Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-11-12
Editor Courier:

4 . = 4.
Editor Courier: ,..,.
In answer to Mitchell OF Flagler' ne
says my letter was written for the
purpose OF discrediting our district
president rather than to, extol the VII.
tues OF Lewis. This is rather a raw
statement on your part Brother Billy.
I would have expressed my views III
the same manner AZ did no matter
whether ii was white, black, green or
yellow that was a candidate for presl-.
dent in opposition to Lewis. sun
maintain that he is by Tar the mos.
alert man among the whole outnt OF
his opponents, who have been trying
nv ali means to unseat him ever since
they put up w. B. Wilson against
him, after Wilson had been elected 70
CONGRESS- This one act alone was SUI
ficient evidence for me that there was
we'll laid plays by the ringsters to get
Lewis out Of the way. and IT Is IAN
weather now, so the spiders are weav,
ing their webs around him again ana
also around Perry. Not content with
the presidential chair alone, they want
the secretaryship also. II the wool is
not sufficiently pulled off your eyes yet
to see those things, there are others
who have long ago been able 70 see
them. When I see a well laid plot py
number of men against one individual
fellow man, then l cry out at the top
Of my voice, "ANARCHY!" Not all the
Mitchells in the state Of Iowa, includ-
ing Flagler, will change my views on
evils. and by the way, Brother Billy,
It is not politics either. My politics are
independent and I know not nor care
not what political views Lewis has
or how he votes. 1t is the man admire
on account of his clean record, IN
,iol,
mark there is in 1t. Not even your
great Johnny Mitchell can. This man,
IL YOU remember, your Ring" brought
from his mansion in New York all the
way to the special convention in Ind
lana polls for the sole purpose to help
them to fight Lewis. This Is the con-
yention call: ANY member Of the q.
other than that of miner or mine
worker. shall not be eligible to act as
representative to any sub district, dis
trict or international convention, or
represent the y. M. w. A. in q central
body or state federation of labor con-
vention while holding such position,
In the face Of all these facts which you
dare not deny, Mitchell came there as
& delegate from Spring Valley. Illinois.
and the convention had been in session
aome two or three sessions when ne
arrived and his credentials arrived
aOme time later and ! say he had no
more right in that convention than
q. Pierpont Morgan or John D. Rocker
teller or any other member OF the civic
Federation. He was simply brought
from New York as reinforcement to
hrht Lewis However, we will leave
that part at the present time and pass
Is the politics in the national office
that you speak about. You say the
Mine workers Journal is SO politically
rotten as to stink In the nostrils OF de-
cent people, and blame Lewis for 1t.
Do YOU remember when w. B. Wilson
was candidate for congress and all
the national office force was thrown
mt campaigning for him? Do you
know when John p. Reese was candi-
date for congress in the sixth district,
the very same thing was repeated over
again? Do YOU remember who was
president of the Mine Workers then
was II Tom Lewis? I presume not. 1t
was your Johnny Mitchell that you
brought all the way from New York to
help TO wage war on Lewis In the
snecial convention. The very man! Do
you remember any of the office force
Ieing out on political campaigns dur
Inc Lewis term Of office? / presume
not. But when there was rotten politics
- YOU call it in the Office, you never
onened your mouth in protest against
II. and now when the paper is the
cleanest and by far the best If ever
has been in all it's existence, you call
~ sinking sheet-for one reason
nnly: simply, because it would not or
refused to publish certain article
wfich was against the rules and can