Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1916-10-11
HARDING AND MEREDITH
IN JOINT DEBATE.
Big Z. o Heard the Two Candi.
dates Governor Speak Yes
tero @. New Hampton.
MEREDITH d EXCITED
MAD = MUDDLE OF RI
Harding Was ROunL Cheered, Hun.
dreds Shook His Hand and
Promised Their Support.
New Hampton, Ia,
Oct. IL, 1916.

Yesterday was day long to be re-
membered here. People gathered
for miles around to attend political
rally with Meredith and Harding,
opposing candidates for Governor,
as chief speakers. The program was
a joint debate between the two men,
..5ch on the order of the famous
Lincoln-Douglas debates of the Six
ties.
MIR. Meredith had the opening,
speaking for 80 minutes, then Nj.
Harding spoke for 40 minutes and
Mr.. Meredith closed the debate in
fifteen minute talk. Mr.. Meredith
was introduced by U. S. District At
torney, Frank O'Connor, and Cover
nor Harding was introduced by DR.
Babcock
Fully 5000 were gathered about
the speakers anxiously awaiting the
storm of oratory. On the platform
with the speakers sat the leading
lights of the local political organiza-
tions of the respective parties.
Meredith began his argument by
asking those in the audience that
were of the opinion that the saloon
is one of the issues in this campaign
to raise their hands. Only a few
hands went up. Then he asked the
same question as TO roads. but there
was apparently the same faint re-
sponse. The speaker then urged
that the saloon issue is an issue in
this campaign and that he Mere
dith) is the dry candidate, while his
opponent is the candidate of the
vets. He read the first sentence of
the "Huntoon'' letter that has been
given such emphasis in opposition
to Harding in the Des Moines Regis
ter and Leader. The letter was
written by Harding before the Pri-
mary when he sought the nomina.
tion as Lieutenant Governor.
In the course Of the argument a
man in the audience cried out, do
you ever drink champagne?" None
of your business" retorted Mere
dith.
He next took up the road question,
stating that his opponent, Mr. Hard
ing. is the mud road" candidate.
while he was of the opinion that all
bridges and culverts be built of per-
manent materials, and road inn
provements generally be taken care
of by raising money in anticipation
OF taxes, but that he was opposed to
gested for building pavement roads.
The speaker then reiterated Hard
ing's stand in reform measures i'll
troduced in the legislature stating
for example. that he had voted
against the Moon Law, which bill
provided that no saloons should be
permitted within five miles of any
educational institution
Mr.. Harding opened his speech. by
stating that. the most important is
sue OF this campaign is the tariff
that a tariff fence must be built
around this country, TO be in readi-
ness when the war closes, as il sure
ly will some time, TO protect our
industries against competition from
abroad
He then took up the saloon ques-
tion, stating positively that this il
not an issue, as the Republicans
Democratic and Prohibition parties
have all provided planks in their re
adoption OF prohibitiye amend
ment to the constitution. and that
this will be submitted to a vote OF
the people: that the saloon is gone
forever In Iowa and that he will dc
everything in his power, If elected
to enforce the laws of the state
whether same pertain to bootleggers
or anything else
lie then took up his own record in
the legislature showing that he had
voted for the passage of several i'm
portant moral reform laws, among
them, the law prohibiting the drink
ing of liquor on trains, as had he also
voted for the final passage of the five
mile limit law which is contrary tC
and inconsistent with the statement.
made by the preceding speaker. He
admitted that he had written the so
called "Huntoon" letter, but that II
was nothing more than an ordinar,
campaign letter, TO an old friend