The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1918-10-24

mat pleuge nave IaltHlully hOpbs
This fact could not honestly be denied.
And yet my opponent and his managers
widely distributed a circular contain
ing shameful misrepresentation of my
votes since this country entered the
war in order to prove me disloyal
Permit me to cite one example out of
several.
The following statement is quoted
from the circular:
cit is a remarkable fact that
although the United States has
been and is now infested with
spies, propagandists and criminal
agents Of destruction, Mr.. Cooper
repeatedly voted against measures
to curb their activities and prevent
their interference with the effect
i've prosecution Of the war =
That statement clearly makes the
charge, in effect, that I repeatedly
voted to protect spies and criminal
agents of Instruction. plain charge
of disloyalty.
Nothing could be more Indignantly
misleading than that statements I will
now show its deceptive character.
To prove the charge true the cir
cular cited three votes on the anti-spy
(espionage) bill on May 4, 1917, and
one on May 81.
Now, the first Of these votes was
on a motion to strike out the proposi-
ton to gag the newspapers Of the
country. That motion was made by
Graham, of Pennsylvania, who had
voted for war and was a very strong
supporter Of war measures. But he was
was opposed to the press gag. The
vote was 221 ayes to strike out, and
only 167 noes. I voted aye with the
large majority of the House (includ-
ing Kahn, the great champion Of war
measures, and Lenroot, whom my OPP
ponent and the authors of the circular
supported last spring.; but the dishon-
est circular made no mention Of that
fact.
The second vote was on an amend
ment, another press gag proposition.
I voted against it, but it was adopted
by 191 ayes to 185 noes "a majority
of only six, and so went into the bill.
Among the noes were Kahn, Lenrcot
and other earnest patriots. But the
dishonest circular made no mention of
all this, but again concealed important
facts.
The third vote was on the passage
of the amended bill. True, / voted
against it and so did more than 100
other members, Republicans and Demo
Gratis, including Kahn and many others
among the strongest supporters of all
war measures. We We're still opposed
to the press gag. But this vote was
not on the FINAL passage of the bill.
Every Member of the House knew that
we would have another opportunity to
vote on the bill when 1t came back from
the Senate. The Senate made many
changes in the bill, and some, weeks
later returned it to the House.
The fourth vote was nthe motion
to recommit [send back)) with in
structions to strike out the press gag.
It was carried by 1s4 ayes to IA noes.
vote dave. In other words, I voted
with the majority to send the bill back
and to strike out the press gag. In
due time 1t was reported back to the
House without the press gag, and
promptly passed the House. I voted
for it. This was its final passage
in the House. It then passed the Sen
ate and went to the President. He
signed it and it became Law exactly
as voted for it. It remained the law
until May Of this year, when it was
amended. 7 voted for the law which
amended it. But that dishonest cir
cular deliberately misrepresented the
facts in order to convict me of disloy-
atty.