Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1918-10-30
KALNES REPLIES
T0A. J. V0ETEAD
Lobeck's Chairman Exposes Con
sres.man's Camouaage in
Able Manner.

ABLE MANNER.
We sure got under old Volstead's
hide in showing up his reactionary
record. He wastes more than two
columns Of perfectly good space in
many newspapers in the entire Sew
enth district last week, using West
ern Newspaper Union plate to be sure
that none of them would cut out any
OF it.
To begin with, Volstead says in the
headlines that we came with eleventh
hour accusations. Still his own re-
ply is dated Oct. 18th, just exactly
three weeks before election. So ours
being ahead of that, he makes his
first misstatement when he says we
came out at the eleventh hour The
rest of his reply" is no nearer the
truth.
VOlstead says: "This is the first
campaign in which anyone has ques-
toned my honesty" Why bless your
heart, old man, we didn't question
your honesty and never said we did.
we believe you are absolutely honest.
We also know that you are wrong on
public questions. When you vote for
the big interests and against the com
mon people, you do so honestly no
doubt We are perfectly willing to
believe that.
Volstead claims in his "reply" that
the reason he voted for the Esch am.
endment which would have given the
railroads back to the corporations one
year after the war was because he
wanted to save US from guaranteeing
the earnings to the stockholders OF
the pre-war period. And he tries tC
make out quite a smooth case on this
point 1t sounds good to say thai
the owners are getting too high div
idends, because that is something we
all agree to. But then he let's the
cat out of the bag by attacking gov
eminent control by showing that rates
have increased and asks if we think
such an increase helps win the war
Increased Revenue Helps Win War
Yes, my dear, we do think that in
crease in rates helps to win the war
That is just what it is intended fol
and it does. Just like the post of
flee departments increased rates
We are now paying three cents post
age on a letter where in pre-wa1
times we paid two. What is that ex
ira penny for? Why, to win the var
Easy, isn't it, if you use your head {
| bit?
And in spite Of his fury at being
accused of being against the govern
ment taking over the railroads, HI
doesn't in his reply even say that hi
favors government ownership of rail
roads. Why? Because Volstead ii
honestly opposed to government own
| ership. And that is just what W.
accused him of in the first place Ant
that is why he voted for the Escl
| amendment And his opponent, Sen
ator Lobeck, is in favor of public own
ership of the railroads. That's thu
| difference that we pointed out in thu
| first place.
VoIstead Didn't, Vet He Did.
His explanation of his vote to yes
the rate-making power in the Inter
state Commerce commission is real
ly amusing. He says that he didn'
vote to "vest" it in the Interstate
Commerce commission. He voted t,
"let it remain there" Say, that
quite a difference isn't it? If the dis
| lance from Fifth Avenue to Sixt]
Avenue is one block, then the dis
lance from Sixth back to Fifth is al
so one block, isn't it? It is about a.
long one way as the other. But tn
kernel of the nut is that Wrestling
the rate-making power in the Inter
state Commerce commission lie
ting it remain there" which mean
the same thing-was with the pun
pose of keeping the control out of tn
hands of the administration. B,
voting as he did, Volstead vote'
against the President on this pre-
istration to control it. Or to get near
er the truth, he was playing polite
and trying to hamper the Admins
tration by voting to give rate-makinl
control to the Interstate Commerce
commission while at the same tim
holding the Railroad Administrator
responsible for the conduct of tn
business. Volstead's vote in this in
stance was purely anti-Adminis
tration vote, and his Explanation
leaves him in a worse position thai
before.
He says he would have favored tn
Federal Reserve Act if it had BEEF
'somewhat" amended. And then b
goes on to explain" that this &C
gives control of the volume of none,
to the banks and that is why he or
posed it. And still when Congressman
Volstead opens his campaign for re
election in the year 1918, who doe
he send his first letter to and cal
upon them for support? To tn
farmers of the district? Oh no. T,
the laboring people? Not that yo1
have heard of. But to the bankers O
the Seventh Congressional District
They are the folks Volstead calls on t.
back him up against the onslaught O
the farmers league. Yes indeed, h
voted against the Federal Reserv
Act because it would give too muc]
money to be controlled by banks. N,
that is too thin camouflage. Pract
cally every banker in the Seventh dis
trict is for Volstead. Ask your owl
banker and see if that isn't so.
dangerous" Law Serves "Useful"
| Purpose.
Further about the Federal Reserv
|