The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1916-06-02
FOURTH
District Politics Promises to Be
Warm If Not HeIeVating
Sidney Man Last TO Toss Hat into
Congressional Rlng Press on
Cookies UItImatum.

ID, w. Bowman, In Lima-Times
Democrat
N, W. Cunningham, OF Bluffton,
challenged by his old rival, j. Henry
Goecke, TO prepare for "A lively tilt
or 90 out of the race for congress.
viii not announce his reply for a day
or two, il was ascertained this morn
ing. II Is known, however, that he
Is going TO give the matter due con
sideration and take his time framing
4 comeback"
That he will get out of the race
seems out of the question Those
who are his closest advisors laugh at
the idea, and it is a safe guess that
he will reply briefly that he is in the
fight to stay While he may ignore
much of the Goecke ultimatum, the
chances are that he will simply state
that he is a candidate, will defy GOe-
cke, or any other man, 10 dislodge
him. 1t is believed that his answer
will be quite as warm as the an
nouncement of the AuglaiZe county
man.
The reaction resulting from the
statement of the Auglaize county
man is dillicult to determine. First
Of all there is the division which re-
mains after the primary fight of two
years ago. This is personal and par
tisan and no other result could be eX-
peCtcd. Those who are warm adher-
ents of either man are strong in their
belief that the ultimatum will help
their fayoTite.
But with the greater body of dem
Ocrats, according TO most signs, the
matter is under the cloak of suspend
ed judgment. Those who are not
very active in other ways than vOt-
ing want to see more of the facts be-
fore passing a verdict This is the
element which desires the election of
any man who can turn the trick in
November, but demand that the auth
Orship OF the sectarian issue of two
years ago be uncovered and the in
discredited. This group, as
might be easily imagined, contains
many of those who would 90 TO a
third man in case the Goecke battle
threatened to disrupt the party The
is this: Find out who start
ed this business, shelVe him, and
nominate either his eXposer or some
new man. This would not allow
much room for boiling in November,
for a discredited candidate could
swing few votes in the fall election.
This is in view of the fact that both
Goecke and Cunningham have been
accused in print of Juggling sectarian
spirit into the last campaign, and
neither can find room for objecting
to that program.
An interesting commentary on the
reception of the Goecke attack is to
be found in the press of the fourth
district. Such papers as the Celina
and the Greenville Adyo-
cate, frankly anti-Goecke in 1914 and
ever since, do not carry the story or
any reference thereto Either Goe-
cke failed to supply them with copies
or the papers refused to print it,
Hence only one side OF the controver-
sy is presented in the district pTess
thus far
The Wapakoneta News, out and |
out anti-Cunningham and generally |
refrains from editorial |
comment but carries the statement |
with a lengthy SUMMARIZING introduc-
ton, in which the opinion of the pap
ar is evident. 1t states that GOecke |
itAo DCVI VI oSA " hll DuI Nbt9 lOL |
desire the job, and in view of the !
close relationship existing between |
the paper and the former congress- |
man, the remarks might be interpret
ed as a personal expression. Editor |
lIoffer is highly eulOgistic of the Wa |
Dakoneta man, and scathing in de |
of the parasites from |
the district who have in the |
recent past endeavored to dictate the |
policy of the democratic organization |
Of the district, and are still seeking |
10 perpetuate that dictation to the |
lasting undoing of the democracy of
The old Fourth"
1t would not be difficult to guess |
who brother Hoffer has in mind, and |
rs he is about to retire from the game |
he evidently desires to have a little |
more fun with those who disagree |
with him politically.
John l.. Sulliyan's opinion as ex- |
pressed in the st. Marys Evening |
Leader is no milder, but APPARENTLY |
aims at a concillatory adjustment on |
A third man. In headlines he refers |
10 the GOeCke proposition as a ''reas- |
)nable proposition" and limits the |
Introduction to brief explanation OF
.he article. In leading editorial, |
Continued on fourth page)
-