Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-04-11
WEEKS GREETED
BY PACKED HOUSE
AT GAYETY RALLY
Continued from page ~


stop destroying our streets, stop TAX
ing chances of losing a hundred lives
on the south side hin and stop haul.
ing their freight through Ottawa 'un-
til you and | have given them the
right to do so. ! believe that we need
them, and | believe that they SHOULD
be treated with courtesy and kindness,
but ] do believe that they are no
I better than the poorest private eiti-
zen in this community when it comes
TO the proposition Of disregard for
/ law. And they are out to beat me,
and it means something. They are
not casting their bread upon the
waters without the expectation Of re-
turn.
Some of you read the other day
a statement of the great financial
etrides made by the city in the last
eight years.
That statement shows that in that
time one hundred and seventy dollars
in debt has been paid OFF Now |
don't want to be unkind, but in that
time the city has had eight hundred
thousand dollars to spend OF your
money and had it paid a fair average
public benefit assessment of say
twenty per cent on the special assess
ment and taxation improvements
amounting to, as that statement says,
over seven hundred and fifty thousand
dollars, it would have offse practically
what has been paid of on the public
debt In other words. by going down
III our pockets in the last eight years
and paying by special taxation for
everything We get, and saving the city |
from its just share we seem to have
prospered, but in my judgment pros.
perily depends more on what We have /
than what we owe. Our only asset
lighting system was given away, and .
the city is constantly embarrassed for
money. | know improvements, such |
a3 the Norris street job have been
good money thrown away, and thou
lands and thousands of dollars have
been spent for special attorney fees
that do not show in the items men
toned at all.
THE city in the next four years
ill have to practice strict economy
with twenty-five thousand dollars in
saloon revenues gone. When paving
comes on the north side the north
side people will have to shoulder the
whole burden as other sides OF town
did, and they are willing to do so,
and expect nothing else and moth
ing else would 'be legal ii they did
Il have advocated appointments of
city employees being made by the COM
mission by open vote and believe that
it will tend toward getting better men,
md while it takes a majority of the
commission to make any appointment
ven of a policeman or fireman. yet
tpto date ! have not heard of any
Their candidate that is before the peo-
lie at the present time urging the
me policy in this regard that | have
done
Il have advocated the public nurs-
ing. the employment of labor, the aud
ing Of the City's books which applies
'i well to the future as the past, by
Enert accountants and not by friends
# the administration, and strict ac-
ounting in all public trust funds.
II you believe in me and for the
hings | have stood for | want you to ,
30 and vote for me, and ask your
riends to do so too My best en-
'orsement is the vote received from e
ny own neighbors at the primary. ,
with four men to choose from | re- ;
1eived 401 votes in my own ward out
# 523.
Il am not a politician. nor am | A.,
'acked by any politicians, and if /, !
70 int oOffice | will not be saddled ,
Town with political friends, for | have +
lot made a promise to any man. nor :
viii | for if | cannot have a good I
lean administration | do not want I
ohave one at all. r
Il do believe that every side of OF h
ava should be treated fairly and a
like, and no one sideshould be given I
more consideration than the other s
ide, but | also believe that all men
hould be equal, and no man should :,
want to wear crown" |
Before Mr.. Weeks address an eX
client musical program was given by
number of the most popular and tai
'nted musicians in the city Miss
emily Palmer was the first on the
'rogram. She sang Laddia in {
Khaki and was forced to respond to v
N encore, repeating the same selec- {
ion, which was enthusiastically ap- s
lauded, Clarence Crowley sang v
GoOdby. Sweetheart and as an en-. G
ore sang AT the Roll Call" Edward fl
lattes sang two very beautiful solos. i,
which proved to be one of the best
numbers on the program. Little Kath- "
'rine lawess was the next enter h
amer. The child danced tam n
,ourine solo. and the audience refused
o stop applauding until she returned .
md repeated her dance.