The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-11-03
|Keokuk Retailers League Goes
on Record as Opposing the
Platform of Fort Madi-
son Man.
|To WORK AGAINST HIM
Every Effort Will be Made to
Elect Oertel and Forever
Kill One Court House
Agitation.

The Keokuk Retailers league went
nm record last night unanimously to
Law aside all politics and partisanship
and to work for the defeat of the one
court house proposition for Lee coun-
ty. This is the issue represented by
q ". Storms. The league members
volunteered to make a canvass of the
city before election, and to work at
the polls on election day. By a
unanimous vote the league authoriz-
cd the signing of letter, by its Of
ficers and directors. appealing to the
voter to cast his ballot for Frank
Oertel, who will represent all of Lee
county, rather than for C. w. Storms.
whose sole platform is the repeal of
all legislative action for the transac-
| ton of business at Keokuk.
For over an hour the league mem
hers discussed the matter. Speeches
were made by J. Albert Kiedaisch, c.
F. Mcfarland. M E. Justice, Theodore
A Craig, Capt A. H. Evans, John w.
Royane, ST., and Frank l.. Griffey
They all emphasized the fact that
Storms platform meant black eye
to Keokuk, and that it would be
easier and far better to defeat him
at the polls on next Tuesday than to
maintain a lobby at the state capitol
this coming winter to combat his
proposed legislative action to take
the court house from Keokuk. The
agitation can be killed for all time
one of the speakers said, if the ma
iority against Storms at the polls
Tuesday is a heavy one.
At each members place at the
table last evening was a card read.
ing:
storms against Keokuk A
vote for Storms for representa-
tive is vote to remove our court
house and vote against Keo-
kuk. Think it over and vote for
Frank Oertel for state repre-
sentative He will represent all
OF Lee county"
Appended to the card was copy
Of an announcement printed on
Storms campaign cards. This reads !:
&C. w. Storms, candidate for
state representative. In the
event Of my election will urge
the repeal OF every act Of the
Iowa legislature authorizing the
transaction of county business OF
any nature, in the city of Keokuk.
One county seat and that to be
located at Fort Madison"
These cards are going to be dis
tributed by the volunteer workers in
their house to house canvass.
Explains the Situation.
j. Albert Kiedaisch was called up
on to talk first and he explained what
had been done and what was being
done by a committee OF the business
men in this matter The question
was of such vital interest to the man.
ufacturers, jobbers. and merchants
considerable effort be made to
counteract the Roadway which the
Storms issue had been making. Mr..
Kiedaisch said. For that reason, 1t
was necessary to work for the defeat
OF the one court house man at the
polls. II he should once get into
the legislature it would be hard for
the people OF Keokuk to convince the
legislators that there was any value
In their appeal. because they would
think that the majority wanted a
one court house county Many OF
the best people OF Fort Madison, Mr..
Kiedaisch said, were against Storms,
and were trying to head off the move
ment, realizing that it would bring
about bitter feeling between the two
towns. The popularity Of the move
ment was with such a following as
any agitator would have, he believed.
To defeat Storms it will be neces-
sary to give Oertel at least ma
3ority of 1000 votes In Keol0uk. This
would not be hard II every voter can