Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-10-26

Mr. Taft was ushered into his admin
istration with criticism, but have We
not now good times for all Of the peo
pie; the laborer and the farmer as
well?" .-
Warm Praise For Kenyon.
while appreciate the compliment
Of the invitation that brings me here
! today" said Gov. Hadley, 81 have
no intention of trying to instruct the
people of Iowa how to vote. You
| have clearly demonstrated by the men
whom you have elected to public Of
| fees and by the policies that you have
pursued in public affairs that you are
able to decide for yourself as to how
you will cast your ballot.
II feel, however, that am justified
! In undertaking TO tell you as to how
the people of other states regard the
contest In Iowa this year and how i'm
portant they consider the result. The
people of each state are interested In
the kind Of representatives that every
other state sends to the national con-
gress and. while those people Iowa
sends to represent them at Washing
ton are in one sense your representa-
tives, they are also Representatives Of
the entire country.
1.-TWO years ago the legislature Of
this state elected a young man to fill
the vacancy created by the lamented
death OF Jonathan P. Dolliver. Sue
ceeding man Of his pre-eminent abil-
ity and popularity, added to the diff
culties and the responsibilities to the
position he was chosen. But I do not
believe I exaggerate when l say that
no one has come to the United States
senate in the late years that has made
more favorable impression on the
American people in a shorter length Of
time than William S. Kenyon.
Ably Represented State.
He has given to the people of this
state as able representation in the
United States senate as any state in
the union. You have now to decide
the question as to whether that rep
resentation is to be continued and the
answer that you make to this question
is one that Is awaited with interest by
the people of other states. There
would not in my opinion be any ques-
ton about this result were it not for
the differences that exist within the
republican party over the manner in
which the Chicago convention was
conducted But why should this con.
troversy affect Senator Kenyon's right
to be returned to the United States
senate? No question was ever raised
as to the fairness of his nomination,
which was emphasized by 10000 ma
iority. No one familiar with his record
or his opinions upon public questions
can doubt his devotion to progressive
principles and policies. While rec.
ognize the fact that those who do not
believe in the principles and policies
for which he stands, that those, who
believe in the policy Of free trade or
tariff for revenue only will doubtless
ly oppose his reelection, I cannot un.
derstand why anyone who desires to
promote the success of progressive
principles and policies can decline to
do all he can to bring about his cleo
ton. The only excuse for a failure
to support him must be based upon
the theory that the republican party
Is hopelessly corrupt and reactionary.
that 1t deserves to die and that all
who do not concede the correctness of
this assertion are deserving of de.
feat.
Why He Remains Republican.
What are the facts upon which
such contention can be based? /
was a delegate to the Chicago ma
tional convention and the position
that l took in that controversy is
we'll known. But after the adjourn
ment of that convention and the an
nouncement of the intention to organ
ize new party l had to decide the
question as did you, as to whether to
stay with the republican party or join
the formation of the new party, and
in deciding that question we had to
determine as to whether there existed
a sufficient justification for leaving the
republican party. The justification Of
fered is that the republican party is
corrupt and reactionary,
that it Is under the control Of special
interests and that it ought to be des.
troyed because it deserves to die. II
recognized that question as serious
and important one. I was by my
position the head of the republican
party in the largest republican state
west Of the Mississippi, which had
honored me by fifteen years of repub.
lican service.
Party's Record Of Past.
I'm determining the question as to
whether an alleged abuse Of political
power by few men in one convention
proved that the republican party was
hopelessly corrupt and reactionary, II
turned to the record Of the past. II
recalled that in 1872 we were con-
fronted with somewhat similar stu.
alton: that there were many honest
men in the republican party who be-
lieved it had cultivated it's usefulness
deserved, to die. They pointed to the
whisky ring, frauds and the star route
frauds as proof Of their charge that
the republican party, which came into
existence for the purpose of preserv-
Ing the union, and freeing the slaves,
had fulfilled it's mission and that It
had come under the control of corrupt
men and should be abandoned and