South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-10-30
VOTE HERE WILL AFFECT THE NATIONAL ISSUES
Press Which is Trying to Regain Lost Ground by Supporting
the Citizens Movement and Sanderng the City, Will be
Only Too Eager to Claim Result is Impeachment of VIII
son Administration.

IL ndQ not as great a population as
our sistet city Mishawaka-wh has
seen its population doubled. trebled.
quadrupled. it is pleasing to have that
kind OF a habitation. to have a home
there. and l take pride in it, [ be
lieve every other citizen Of South
Bend does
"On coming to the city, picking up
a clipping this afternoon and reading
certain things in the newspaper. il
seemed TO me that it remained for
some Of our own citizens to cast the
first slur and attempt to put the first
stain upon the city of South Bend.
Il do not and would not have our
citizens shrink from criticism, from
hunting out and telling the truth, but
when L see a stream of misrepresen-
tatiOn and mendacity poured over our
city by one of the correspondents Of
one OF the great newspapers of this
state, our citizens have a right to re-
sent and rebel from these infamous
falsehoOds. That is the occasion of
this peculiar campaign.
Knows the Candidates.
Il am acquainted with nearly all of
the candidates in this campaign and
my relations with many of them have
been very pleasing. But here we
have a democratic ticket selected by a
primary. Here is a progressive
ticket selected by a primary. Here is
regular republican ticket selected
by a primary. and here is the social
ist ticket selected in that way. And
then we have another called a citizens
ticket. This is palpably, obviously a
temporary organization. Ii is made
for the purpose of this campaign
Nov we may talk OF nOn-partisan
government. / thoroughly believe in
non-parttsan government in the sense
that the power Of public position
should act for the common good of
the citizens, regardless of what par
ties they may belong to.
They pay the taxes, they pay the
revenue and are entitled TO the bene-
fits of the best government. And
that is nOn-partisan government
though it may be administrated by
responsible. political organizations.
Il am not impeaching the motives
OF good men who Joined this citizens
movement or of good women VINO
sympathize with 1t; but it is never
theless an organization that will dis
appear on the day after election.
First, Last and Only.
There is no pretense that the or
consolidated and responsible body of
men united for the purpose of seeing
that pledges are redeemed. In the
very nature of things. and without
reflection upon their methods il is
perfectly palpable that like the show
bill says, it Will be the first. last and
only performance
In all free governments you have
political parties. They represent the
consolidation OF opinion. They rep
resent harmony and unity of action.
In some way or other. they are the
only means in which policies can be
carried forward, wrought into law
and made a part of the system of our
country.
But why shall it be necessary 10
let certain reports go out from our
city? / believe that regardless of
party. the great body of our republi-
can and progressive friends. and
friends Of all other parties. sympa-
thiZe with and extend every good will
10 Pres. Wilson. No president who
has ever occupied that exalted posi-
tion has so completely taken the
American people into his confidence.
Publicity is his watchword There
mas been through the past too much
doing things back of the scenes-too
much OF fixing, building up and put
4 ting up jobs on the American peo-
pie. The machinery and the methods
and policy of government are brought
into the hEht and the public taken in
the confidence of their president. Now
many differ from him on some of his
policies, but as the days go forward
they have increasing confidence in his
unShakeable courage and a splendid
idea OF what the peoples idea Of the
president shall be.
Now you ask "hat has this To do
with the questions g this city cam
paign. \ certain portion OF the press
that is seeking 20 create the impress
sion that there Is some machine work
ing throughout this state. that say
there Is a hand reaching out from the
darkness and the distance laying its
weight upon the affairs OF our city.
and that this paper must rise and re-
sent the inference.
Have No Interest.
Il notice some talk about Tom Tag
gart and Fairbanks. two men that
have just about as much pecuniSry or
other interest in this campaign as has
the private secretary OF the man in
the moon. do not fear these things
very much. They are underesrimat-
ing the intelligence OF the people in
the cities OF the state OF Indiana
But Go YOU believe for a moment
that II their peculiar propaganda
could be made TO succeed that on the
next day the fires of battle would
threaten at Washington. the country
would proclaim that in the great in
dustrial sense the national admins
tration has been discredited and re-
pulsed
we do not mean that local cleo
tions should turn upon national issues.
But I do want 10 know what there rs
in the situation TO Justify the citizen