Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1916-10-31

vote for the continuance Of an ad-
ministration that brought on an in
dustrial depression affecting the
whole country in ordinary times, in
return for special legislation which
that Administration enacted in eX-
traordinary times for the benefit of
a small per cent of the people of the
country and to the injury of the
great majority. In other words, do
the train men of the country desire
to trust the destinies of the nation
to the hands of an Administration
that disregards the permanent well
fare of all the people, and, under
coercion, legislates for the benefit of
a small portion of the people?
Webster City's Interrogation Point.
Editors Freeman-Tribune: With
your permission would like to adj
dress through the columns of your
paper an open letter to w. l.. Hard
ing, as l understand that Mr. Hard
ing is going to address the voters of
Hamilton county in behalf of his
candidacy, and no doubt he will
be just as gracious in his willingness
to answer questions as Mr. Meredith
was when he spoke in Webster City
last week.
1t will be remembered that Mr.
Meredith during his address gave
the invitation some two or three
times for any one who had questions
to ask to do so. and believing that
Mr.. Harding is as willing to please
! as Mr.. Meredith was, and just as
much of gentleman, have no hes
litancy in asking the questions that
will follow as they have become very
pertinent by the drift of the cam
paign, and to sweeten what little
sourness the questions might indi-
cate the writer wants to say that he
believes that Mr.. Harding personally
|is very fine gentleman and that
his private life is beyond reproach,
but We cannot say that we have so
much confidence in his public life,
that is, if we have his record right.
However, if we are wrong in our
ideas of ethical righteousness and
Mr.. Harding's ideas prove to be right |
by his answers to the questions that
will soon follow, then we will sup
port Mr.. Harding in the election.
doesn't square UP to the way a man
should vote to 'be ethically right
and for what the party has always
stood for that he represents, then
the writer will be compelled to vote
for Mr. Meredith.
Here is question No. 1. Did you
vote against the law to prohibit sa-
looms within five miles of the State
University at Iowa City? No. 2.
Whose. welfare had you in mind
when you voted on the bill to re-
move saloons from Iowa City? Was
it the welfare of the boys and girls
we send to Iowa City to receive their
education? or was it the welfare of
the liquor interests OF the state? No.
g. Did you or did you not vote
against the bill to reduce the hours
saloons might operate? Again, Mr..
Harding. whose welfare had you in
mind when you voted on that bill?
Was it the welfare Of the wives and
mothers of the state, or was it the
welfare of the saloonkeepers of the
state? No. 4. Is not the republican
party of the state of Iowa of which
you are asking one of the highest
gifts within the power Of the party
to bestow upon one of it's citizens
the temperance party Of the state,
and have not you, Mr.. Harding, re-
peatedly betrayed the sentiment of
the party by your official acts, there
by betraying the party in traitor
GUS manner, thus FORGETTING all the
claims you might have had on the
party for support?
Now here is a general statement
that the writer wants to make. He
believes the grand old party should
the dominant party of the
state and the sooner it purges itself
Of all undesirable political eharac-
ters the more securely it will weave
itself into the confidence of the peo-
pie. We would like to ask Mr.. Hard
ing a great many more questions, but
we don't feel like monopolizing his
time; and right here I want to thank
Mr.. Harding in advance for the grac
ous and courteous manner which
believe will manifest itself in the
of these questions when
he addresses the citizens Of Webster
City in the very near future. With
The best interest of the people Of
Iowa at neart, / subscribe myself,
Very sincerely,
H. B. Hummel.
All kinds of automobile top re-
b.,