Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-03-25
GEORGE ROBINSON FAILS IN HIS
ATTEMPT TO BOOST MAYOR
AT CoLoRED MEETING
AUDIENCE WAS ANGRY
Negroes Would Not Listen to Demo-
cratic Appointee-Psge and Lee
Make Addresses and Candi-
dates Also Resent Issues.

Gus OutDurSt or dlSapprOVal laSI night
at the enthusiastic law enforcement
meeting of colored men held in the
Second Baptist church. When the ap-
pointee of the present mayor gained
the floor, he began rousing cain
paign speech for his benefactor, but
it was short lived. Cries of "Sit
Down. Shut Up" and Kisses were
heard from every quarter. and the
cause of the Democratic party was
quickly buried in the din. The floor
was gained by Robinson upon the lib
eral application Of the meeting bY
Rev. D. e. Butler, who. as chairman,
intimated that the views of both par
ties would be permissible. The audi
ence, however, ruled differently and
when quiet was restored through the
words Of w. S. Page, the meeting con-
tinued in good order. Encouraging
words were heard from Mr.. Page and
Edgar Lee, who gave the views of the
colored voters, and from candidates
D. A. Emery, George L. Gillies and
Fred w Wilson and from T. D. Fos.
ter. William Reece and Major T. p.
Spilman.
Preliminary to the opening remarks
by Chairman Butler, several songs
were rendered by the audience. In
his remarks, Rev. Butler urged the
colored voters to become advised Of
the issues Of the city campaign, to al
ly themselves on the side of right and
against wrong. Under Cod" conclud-
ed Mr.. Butler, ''let every colored
voter go to the polls next Monday and
do his whole duty, that our name may
go out to all the world as men who
want those Of our race to clean up il
they wish to stay, or if they must be
bad-why pack up and 60"
Page Denounces Open Town.
1--WE meet here tonight, not to raise
party against party but to join the
two factions together in an effort 70
clean up Ottumwa," said w. S. Page,
in opening his remarks. "We have
had what is called an open town pol
| icy for some time now and we find it
dangerous one. The last two years
have been ones Of terror, vice and
crime, and now we want change to
an administration that will enforce
the law. We are not here as Demo
Gratis and Republicans, but as one
body working for law and order and
anxious to clean up this city.
has suffered the most? We have. The
fact that Ottumwa Is an open town
and crime is allowed to run uncheck.
ed, draws the criminal from all over
the country, and then when crime is
committed here, black face is the
first man arrested for it, when it is the
criminal that the present. administra-
tion has brought here, that really COM
mitted it.
There are some of us who seem to
think that it is the opening up or the
closing of the saloon that is to be de-
cided by this election. This is an er
roneous idea Whether the saloons
will open or not is proposition to be
decided by the courts and not by the
mayor. Now If the revocation petition
is found to be insufficient by the
courts, the saloons will be opened
again, whether Phillips or Emery is
elected. If the saloons do open, for
Heavens sake let them open under
an administration that will make them
live up to the law. And the only way
you can get such an administration is
/ by voting for D. A. Emery at the elec-
tion Monday"
Emery Will Do Duty.
Edgar Lee, a strong champion of
law and order among the colored peo-
pie, was called upon to speak, and he
responded with very forceful talk
denouncing the methods of the present
administration. 1--WE will all have to
admit gentlemen" said Mr.. Lee, that
Ottumwa has been hot place for the
past two years. think that the cleo
ton of Phillips as mayor was one of
the worst things Ottumwa ever did.
From experience I have found that
open town policies won't do, and ! foi'
one denounce them. 1t is not that
have anything against the administra-
ton, because they have given you just
what you voted for two years ago.
You people who elected 'old Tom" at
the last election, knowing just what
he would give you, and now don't
blame Tom, If you don't want his pol
icies all you have to do is to elect
Emery Emery will give you clean
city, and see that all laws are obeyed.
"If you people don't do your duty
in this election. you will wake up some
of these mornings and find the angel
Gabriel blowing his horn over Ottum.
wa. Today we are farther behind
than we ever were, and the policies Of
the present administration are great
ly to blame for it. 1t is time we chang
ed to mayor who will do his duty"
Candidates Give Views.
When Capt. D. A. Emery was intro
duced, the audience applauded to a
man. The Republican standard bear
er went into the issues of the present
city campaign to considerable length,
touching upon every phase that ap-
peals to the voters. Referring to the
| gamblers, Mr.. Emery said ''The gamb-
lers now think Ottumwa good place
to come to, but we will make 1t a
good place to get out Of" The matter
of increasing the taxes due to the alb
sence Of the saloon, was also touched
upon, as was the other issues of the
campaign. Fred w Wilson, candi-
date for alderman of the Second ward
referred to the campaign as one in
which the better element was arrayed
against the worse element. and he