Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-10-28
TOWNSEND ON
ESSEX COUNTY'S
"SHEEPLESSNESS"
Little Wool, Many Human Be-
ings Grown Here, He Tells
Candidate Lehlbach.

Congressman Edward w. Townsend
today offered another reply to his OPP
ponent, Frederick r. Lehlbach, the
Republican candidate for Congress in
the Tenth district. In the communi-
cation Mr.. Townsend takes Alr. Lehl
bach to task Tor his attitude regard
ing the tariff reductions made by the
Democratic Congress.
Mr.. Townsend's letter is sequel to
the demand made by his opponent
some DAYS ago to meet in debate. To
this Mr. Townsend replied that writ
ten discussion would be more proper.
In his latest communication Mr..
Townsend coins what perhaps may be
a new word. 1t is "sheeplessness."
He hurls it at Mr.. Lehlbach. to de-
scribe a condition now existing IN Es-
sex county.
The writer's use of the term Is
based on part of Mr. Lehlbach's letter
of yesterday. Mr.. Lehlbach, in his
reference to the tariff discussion, as
serted that few sheep are being raised
in Essex county. His political enemy
now grabs the Lehlbach declaration
by the hair of the head, SO to speak.
and proceeds to have some fun
with it.
The latest from Mr.. Townsend is as
follows:
"Dear Sir: 1 ask you If, were you
sent to Congress, you would vote TO
repeal the reform legislation passed
recently, but you refused to answer
my questions. Your letter of refu-
sal invites full comment, but for fear
of intruding at too great length upon
the newspapers, shall ask to print
this. I shall conf1ne my comment to
one of your refusals to answer
"I asked you. were you in Congress,
you would vote to repeal the law
which has lessened the cost of cloth
ing. and your amazing reply u quote
it exactly and in fulD Is:
That Wool Talk.
"'How can you hope to divert the
minds of your constituents from the
economic hardships they are now I'M
dergoing by reason of your legisla-
ton by talking about wool, not a
pound of which is raised here2'
"Oh, Mr.. Lehlbachl Before you wrote
that some kind friend should have
limited to you that when Townsend
voted for free wool and to lessen the
cost of wooden clothing he was voting
in the interest of human beings, not
sheep The making of wool free of
tax and the cutting by two-thirds the
tax on clothing ha~ reduced the price
of clothing. / have inquired of
score of Newark merchants, and all
testify that mems, women's and chill
dren's clothing made i'll full or in
part OF wool Is cheaper now. than
when the tax l helped to take off
was on.
at was that happy result had in
mind when I was talking about WOOL
and I did not have a thought about
sheep, which, you explain, do not in
habit the fair hills and dales of Es-
sex county. / take your word about
the sheeplessness of Essex county, but
there are more than half million
people dwelling therein, and 1t was
for them, not sheep, | voted.
MIR. Lehlbach, no sheep roam the
Ironbound district, it is true but II
have met boys and girls of the re-
Gently graduated class of the High
School in that district who could
teach you that your reason for favor
ing high cost OF clothing is economic
ally uHSouiu. AieJ Souio tcaSh yOu
that because there are no sheep in
Essex Is not a sound reason for main
tanning a high tax on clothing. What
made you think so? What put sheep
into your head?
whatever made you argue that
cheaper clothing Is bad economics,
because no sheep crop the meadows
at -Four Corners?
seriously. Mr.. Lehlbach, my Of
fetal correspondence takes too much
of my time to devote any more of 1t
to a mana candidate for Congress
at that--who publicly argues that the
question of cheaper clothing is of no
Importance in q district inhabited
only by human beings. not by sheep.
So this, SO far as / am concerned,
ends our correspondence. Sincerely
yours. e. w. TOWNSEND"