Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-10-31

Meredith and anyone will speedily un-
derstand the jealousy behind Mr.
Pierce's attack.
HE SERVED WITH MR.. HARDING.
lex Representative Fred II. Hunter in
Des Moines Register,I
In my opinion w. l.. Harding is in
no wise qualified for the office of gov
ernor of the state of Iowa base that
opinion upon Judgment of the man
formed during period which furnished
me excellent opportunity to become ac-
quainted with him and observe not
only his conduct but the influences
which directed that conduct as mem
Der of the house Of representatives in
the Thirty third general assembly. My
seat was Just across the aisle from his,
II Mr.. Harding's record was not SUI
ficient for the public to use as a basis
for Judging him comparison Of that
record and Of the man himself with
the men whose successor he aspires to
become would be more than sufficient.
The comparison OF such man with
Clarke or Cummins, however, 10 odious
and too Tar drawn.
Several days ago a prominent re-
publican from. Siou City. well ;, ac-
QuAtnted with Mr.. Harding and his
reputation there as citizen and a law
yer wished to express to me forcibly
what that reputation was.
Take Craig Wright, your former
fellow townsman and later loved, es-
teemed and highly respected member
Of the bar at Sioux City as an exam
n nf al cd 81 IL; 4
representation Of the legal profession"
he said to me.
To compare Craig Wright and w.
l.. Harding is a joke, and a very bad
joke at that"
And / know that that man estimated
Harding correctly and justly. My own
opposition to him dates back to the
time when l was a colleague Of his In
the legislature and because Of what I
saw at that time l have been interested
since in watching him mike his rec
ord. 1t has faithfully followed its ini-
tiation.
Harding was scarcely admitted to
the bar when he started running for
office and he has stuck to his original
course persistently.
Sitting directly across the aisle from
Harding could not but notice his as
sociates and his callers and could not
but observe that they were not men
from whom could be expected good
suggestions respecting legislation. Tho
principal one was man who seemed
to be especially built for the job he was
attending to; that OF representing the
brewery interests. So much was that
man apparently the inspiring genius Of
the Woodbury. legislator that Otis
Holmes, who represented the county Of
Kossuth, was impelled to say, in SUBJ
stance. in speech before the house:
There sits the gentleman from
Woodbury., and near him his manager.
the representative OF the brewery in
forests. whose florid rotundity argues
him to be well chosen for the job no
has on hand. When he Is not Mmme-
diately inspiring the member the brew
cry statesman standeth ever within
the shadow Of the cloak room"
That describes the situation ac-
curately. The brewery statesman inn
pressed many Of us aa the inspirer and
manager OF the legislator. Nothing OF
value could be expected from such a
legislator and nothing of yalte has
been received from him.
His course in the general assembly
affords ample ground for the assertion
of a neighbor of his that "he is funda-
mentally wrong in his tendencies and
therefore unfit for important public
service" Certainly no one in that gen.
eral assembly interested in progressive
movements could see anything in the
man that could fit him for high official
responsibility.
Mr.. Harding served three terms In
the house of representatives and later
as lieutenant governor without having
been instrumental in accomplishing
anything to which the voters Of the
state can point as having been for the
interests of the state in large I'M
selfish way. The manner in which the
committees were selected while he was
lieutenant governor was not calculated
to impede the liquor and other interests
wishing to control legislation for their
own benefit. The record telling OF
what the committees did indicates that
the states interests were compare :
lively unimportant factor in their Sc
lection
It Is an insult to the intelligent voters
Of Iowa, II Mr.. Harding. is attempting
| to appeal to the intelligent voters, to
issue the cry for party regularity and
to ask them to preserve the state for
the party which has been represented
! BY Clarke, Cummins;; Dol!.ver, AllisoT