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

That charge and the citation OF
votes were intended to mislead voters,
and are, in effect, a mere cunning ma
licious falsehood.
The dishonest authors of that charge
did no tmention vitally important facts
and they distorted otherss and all this
they did for no other conceivable pur-
pose than to deceive you into believing
that I was opposed to measures neces-
sary to carry on he war, and was
therefore disloyal. In this way they
deceived, poisoned the minds of honest
voters, as many have since acknowl-
edged.
Their whole campaign was the work
ing out of conspiracy to win nom
nation even il, to succeed, they had
to ruin mans reputation.
Neither Justice to- my friends nor
my own self-respect will permit me
quietly to submit to be made the vic
tim Of such infamous methods. Why
should I submit2 Why accepts the re-
suit Of the work Of the conspirators
who wrote that charge ?-why consent
willingly to go to my grave leaving
the stigma Of disloyalty forever to
blacken my memory?
Party loyalty does not require such
sacrifice. For those methods are not
Republican. They are no part Of the
creed Of the great party of Abraham
Lincoln. No true Republican would
use them Nor are they Democratic
methods. But they long have been the
methods Of character assassins. No
honest man Of any party can afford
to approve them, for approval would
be only offering a prize to those who
would make politics thing of in
fanny.
Big Profteers, Malice and Fa1sehood
made a hard combination for one in
my circumstances to grapple with. Dur
ing many years they had eagerly
searched my record to find something
upon which to base a successful attack,
but always in vain But this year they
are out to defeat for Congress, wher-
ever possible, any man whom they
know from actual experience they can
not control. They knew the excited
condition Of the public mind and they
shouted Loyalty to conceal their
real motives.
In conclusion / beg to invite your
attention to a speech which I delivered
on September goth, in the House of
Representatives, in which the methods
used to defeat me are set forth in a
plain statement Of facts beyond hon
est denial. This speech L have made
ready for distribution, at my own ex-
pense, including the cost of material,
printing and addressing. I thought
best to say this to you to correct the
prevalent wrong impression that the
speeches of Representatives in Con-
gress are printed by the Government
without expense to them. Such copies
as may be distributed by mail will
go under my official frank, free, as
provided in an old law based on
grounds of high public policy, as is
also another old law under which news
papers have long been carried by mail
throughout the country where pub
ished, free of charge.
May I not express the hope that as
many as possible of you win do me
the honor to read the speech, because
it was delivered in the House of Repre-
sentatives, the Speaker in the Chair,
where every member, Republican and
Democrat, knew the truth respecting
all my votes on measures to prosecute
the war.
With grateful appreciation of your
confidence and support in past years,
Z am,
Yours respectfully,
HENRY ALLEN COOPER.
| October, 1913.