The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-10-08
Meredith Made q Good Speech.

Hon. e. T. Meredith, of .Des
4Loines, who was defeated at the pri-
mary election for the democratic
nomination for United States Senator,
addressed an audience which filled
the court house in this city last Fri
day evening. Mr.. Meredith is one
of the best losers we ever knew.
Never for a moment did his defeat
for the nomination cause him TO
waver in his support of democratic
principles and democratic candidates.
He has been doing heroic work for
the democratic party and his splendid
work should be appreciated by the
democrats of Iowa and the nation.
Mr.. Meredith is one OF the coming
men of Iowa, and he will be heard
from in Iowa politics in the future.
Hon. E. j. Sankey, that veteran dem
ocrat of Decatur county presided at
the meeting and introduced the
speakers. Mr.. Meredith's address
was as he said just heart to heart
talk, as he madc no claims to being
an orator. He asked the voters to
consider voting is a business contract
between the voter and the men they
were voting to represent them in pub
lie offices, and if the candidate did
not represent their views they should
not vote for him, but vote for man
who did, regardless Of what his party
was. Party name means little unless
it carries with it an endorsement Of
things you are in favor of. He paid
fine tribute to President Wilson
and urged the voters to sustain him
by electing Maurice Connolly IS
United States Senator, Mr.. Valentine
as member of congress and the en-
tire democratic stcte ticket. He said
in part:
We can elect our entire ticket this
year if we all work together AID pull
together. If we are not successful
this year, / feel we can take the
blame largely to ourselves. With
ticket such as we have this year,
headed by Mr. Connolly and Mr..
Hamilton, with 6 president doing the
wonderful service that President
Wilson is doing, and with conditions
generally as they are, it will be our
own fault if we do not meet with sue
cess all along the line. I sincerely
hope that our people will all get to-
gether, work together, and make one
mighty effort to elect our ticket from
top to bottom.
1t is {, generally accepted fact, that
Senator Cummins hes been incon-
sistent in his voting in the Senate.
FIe has reversed himself on practical
" every proposition he has ever stood
for. He has urged tariff revision and
vet votes against a tariff with an
average reduction of but 26 per cent.
His vote against the tariff was lndl-
rcctly vote to retain the Payne
Aldrich tariff, which he had assailed,
whenever the opportunity offered.
He voted against the currency bill,
which has been accepted almost
unanimously by the bankers and ousi-
ness men of the country. 1t is genef-
ally agreed to be the biggest piece OF
legislation put upon the statute books
in many years. 1t takes the reserves
away from Wall street, and breaks
the power of the few mon VINO nave,
through the old system, been able to
control the finances OF the whole
country. Mr. Cummins has III the
past been very active in his dcnun-
citation of wall Street, and yet when
it comes to voting for this bill, ne
found some reason to vote against
it.
He voted against President Wilson
on the Canals Tolls matter.
He he's consistently opposed and
antagonized every action OF president
Wilson, a president whom 80 per
cent of the voters regardless OF party
are commenting for what he mas
accomplished.
It is also an accepted fact that in
state affairs the republican party mas
been extravagant, and that we need
business admins
tration in state affairs, such as Mr..
Hamilton is so abundantly qualified
to give us. Surely, the record OF Mr.
Cummins in the United States Senate,
and the record of the republicans IN
our state affairs, should fnsufe the
election of Mr.. Connolly, Mr.. Ham
ilton and our cltire state ticket.
But, entirely aside from what MT.
Cummins and our state Gdmlnlstra.
ton may or may not have done, II
there was ever president VINO was
entitled to the hearty endorsement
of the people of the United STATES
without regard to party, President
Wilson is certainly that president.
When we stop to think OF the prac-
teal accomplishments of his admin
istration the revision of the tarlH,
the currency bill, the income tax, par
cells post, ETC., keeping us out OF war
with Mexico, and his splendid mes
cages in reference to our neutrality
in the European situation, how any
public spirited citizen can withhold
from him an endorsement, regard
less of party, cannot understand.
1t is not possible this year to vote
for Mr.. Wilson, but the cleo
ton of a Democratic Governor, would
be taken all over the United States
as hearty endorsement of Presi-
dent Wilson, and this most.earnestly
hope to see. Do you not feel we owe
a large debt of gratitude to President
Wilson! Do you feel that we in
Iowa should hold up his hands? Can
YOU not imagine the satisfaction it