Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-07-18

10 the lines -hepuDliSdh. ~ nav
been an interested reader tof the
Times Republican editorial page and
noting it's generally fair attitude upon
the Harding candidacy for the COVER
norship Of Iowa, l felt it might interest
your readers to know Of a recent cor
respondence have had with this as
pirant for the chief magistracy Of the
state.
After the resolutions which / pre-
scented for adoption to the Oskaloosa
District Methodist Conference at Delta
had appeared in print and the Des
Moines Register and Leader had pub
!ished my rejoinder to the editorial So
phistry of the Mason City Morning
Times. I received letter from w. L..
Harding inquiring If ! was the same
Frank E. Day he had known in his
early manhood as pastor at Sibley
and later at Sioux City.
] replied that his surmise was cor
rect and expressed regret that his po-
litical record had raised the presump-
ton that prohibition would suffer at
his hands if he were elevated to the
governorship. I received no reply to
my further suggestions, and I then
wrote him expressing some disappoint-
ment that he had not taken advan-
tage Of my friendly letter to square
himself in this matter.
Under date of July 10. he wrote me
a letter of approximately 1000 words
which he said he had sent in carbon
copy to the Register and Leader with
the hope that it would print it, tho he
declared that he did not think that pa
per would be fair enough to do so. OF
course. II never has occurred &c re
that in these days any paper would
print so long a contribution. AND l
do not believe that Mr.. Harding would
expect any paper to do it.
In these 1000 words Mr. Harding
does not take occasion to clarity the
atmosphere of this charge that he
is wet" and that his record Is wet.
He refuses first Of all to accept or rec
ognize my friendship and accuses me
OF having been influenced only by the
Register and Leader In my course. He
declares that paper has been unfair
and that the Gle" which Mr.. Cowles
passed to him will likely occasion some
very unpleasant litigation before the
statute Of limitations shall bar 1t. OF
course, 7 suggested that the people
should wait for this action before elect
ing him governor, as he might be an
ex governor many years should he be
elected il he did not seek to bring
Gardner Cowles to Justice before the
time at which he hints.
The important thing to note Is. that
in this letter Of nearly 1000 words.
Mr. Harding does not square himself
upon the issue IT prohibition. He
says: Il have nothing to square" II
that he the case. then he stands today
Just where he stood when he voted
against submitting the prohibitory
constitutional amendment to the vote
of the people. 1t has always seemed
to me that an anti prohibitionist could
do that consistently In keeping with
the spirit Of the times which says, Let
the people rule"
square. he entertains the same notions
as to dealing with the liquor traffic
which were his when he voted for the
| Moore local option bill. to substitute
| for the mulot law, which as a repub-
lican prohibitionist, I must say, is the
best form Of local option I have ever
SEEN
II Mr.. Harding feels that he has
| nothing to square, he entertains the
same ideas as to the suppression OF
the saloon which were his when he
! voted mo" on the following measures:
The hill for state enforcement Of thu
| prohibitory law.
The bill to prohibit saloons within
| FIVE miles Of the state university.
| The resolution to submit a prohib1.
tory constitutional amendment
| II Mr.. Harding feels that his recort
is acceptable to himself TODAY, thel
he feels Just as he felt when he dis
! appointed every r-ehihitinnist !. max
ing up the committees on the suppress
sion OF intemperanc. and constitution
al amendment in the organization b