The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1908-07-29
JONES CHALLENGES
ANKENY TO DEBATE

has invited the senator to meet him
in public debate in order that the is
sues of the senatorial contest may be
clearly presented to the people and
their records compared. Congress-
man Jones calls particular attention
to the attempt of Ankeny's friends to
misrepresent him to the people, es-
pecially to the laboring class, and
challenges the senator to meet him
anywhere and discuss their respec-
tive records and attitudes toward la
Dor, giving their hearers an oppor-
tunity to interrogate them freely. The
letter follows:
| "North Yakima, Wash,
"July, 90, 1908.
"Hon. Levi Ankeny, Walla Walla,
wash
"My Dear Senator: I desire %
submit to you further proposition
which / conceive to be in the public
interest and which I trust you will
not consider against public policy.
"You and are candidates for the
highest office in the gift of the peo-
pie of the state of Washington. We
should be perfectly willing to be judg-
ed by our merits and capacities. This
office is the peoples to bestow upon
the man whom they deem most COM
petent to discharge the duties of
United States senator, and the cru
cial tests of ability, integrity and
capacity should govern their choice.
Need Best State Can Furnish.
'sNo state in the Union will 3e
more concerned in legislation to come
before congress in the next few years
than our own, and the most capable
representatives in the senate posi-
Bile to secure will be needed to pro-
tect and promote our interests.
Your friends and mine may tell
through the press and otherwise IN
most glowing terms of our respective
qualifications. 1t is natural, however,
for their opinions to be biased, and
they may circulate erroneous ideas
as to our aptitudes, achievements and
energies. What better way to ac-
quaint the people with our ability
and capacity to represent them ef-
| ficiently than to appear before them
face to face and discuss our work and
the principles we represent; and also
to give them the opportunity to ask
us questions, and receive the answers
thereto from ourselves and not
through others? I believe that every
citizen seeking the favor of the peo-
/ pie should do this, rather than COM
pei them to form their opinions from
statements by third parties. l shall
be glad, therefore, to discuss with
you at such points and upon such
dates as may be satisfactory to YOU
those questions of our campaign in
which the people are interested and
which they have a right to hear US
discuss.
Give People Chance to Judge.
you have been in the senate five
years. I have been in the house of
representatives nine years. Much Of
our work during that time is a mat
ter of record, but this record is not
available to many. Your friends
have claimed that your record has
been misrepresented. Let us discuss
these records openly and squarely be-
fore the people, so that if misstate-
ments have been made they may be
corrected, and, If there is differ
ence of opinion, let the people Judge
who is correct.
"Your friends have deliberately
represented me to be an enemy to
laboring men. and you. yourself, over
your own signature, have been made
to intimate that in some way MT
disclosed you control the labor vote
of this state. The laboring men of
| 'uohAhoboh dlC wv ldlT
and just to be controlled by you or
anyone else. They, like the rest of
us. might be deceived by falsehood
but they have the right to know
what your record Is, what mine IS.
and how we stand upon questions Of
interest to them. They have a right
to know all this from us, and not
through others.
Has Nothing to Conceal.
81 have not hesitated to express
my views candidly upon questions
submitted to me. ! have never yet
seen any statement from you upon
many of the questions Of interest to
labor. I challenge you to discuss
with me anywhere, and especially be-
fore the laboring men of the state.
our respective records and attitudes
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