The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-02-19
ROWLEY'S CHALLENGE TO
CLARKE.

ROWLEY's CHALLENGE TO
CLARKE.
Full Text of Editor Rowley's Pro.
posal for Newspaper Debate.
Keosauqua, Iowa, Feb. ii, 1914
Gov. Geo. w. Clarke,
Des Moines, Iowa.
Dear Sir
In the speaking campaign you are
making, looking to the endorsement
of your administration and your
nomination for another term as gov
ernor, you seem to think there is but
one thing that is in question as to
your acts and the acts of other oftic-
ials associated with you, viz, the
capitol extension affair. You will
find, however, before the campaign
is over, if we mistake not, that there
are other questionable and reprehen-
sible legislative acts that deserved
the veto stroke of your pen, which,
instead, seem to have had your ap-
prevail. However, as you manifest
desire to deal only with the capitol
grounds extension affair beg to sub
nit the following for your considera-
ton:
If you believe the acts of your ad-
ministration are right, you should
wish for the widest publicity pos
sible, for such publicity would give
you increased strength with the peo-
pie. The writer of this contends
that there is much that transpired
in an official way, during your occu-
pancy of the governors chair, that
is an outrage against the people OF
the state, and that the capitol
grounds extension act as made into
a law, is the product of a deliberate
and studious frameup Ito which you
and the attorney general of the state
were parties), to SO word law that
it could, by some scheme, be con-
strued by the courts not to be direct
ly in conflict with sections two and
five of article seven of the constltu-
ton of the state, which prOhlblts
legislature from approprlatlng over
s25O,OOO for a public investment,
unless approved by majority vote
of the people at general election
In other words, you schemed to de-
prive the people of the referendum
the constitution guarantees them,
though in so doing you violated the
oath you had taken to support and
carry out it's provisions.
1t is not the amount of the individ-
ual tax, as you assume, that is caus-
ing this uprising of the citizens of
Iowa against you and your official
associates, but it is the manner in
which it was done, and the direful
future it portends to our beloved
state if it's promoters are allowed to
go unrebuked.
And in the speeches you have
made in your attempt to hoodWlnk
the people, you have not even limited
al the sole and only contention there
was in the appeal to the courts the
writer of this made. viz, that the
S2,OOO,O00 appropriation should
have been submitted to vote OF
the people, Like crossroads petit
logger, rather than a high minded
lawyer, you talk only Of what it will
cost this or that taxpayer, telling the
farmer, and his good wife that a
couple of chickens Gold hens or roos-
ters) and few dozen eggs, would
pay their capitol extension tax each
year. 1t may be that this tax that
you have helped to put upon them
can be paid with chickens, but is it
right for you to take chickens from
them without their consent?
Now, Gov. Clarke, l propose this:
That in order that the republicans OF
the state may intelligently pass on
this issue and other acts connected
with your administration, at the
coming primary. before which both
of us will be candidates, that we
publish alternately, each week a
series of articles to be released to
the daily press of the state, say on
Wednesday or Thursday, setting
forth our contention. By so doing
we can reach ten times more people
than could be reached by public ad-
G1 esses, and what we say would be
Of printed record, on which we must
stand or fall, as the voters will be
the jury to decide the merits Of the
case This discussion can commence
say. about April list, or earlier if you
wish, and the articles need not occu-
by ovel column and a half each
week of the ordinary newspaper and
they can be read and considered care
fully in the quiet Of the home.
In making this proposition, l will
admit that it is more to your advan-
tag2 tnan it is to mine, because it
will not necessitate your leaving the
official duties for which you were
elected and are expected to perform.
This plan will not take you away
from your office during the primary
and this will enable you to
escape any criticism for neglecting
on account of your absence, your
work as governor, to push your own
political fortunes while in the en-
ploy Of the taxpayers of the state.
Hoping for an early and favorable
reply to this proposition, dear Gov
ernor, ! am,
Respectfully,
JOHN w. ROWLEY.