The daily sentinel., 1913-10-06
COPELAND, SOCIALIST
CANDIDATE, TELLS OF
MEET WITH CHURCHMEN
Communication.)
To the Editor Sentinel:

To the Editor Sentincl:
Last Wednesday evening | was in
formed there would be a meeting of
the Church Federation Committee on
Thursday evening at the Y. NJ. C. A.
and that all the candidates for office
at this election were invited to at
tend and express themselves as to
how they stood on the wet and dry
question. | said to the party invit-
ing me that | thought l had made
myself clear on all those questions
in a letter to The Sentinel several
days ago, and l thought then l would
not attend the meeting, but after
thinking it all over the next day, |
decided to attend and did. and | will
now tell you about that meeting.
When | reached the Y. NJ. c. A.
about S O'Clock p. m, | found six
other candidates already there as
sembled in a corner of the main lob
by, and ! went over and Joined the
crowd also; finally Mr.. Parker was
missing, and after being gone about
ten minutes, he returned; then Mr..
Cherrington was gone about the same
length of time, and about the time
he returned, someone in the party
asked when and where this meeting
was to be held, and MIR. Cherrington
informed us that it was then going
on. and that Mr.. Bliss was to be the
next victim" On Mr.. Bliss return
he informed me that | was next to
appear on the second floor, and |
ascended the stairs and looked
around for a light and finally dis
covering a door ajar, | started in;
but soon found 1t was a private bed
room; then | turned and started
down the other way, when, finally.
a door opened, and / was invited into
a room where | found myself alone
with just three people namely: Mr..
Becker, Mr.. Aupperle and Mr.. Ran
kin.
Now, right here, 1 want to leave
MIR. Rankin out of this. for do not
know Mr.. Rankin as | know Mr..
Becker and Mr.. Aupperle. Mr.. Ran
kin locked like he was there more
by force than by choice anyway; but
Mr.. Becker and Mr.. Aupperle had
that satisfied expression which
showed they were there by choice
only. | was then informed that 1t
was here that ! was to tell the
christian people of Grand Junction
what | would do II | were elected
mayor Grand Junction. Now, what
do you think of that for nerve? Well,
| was dumbfounded. and the first
thing | thought was that wet crowd,
and | also thought, We'll, this
bunch represents the Christian peo-
pie of Grand Junction fully as well
as that wet bunch represents the
business people and taxpayers of
Grand Junction" and | said to them
Before you ask me a question, l
want to ask you one" and | asked
them If they would hand me the
questions they wanted me to an
swer and let me answer through one
of the daily papers so.all the people
of Grand Junction ifwould know
where ] stood. MIR. Aupperle and
Mr.. Becker began to squirm on their
chairs, and | saw that that did not
suit them at all, but they finally
said | could publish it If wanted
to, SO | am taking them at their
word in doing this.
Then | thought of that 23rd chap
ter of st. Matthews, where Christ
was talking to one class of people
about another class of people, and He
tells them of the fellows who made
the loud prayers in public places and
breaches one kind of doctrine and
performs the opposite, etc. He is
not talking to the drys about the
vets; he is not talking to the preach
ers about the gamblers; but he is
talking to the class of people that
stand for justice, first, last and al
ways, and the class he was talking
about was the class that will stand
for any old thing for policy sake.
When l found myself roped in to tell
these two men where | stood on
this question. 1t brought my blood
to the boiling point; my blood is red,
not blue. Then that third verse
came to me, and | thought "All
therefore whatsoever they bid me
observe that will | observe and do;
but 81 will not do after their works,
for they say but they do not
They fight this question with one
hand and support it with the other
hand; then | answered their ques-
tions and when they got to the one
about how | would deal with boot
logger, if / were mayor, | told them
how l would deal with him and told
them that would just so one step
farther than either of them would,
and that was that | positively refused
to vote for or support system of
government that made it profitable
and possible for a bootlegger to eN-
ist.
Now Mr.. Becker is telling the peo-
pie that Copeland was dry all right,
and then he springs the joke of his
life-he actually puts Judge, Puck
and Life to shame-he tells them
that Copeland was too radical. Say,
people. did you ever hear Mr.. Beck
er make a speech when he was in
dead earnest? If l could just be as
radical as he can, ! would be happy,
that is the only thing about Mr.
Becker, of which l am envious. Mr..
Becker goes after the things he
wants in the most radical way pos
sible. Dirty politics will never make
the world any better, whether it is
in the ranks of the vets or the drys.
man once said he would rather be
right than be President, but, If he
says that today. he is fool, crank
and anarchist in the eye of the
general public.