Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1916-04-22
FARMERS ASKED To
VOTE FOR BOWERS
Robert CersteI Issues Statement 70
Voters of the Second West
Virginia District.

{
Virginia District.
/ KEYSER, W. Va. April H. Robert
Gerstel, IT. a prosperous farmer and
prominent Democrat Of this county
and chairman Of the Rural Credit
League, for the Second congressional
district Of West Virginia. issues a
statement today urging the farmers
to vote for the Republican candidate
/ for congress, Geo. NJ. Bowers, at the
special election on May g. to fill the
vacancy caused by the death OF Jun
Tor" Brown. Gerstell was chosen one
of the delegates from the county TO
the Democratic convention which nom
mated Samuel V. Woods for congress.
His statement follows:
Il urge every farmer to vote for the
Republican candidate for congress- at
the special election on May 9. / am a
Democrat. but in view Of the fact that
+ was selected as delegate to the
convention which nominated the Dem
ocratic candidate for congress,
though this compliment was unsouSht
by me and business prevented my
participation in the convention, it is
due my Democratic friends that I
make plain statement of the rea
sons which actuate me in this stand
AT the Tri-State Rural Credit con.
/ ference Of farmers in Cumberland last
January l introduced a resolution
severely criticising the record of the
Democrats in congress on rural cred
i, chargin1 them with permitting the
formation of a clique o, prominent
Democrats to block an effective inyes-
tigation Of the subject, and conclud-
ing with the statement that the per
nicious influence of that clique would
be destroyed if congress would create
a commission to conduct hearings in
the manner provided by the Shep-
d-CandlerDoolittle- re8o.
luton introduced in the 63rd con
gress. Ny resolution was unanimous.
ly adopted by the farmers attending
that conference.
Shortly after the death of w. G.
Brown, I issued call for the farmers
Of this congressional district to as
semble in Keyser on March rs to take
such action in securing pledges from
the candidates from this district on
rural credit as they saw fit. Some Of
the leading farmers and orchardists
Of this district sent me proxies to rep
resent them in that convention That
convention adopted the resolution
which / introduced at the Tri-State
Rural Credit conference held in Cum
berland last January and l was
chosen to organize this congressional
district to carry out the voice of that
convention.
THE resolution which was unanim-
ously adopted at that farmers con
ference and convention was presented
to the resolutions committee of the
Democratic congressional convention
held here last week and was rejected
It was also presented to the Republi
can congressional convention held in
Berkeley Springs last week and vas
adopted In all the rural credit con
ferences and conventions held by the
farmers of this section during the
past three months politics was never
mentioned. We merely asked for a
fair trial and opportunity to properly
present this important subject TO
congress. There could be no politics
in that. The meanest criminal in the
land is entitled to fair trial, but no
informed person can claim we have
had a fair trial in this matter,
There is but one thing for the
farmers of this congressional district
to 70. Vote the Republican ticket at
the special election on May 9th If
the Democrat is elected to congress
from this district the members OF that
congressional rural credit inyestigat-
ing clique will contend that they have
been sustained in their do-nothing
policy, and it VIII be years before the
American farmers will secure any e9-
fective congressional legislation in
this matter. SO let every farmer do
his duty Rebuke the Democratic poll
ticians in congress who have been
playing politics at our expense"
In00D DrcIUTQ rD0Ra