate. Remember the ST..
023 ,56S73 now in the treasury at Des
Moines and allow no man hereafter tc
defile the fair name of your common
wealth without rebuke such as a
SANDER Of that kind Justly merits. 1,
makes no difference what becomes Of
me, but 1t makes vast difference
what estimate the people shall hold
of the state Of which you are happy
and fortunate citizens.
Now I know that this statemen,
that have made does not answer the
full accusation. 1t does not determine
whether there has been recklessness
: or extravaganza or not and want 6
few moments with you on that ques
ton. Now you say that it has cos
the state Of Iowa more to conduct hel
affairs in the last seven years thar
it ever did before in like numbe,
of years. That is true. That is trut
of every county in this state, it is trus
of every state in the union. 1t is trus
OF the government of the United
States.
You Are Free Men.
Now, my good friend who intend!
W 5uppOiI SeudlOT AlllSOu, ana / al
not criticising or censuring you for 81
doing, for that is one of the priv
: leges that free men in America pos
sess-I don't know just where to fin,
} standpatter. You don't any of 20,
look like standpatters to me, but le
I. us reason together. You have sait
r that because the expenses of the state
: OF Iowa have been greater than be
fore in the last seven years that there
fore we have been guilty of reckless
| ness and improyidence in the admin
! istration, haven't you? You hav,
> passed over the mere fact of increas
, ed expense to the conclusion tina
there has been something wrong an.
? improper in the state administration
: Well, you supporter of Senator Ali
, son, tell me when he became chair
: man of the committee on appropriu
: tons? Well, he became chairman o
2 that committee in 1878 and every dol
= lar that has been appropriated TO
t the United States has passed througl
5 that, committee, of which he has beel
r chairman Now, tell me what the ez
t penses of the United States wer
: when Senator Allison became chail