Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1916-10-05
FRANK GOTCH TELLS
WHY HE'S GOING TO
VOTE FOR HARDING
Writes an Open Letter to the Register
Il Leader and Discusses
Political Situation.


Il Leader and Discusses
Political Situation.
Humboldt, Ia, Sept. 25.-An open
letter to the, Register and Leader:
have before me the editorial in the
Register of September Goth, in which
you challenge me to a wrestling
match, and | accept the challenge.
am willing to go to the mat with you
and undertake, at least, to answer the
questions which you PROFOUND.
First: Why are SO many Of
my neighbors and acquaintance
who are not for prohibition, de-
sorting the democratic party to
vote and work for Harding for
governor?
Most of my neighborS and &C
acquaintance are temperance people,
as l am. Most of the democrats that
know-and there are a lot of them
who are deserving Meredith-are do
ing it for one or more of the fellow
ing reasons: First, he is part of a
by-partisn gang in Des Moines, who
are and have been favorable to state
bonds issues for building couple of
paved roads across Iowa. east and
west and north and south, for the
benefit of tourists living outside of
the state and incidentally for the
benefit of the interest which would
have the building of the roads and
get the benefit from the manufac-
ture of automobiles to be used on,
these roads.
DESERVING MEREDITH.
Second: They are deserving Mered-
18th because of your unfair, unwarrant
ed and malicious attact upon Mr..
Harding.
Third: They are deserving Mered-
18th because in the past and at the
present time he favors the single tax,
putting all the burden of taxation on
land.
Fourth: They remember that four
years ago he supported and financed
Holden's campaign in the republican
primary.
Fifth: They remember that Hol-
den and Meredith were both connect
ed with that Idaho land deal.
Sixth: They are deserving Mered-
18th because there is feeling that he
is dry for political purpose only, and
then only in profession.
Seventh: They are DESERVING him
because there is feeling that he en-
tered into some sort of negotiation
with certain few to get the nomina-
ton in the primaries. In other words
he has no mandate from the rank and
file of the democratic party of Iowa
to be candidate.
THE SECOND QUESTION
Answering your second question.
1t was known that Meredith was to be
a democratic candidate as early as
April of this year. My county is dry
and has been for many years. Hard
in gcarried eighty-seven counties in
the primary, most of them dry. If
liberals have been for Harding in the
past and are now, it is, no doubt, due
to your influence largely. for yoii
have been misrepresenting him for
several years.
Your third question relates to the
liquor dealers letter. In this letter
they said Harding was Fair" and
Hamilton was Liberal" You and
few paid anti-saloon people of Dies
Moines, were indorsing the other can
didates and doubtless, knowing that
they could not get fair treatment from
you, sent out this letter of indorse-
ment. Mr.. Meredith at that time was
supporting Mr.. Hamilton, the liberal"
canidate. l know / am safe in saying
that neither Harding or Hamilton
knew of this letter until you used 1t
in your paper Harding is fair on
every subject and that is the reason
he has so many friends. He is fair
to friend and foe. know from my
visits to the legislature that your re-
ports and those Of Des Moines minis
tiers are not fair and do not give the
full record. Neither you nor the min
listers are fair to the public. The fact
that the ministers sent out their let
ter three days after the primary, casts
shadow over 1t and makes 1t look as
tho the Register and Mr.. Meredith
had something to do with it.
THE HUNTOON LETTER
Your next question is about the
Huntoon letter. When / first read
this, the thought came to my mind.
Where did you get 1t, lost, strayed
or stolen?" IL a farmer found a neigh
boris steer he would return 1t.
odiu " myoCiI, udo~hb NY COn-
clusion on my experience in the wrestl-
ing game, and what know of a GER
tain type of men, Harding could have
had that letter back if he had been
willing to have paid the price. Then,
this thought came to me: 1.-THE man
who is in possession of stolen goods
and exhibits them to destroy another,
even tho there is nothing in the goods
to hurt, is using dagger and stabbing
in the back in the dark" and the
page of paper turned red.
do not know about Mr.. Harding's
acquaintance with Huntoon, but, no
doubt, he knew him as a newspaper
man. l presume Harding was like
others who run for Office and did not
ask for certificate of character from
those who were willing to help
him. 1 notice you take the money
from all kinds of subscribers and
ask no questions. You took the
money from the Meredith Holden
Idaho land advertisement, AN dso far
as I know today, have not made
restitution.
AN ADMIRER OF HARDING