The Oskaloosa herald., 1916-10-12
HARD|NG's RECORD
ON PROHIBITION
STATEMENT PREPARED BY GAR.
RETT AND BLEAKLY.
IS AN ILLUMINATING DOCUMENT
Answers Many Questions That Have
Arisen in the Campaign and Cor
reefs Malicious Measurements
of Des Moines Papers.

Des Moines, Ia, Oct. 11.-That w.
l.. Harding, republican candidate for
governor, has not been foe to tenn
perance in Iowa, that he has kept
pace with his party on all legislation
looking to the Punishment of saloons
from the state, and that the Minister
ial Associations which have been at
lacking him and his record, have done
so without full examination of the
facts in the case and without investi-
eating his whole record in the legis-
lature and as Lieutenant Governor of
the state, is the claim made here to-
day by number of prominent church
men of Des Moines.
A lengthy statement, which reviews
every act of Mr.. Harding, relative to
temperance matters and temperance
legislation has been prepared. 1t is
signed by John l.. Bleakly, former
Auditor of State, B. w. Garrett, Clerk
of the Supreme Court, and number
of other we'll known members and Of
ficers of local churches.
The statement is rather voluminous
and would consume many columns of
print 1t starts with the 32d general
assembly of the state, when Mr.. Hard
ing was in the lower house, and re-
views the action of both the house and
senate at that session and at all sue
ceeding sessions, up to and including
the Both assembly, on every matter
relative to regulation and control of
the saloon and kindred questions.
This statement shows at length
many matters which the ministers, in
their record against Mr.. Harding fail
Y d to notice. The claim is made that
the ministers stopped half way in
many OF their inyestigations, and in
their conclusions on others were I'M
doubtedly misled The statement
says the investigators have gone
through the official journals of the
house during the time Mr.. Harding
was q member, and the journals of the
senate during the time he was presi-
dent of that body, land we herein set
forth the history of every bill affect
ing temperance that was considered
during this period. We ind the rec
ord of Mr.. Harding to be in harmony
with that of the best men in both
bodies, and much more advanced than
that of some of his present critics,
His acts have been in harmony with
the position of his party during these
years. His record shows that he has
been ready at all times to respond to
the advancing sentiment Of the people
of the state in dealing with the H.
quor problem. Nowhere have we
found any information from any source
that he has ever signed a saloon petit
ton or ever violated the law and haz-
arded the habits of young men by
serving intoxicating liquors at ban
quets His spinal column has always
been of such fibre that courtesy to
guests never induced him to serve in
toxicating liquor in violation OF law"
The Absent or Not Voting Charge.
The statement takes up the bills
carried by the ministers in their in
Vi MI IldA uth6y oh "hASh
the record shows that he was absent,
OF not voting, on roll call. There are
a number of these measures on which
the ministers place the republican
candidate in the light of opposing, by
the claim that absent or not voting
is equivalent to voting mo-" This in
ference is denied, with the argument
that it has never been the rule of any
legislative body in the world. 1t is
then shown that not one of these bills
was seriously opposed and that none
of them were endangered in their
passage by the absence Of Mr.. lard
ing. 1t is also shown that on the diff
ferent bills under discussion many 9th,
er members of the house, men whom
the ministerial indictment would In
clude, were shown as absent or not
voting The laymen, in their state
ment, say this Shows how ridiculous
tho claim is"
Fail to Show Affirmative Work.
The laymens statement charges that
the ministers in their public crusade
against Mr.. Harding, and in the show
ing of his record fail to show his af
firmative work for temperance. The
first case of this kind they find in 9
measure prohibiting the sale of intox
icants within mile of military pos
or reservation. Mr.. Harding voted
for this measure. The next was {
bill assessing the mulct tax agains
every person, partnership or corpora
ton holding intoxicating liquors IL
store and collecting for the owne
thereof, etc. Mr. Harding voted TO
it. Other affirmative work for tenn
perance by Mr.. Harding, the state
lContinued on Page g.,