Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-04-11
WEEKS IS GREETED
BY PACKED HOUSE
AT GAYETY RALLY
MAYORALTY CANDIDATE AR.
RAlGNS OLD ADMINISTRATION
METHODS OF EXTENDING CITY
MONEY-THEATER is PACKED
BY MANY FRIENDS AND SOME
FOES.

FOGSs
A packed house last night heard
George V. B. Weeks state his platform
the things or which he stands din
the first and probably the only, all
city rally at the Gayety Theater The
audience was made up largely of the
North Sides mayoralty candidate
boosters. While his friends We're in
the majority. a glance over the faces
doors revealed many enemies who
were there TO hear what Mr.. Weeks
had to say in behalf of his campaign
His auditors were many of the non
committed class who so far have re
manned neutral in the mayoralty fight.
That Weeks here and there hit a
popular chord was evidenced by hand
claps which frequently interrupted
him While covering his ''own fields
by telling what he hoped to see ac-
complished if he wins in next Tues
days election, he took several pointed
iabs at the retiring administration.
He said in part:
81 believe that most all of the men
and women that vote at the coming
city election will vote for the best
interests of the city, which means the
best interests to themselves and then
families, and their homes. Some will
be guided by a desire to help friends
into office, some by the desire to
maintain political control and some
by financial and business reasons, but
the vast majority Of the voters. both
men and women, will vote for what
in their judgment is honest and right.
Personally | believe that any can
didate running for as important an
Office as mayor or commissioner
should tell openly and without qaib-
bling for what he stands and | know
no better way than the public plat
form. and for that reason as candi
date for mayor | have asked you to
come here tonight.
Eight years ago the commission
form of government went itno effect
in this city. We were told that one
of the grand features of its operation
out of politics, and we
have had nothing but politics ever
since. 1t is a good form of govern
ment if properly administered, any
form of government is for that mat
ter. And no form is any good if it
is dominated and controlled by poll
ticians who accept tribute from the
strong and prey on the weak
There is only one source Of reven-
ue after all. and that is what comes
out of the pockets of the people. II
makes no difference whether it comes
from general taxes, from license rev.
enueS or from the water works rental
you and |, the original contributor
the original builder and the ultimate
consumer. pay for it all And poll
tfcians or any corporation that uses
effort or money to place somebody in
office in this fight expects to get it
back, and get it back with good in
terest, and there is only one source
to get it back out of and that is you
and l.
For some reason it has become
popular and the thing for some candi-
dates running for office to say pub
lic-y that no one has a tag on them
no one owns them | don't have to
say there is no one who owns me.
that no one has a tag on me. The
little handful who have run Ottawa
for years. and held it in the the grip
of a powerful political machine are
out openly on the streets of Ottawa
fighting me, and attempting to brand
me by cheap political stories, of what
! am going to do when | got in office
and are doing it simply to divert
from the peoples mind the real is
sue in this campaign and that is that
this is a fight between a pernicious
political machine and the people who
want good government and believe
in equality and don't want the office
of mayor of their city handed out to
anybody by a little clique of polite
ians q month in advance Of the pri-
mary or at any other time.
''Nor am I fighting the interurban
or the city street car line that is own
ed by them 1t is they who are fight
ing me. | have only urged that they
Continued on page 5, column 81