Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1916-07-25

Nonpareil claimed to have better
public records than Harding and to
be more worthy of trust and conf
dence.
HAS Harding, in his attitude in
the legislature and on the stump,
fairly represented the republicans of
Iowa?" The Journal insists that the
Question has been answered more ad-
equately than it could be answered
in any other way-certainly much
more adequately than it could he
answered by the Council Bluffs Non
pareil, the Des Moines Register and
the. Marshalltown Times Republican
Every republican in Iowa had a
chance to express himself in the
June primary as to the merits OF
the candidates for governor. The
presumption is that every republi-
can in Iowa who was interested in
the matter one way or another did
express himself. And more voters
spoke up for Harding than for both
the Nonpareils preferred candidates.
AS a republican newspaper and a
believer in the primary principle.
how does the Nonpareil justify its
failure to abide by the popular ver-
dict? Does it believe the people
made wrong choice? Even so, as
a supporter of the primary, does not
the Nonpareil feel under obligation
to accept the collective wisdom of
the party. Merely as sportsman,
having made the best fight he could
against Harding in the primary,
within the party, how can the edi-
tor of the Nonpareil defend himself
against the accusation of being a
poor loser?
Let one thing be understood. Re-
publicans who are repudiating the
nomination of Harding are not in
dieting Harding. The thing has gone
beyond that. They are indicating
the primary as an institution. And
they are setting up their own indi-
vidual judgment as better than the
Judgment of the republicans of Iowa
as whole, registered in a referen-
dunn in which every member of the
party had chance to participate.
KEEP THE RECORD STRAIGHT.
In reporting the address of Hon.
w. l.. Harding before the republican
state convention the Register and
Leader has the following:
1.-The Methodist conferences which
have denounced Harding came in for
mention as i'll advised gatherings
which had refused to give him the
usual six months probation in
which to prove himself, but had &C.
copied the democratic party on less
than four months probation"
This is not fair statement OF
what Mr.. Harding said. The Free.
man Tribune doesn't want to charge
that the Register and Leader inten-
tionally misrepresented the state.
ment of Mr.. Harding. 1t is easy
very easy, in the hurried reports oil
convention for newspaper tt
make errors and there are no news
papers worthy the name that would
deliberately misrepresent the state
ments of a political opponent Mr.
Harding said in substance that II
was the policy of the Methodist
church to take convert on sia
months probation and that he woult
be satisfied If the Methodist confer.
ences would apply that rule to the
democratic party, which confessed 6
convention of faith upon the liquor
question less than four weeks ago
The Freeman-Tribune believes the
|
ing. Men do not sincerely change
their minds upon great principles II
day and when a strong political or
ganiZation is out angling for vote:
1t is at least safe to review its rec.
ord before accepting as gospel truth.
all it may say to catch public favor
MORE TEMPORIZING.
The want of a stable and respon.
sible government in Mexico, capable
OF suppressing and Furnishing marau-
ders and bandit bands, who have not
only taken the lives and seized the
property of American citizens in
that country, but have insolently in
vaded our soil, made war upon ant
murdered our people thereon has