Charlevoix county herald., 1918-08-23

From the Alpena News, Aug. H.


Up until the present time The News
has refrained from making any mention
of the candidacy of our fellow-towns-
men, Frank d. Scott for denomination |
for the office Of Congressman from the
Eleventh Michigan District, for the rea-
son that we have not considered that |
there was any material number of peo-
pie in the district who felt otherwise |
than that the Congressman should be
returned to the position at this critical
time. Any public official who per.
forms his duties according to his own
ideas of what is right and wrong, is
bound to meet with some opposition,
and Congressman Scott is no excep-
ton. And opposition of this kind is
usually unfair and unjust.
Recently we have heard reports of
stories that are being circulated as
siduously in the upper peninsula ques-
tioning the loyalty and Americanism of
Mr.. Scott. One such story is to the eff
feet that the Congressman refused to
lend any assistance to the Liberty Loan
committee in its campaigns in Alpena
county. This story appeared to The
News so absolutely at variance with
Mr.. SCOTS official acts while in Wash
ington that it has prompted us in, a
spirit of fairness, to investigate the
truth of the charge.
The Liberty Loan campaigns in
Alpena county are under the leader
ship of Mr.. Fred L. Richardson. Mr.
Richardson was asked by representa-
tive of The News concerning the stories
and here is his answer to the charge
that Mr.. Scott refused to help the
Liberty Loan: 81 have never asked
Mr.. Scott to do anything in particular
in connection with the Liberty Loan
campaigns and SO, of course, he has
never refused me. | do know, how
ever, that he has supported the Liberty
Loans Loyalty in every instance"
This more closely conforms to Con-
gresham Scott's attitude and recorded
votes in Washington. President Will
son has said: "Any American who
was right on the McLemore resolution
and the resolution authorizing the arm
ing of American merchant ships, be-
fore we got into the war, and has sus-
tanned his country since war was de-
clared, passes the acid test of loyalty.
Before we got into this war, Con-
gresham Scott was deluged with let
tiers from this district, asking him to
oppose President Wilson's wishes and
vote against both the above measures.
In those days, voting was serious
matter, but Congressman Scott stood
behind the president on both matters
and has unequivocally supported the
administration since our advent into
the war. Some very prominent men in
congress, with long years of exper-
fence, yielded to what seemed the pre-
dominating sentiment They wished
to please their constituents who seem
ed friendly to Germany. But not so
with Congressman Scott He voted
against their advice, for the protection
of American rights on the sea as well
as on land.
Every official act of the Congressman
before and since our entry into the
war, bespeaks his Americanism And
even when there was chance to play
politics he refused to be drawn into a
position which might have embarrassed
this country. His actions without ex-
ception, have conformed to the rule of
the "acid test"
Any campaign to hinder the re-
nomination OF Congressman Scott will
have to be founded on a charge less
silly and easy of contradiction than the
one given circulation by those opposed
to him. There may be grounds for
criticism of Congressman Scott, but
any question of his loyalty to country
and firm determination to put forth
every effort to help the country win in
its great struggle will hardly be enter
tanned by any fair-minded voter in the
district.
The less man knows the more sus-
picious he is.
Good limitations are sometimes supe-