Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1916-10-25
PERTINENT FACTS
ON HARDING FIGHT
Interesting Letter From One Of
Iowa's Most Prominent
Citizens.
FALSITY OF REGISTERS
STATEMENTS ARE proven
Hon. Henry Brady Of Dallas County,
Punctures Ridiculous State
ments Of Des MOines
Paper. !

|
Hon. Henry Brady, for three terms
the representative Of Dallas county
in the state legislature, candidate for
Speaker of the House at the last ses-
sion, candidate for lieutenant gov
ernor at the recent primary election,
a prominent farmer, man whom ev-
eryone in the county and state knows
to be absolutely honest and sincere,
and man who has rightly been
classed as the driest of the dry has
written a pertinent letter to the edi-
tor OF the Des Moines Register, an
Iswering a number of statements
made by that paper short time ago.
Nothing could be palmer or more
emphatic than the letter itself and
1t will serve to show the people of
Winneshiek county and Iowa Just
what kind Of opposition Mr. Harding
IS meeting. Public Opinion asks that
every word of it be read and the fact
|
terances are those of a man whom We
all know to be of the highest type OF
citizenship.
The letter, as mailed to the Regis
ter, follows:
Perry, Ia, Oct. 16.-Editor Des
Moines Register In an editorial in
your issue of Oct. II, under caption
of Abusing Harding" you state that
you are surprised that Harding news
papers are suggesting that the Regis
ter is conducting a campaign of abuse
and misrepresentation against Hard
ing. You ask the question, AT what
point has the Register misrepresent-
ed and abused Harding" and / as
sumo this is an open challenge to
which any republican may reply
1 served in the legislature with
Mr.. Harding, one term when we
were both members of the lower
house and two terms in which Mr..
Harding presided over the senate and
have first hand knowledge concern
ing many things which you have at
tempted to use to his disCredit by mis-
representation. | also was able to
learn something of the ethics OF
newspapering during my legislative
service and want to say that if it is
true as you suggested editorially re-
Gently, that the Homestead should
be made the subject OF a newspaper
convention inquiry then the Register
should be investigated by grand
jury. ,.a
You profess to be greatly exercised
over the insurance law passed by
the Thirty-sixth assembly and over
the possibility OF its becoming a men
ace to the state unless administered
by one Emory English.
| Ii this law, Is so pernicious in
character why Is 1t that the Regis
ter did not show up the danger at
the time 1t was under consideration
in the legislature?
Why is it that the Register files
are so strangely silent upon this ini
rortant measure?
Is il because of the fact that the
Register building had just been des-
troyed by fire and the publisher then
was in progress Of settlement with
the insurance companies
Did that silence have anything to
do with the Register being able to
collect $16S,000 insurance upon a
| property turned in to the assessor
at S55, 900?
The Register editor must have
known at the time he attempted to
excite the state come weeks ago with
reference to Mr.. English's possible
retirement in the event of Harding's
election that the insurance commits
| sioner's present term will not expire
until the end OF Harding's term.
The Register editor must also have
known at the time he attempted to
'onvince the state OF Harding's con-
nection with this law that he was
president OF the senate at the time
and had no vote. II he were as Wig
liant as he pretends he must also
have known that Mr.. Emory English
had more to do with the passage Of
this bill through the legislature than
any other agency.
Why was it that the Register edi-
tor was not so greatly exercised ov-
er the political activities of the in
surance interests" at the time when
the legislature was passing a bill to
enable insurance companies to In
crease loans in order that the new
Register building might be con-
structed?
Was it clean newspapering to pub
lish part of a mans record on any
matter OF public policy without pub
fishing all of the record, as you did.
Mr.. Editor, In the matter OF Hard
ing's temperance record, of that part
which apparently best suited your
purposes?
Was 1t fair, Mr.. Editor, to the vot-
ers OF Mr.. Harding for you to at
tempt to establish the false premise
that being absent or not voting IS
equivalent to voting mo- upon a mea-
sure.
Is IL consistent, Mr.. Editor, for you
Ito denounce Mr. Harding for al
Continual 0n taGf n.,pa