The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-10-02

ed TOT member OF congress IN l3lV. 1t
was at a time when the Republican
party was in revolt against the Taft
administration. because of the fact
that Taft. Cannon, Aldrich and the
rest OF the standpat Republican outfit
had failed to carry out their pledge
to the pecple given in 1908. Ralph
d. Cole was the Republican member
of congress Il ON the Eighth district
and was a candidate for denomination
Cole had stood by Joe Cannon and
the standpat outfit, and Willis and his
cohorts assailed him along that line,
Willis claiming to be progressive
Republican. He succeeded in deceiv'
ing the Republicans that he was
progressive to the extent that they
gave him about 400 majority over
Cole and nominated him as Republi-
can candidate In the Eighth district.
At that time the Democratic candi-
date, and the Democratic party gen.
orally, knew and charged that Willis
was the same kind OF . standpat Re-
publican that Cole was and Is, but
Willis, to use a vulgar expression,
got by with it," and was elected to
congress.
During the campaign Willis went to
Marysville, o., to attend the opening
OF the campaign in that county, at
which the great standpatter, Senator
Irnra liz GnnIfa q nona1 Fora Lnr
denounced everything progressive and
stood by the old order of things. He
was a standpatter and made no bones
Of 1t. After Foraker spoke, Willis
was called upon and he came forward
| and said that he was proud to belong
| to party that had such leader as
Senator Foraker, that he always had
| admired him and believed In him.
Evidently, Willis forgot that Golfers
Weekly and other journals had shown
that Foraker was the representative OF
| all the privileged interests while he
| was in the senate, that he had been
| the representative of the patent med.
iCine interest, and that he represent
| ed the railroads and other corpora
tions who were fighting all the pro.
gressive legislation that had been Civ
en- under Roosevelt's administration,
but still he admired him and was
| proud to belong to party that had
| such leader as Foraker And the
next day there appeared In the paper
copies of the famous ArchbOld letters
showing that Foraker had been the
paid attorney for the Standard Oil
company and had received thousands
OF dollars from that company for rep
resenting them In legislation, and
Foraker has never denied the truth
OF these letters This came too late
| In the campaign for the voters to
know that Willis position was with
reference TO Foraker, or he might not
| now be sitting as a member OF con
gress from the Eighth district.
Supported Calamity Mann.
After Willis was elected President
Taft called special session Of con
gress. The Democrats met to select
candidate for speaker, and they
unanimously chose Champ Clark. The
standpat Republicans met and chose
James x. Mann of Illinois, who had
! been Joe Cannon's right hand man,
as their candidate. The progressive
Republicans who would not follow the
leadership of Victor Murdock OF Kan
sas. met to choose a candidate Tor
speaker Willis met with the stand
pat crowd, to which he really belong
ed. and which the Democrats charged
he belonged to during the campaign,
Willis was there voting and stand
ing by James Il Mann, the standpat
candidate, who was simply Joe Can
mons shadow, and represented every
thing that was odious and detestable
In standpalism. SO standpat was Mr..
Mann that he was one Of the baker >
dozen of representatives who refused
to vote for the Joint resolution for
the election of United States senators
by the people,
All Things to All Men.
Willis was aligned with Mann in all
the fights In congress. He was oht
OF Mann's lieutenants and has voted
with him and fought with him. The
fight in the Republican party came on
in 1912 and where was Willis? He
had claimed to be u Progressive in
1910. and yet he was upon the tie'<et
headed by President Taft Willis
also claims to be a spell-binder and
In his 1910 campaign he went all over
the district making speeches and, III
the primary campaign through which
he has Just come. he boasts OF havins
spoken in eighty-one counties. Yet
in this campaign Of 1912 he did not
make one single speech or raise hii
voice in the campaign, because he
i was afraid he would have to declare
himself between Roosevelt and Taft
With him II wns good Lord and good
Devil To the Roosevelt men he was
great Progressive, and TO the rait
men he was standpatter but all the
time he WAS for Willis. Just as no,y
he is trying to mix whisky and wa
ter, and make the vets believe he f.
wot aud the drys believe he is dry