The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1920-09-30
POLITICS AND PIES
IN VANDERvOORT


Go TO make 4AIkHftEtH etAQAtrs Vt+ttt
when he was reelected to the state
senate. When Chairman Wilson called
time the senator stole another full
minute in telling the assembled MEM
bers of the fair sex what fis.e looking +
sensible women they were and how !
proud he was that they would have a /
chance to vote for the Democratic
ticket in November. Maybe you think |
Ben H. didn't get the applause He
sure did.
Sheriff jim Thornton spoke briefly
but to the point. He related that the
enemy" was telling it about that he
lThornton) had issued poll tax re-
ceipts illegally or after the end OF the
time set by law for such issue. The
number Of such illegal issue seemed
to vary according to the distance from
Mena. one report making it 81, anoth-
er 400. Anyhow Sheriff Jim denied the
soft impeachment lin toto" and IN
such manner that no one seemed in
clined to question his veracfty.
When Professor Shinn was called
upon he Immediately asked for an ex-
tension Of time. He declared he
couldn't discuss the issues of the
campaign, as decided upon by the
Citizens movement, in 10 minutes. He
overlooked the fact that he BY profess
, sion is a school teacher, thai the meet
ing was being held in the interests of
a school and that the proceeding
speaker hadn't touched upon single
/, one of the so-called issues. Instead
Mr. Shinn demanded something that
no other one of the speakers of the
evening had been given.
When the chairman politely an
kt..& 4 al t4n -.snc
: and that Mr.. Shinn would not be given
more than 10 minutes in which to talk,
, the Citizens candidate drew up in his
! dignity and announced he wouldn't
! say a thing, and reasserted he could
MT discuss the tissues" in that limited
: time.
Gene Davis, Citizens candidate for
! sheriff, made one of the hits Of the
! evening. When he was called upon
after Sheriff Thornton had spoken,
Gene smiled at the crowd, told what
/ he was after and on what ticket, and
! said, That's all" The crowd applaud
: ed him.
While w. l.. Parker was talking he
! was interrupted by Mr.. Shinn, who
! wanted to ask a question. The cir
!. cult clerk was explaining at the time
. about the cost TO taxpayers of build
! ing the Jefferson Highway Mr..
! Shin asked:
j How can you tell what the taxes
! are?"
Clerk Parker retorted: ANY man
4 with common sense can look at the
! books and the figures and see what
n they are"
: The reply pleased the crowd inn
q mensely and amid burst of laughter
i Mr.. Shinn sat down and asked no
more questions. Clerk Parker also
4 denied Judge Wears statement about
u saving so much money for the coun-
= ty, and charged the Citizens candi-
a date with having bought machinery
y that is now practically useless for its
Il purpose.
q Tho it was Democratic meeting,
y the fact that there was plenty of pie
q on hand muay have induced George w.
II Petty to be among those present. Mr..
70 Petty was invited to speak, and there
was no hesitation in his acceptance.
10 The chairman and audience were so
"a engrossed they forgot to call time on
Is the representative Of the G %. p, for
az the speaker certainly talked right out
" in meeting, and handed the Citizens
n ticket line that certainly tickled the
Id crowd Mr.. Petty explained his posi-
= ton by stating that he was Repub-
lican first. and when he couldn't vote
and work for men of his own party
was willing to act as next bes
friend" to the Democrats Under M
circumstances, he said, would he sup
port class Of political workers whom
a. he classed as "Bullshevikes.
He ridiculed the Citizens movement
oe and scored in particular Former Judg,
T. Wear. He showed where Judge Wea
to was one of the men who brought abou
=, tick eradication work in Polk county
= and had signed note to continue tn,
nc work and had called the quorum cour
e. to meet a second time to pass a need
IN. ed appropriation. He scored the for
he mer judge for his activities in Roa.
ed his followers had rejected plan {,
w decide which side had a majorit,
en- simply because such action. would xii
We the issue on which Wear was trying
IN to be elected county judge.
ty In closing Mr.. Petty declared tina
ks slackers and criminals had SCARED tn,
n face Of Judge Finger, but that non,
d of his political opponents had yet beer
it able to scar his character
&c, When the Mena merchant closed h,
is was warmly applauded and in tn,
% AAlAQSb VI AtiE LAA4hulL uuQEG w CdI dIOSt
Sc and challenged Petty to a debate.
or will you meet me here in som,
I'd, future date to discuss these matters.
ut demanded the former Judge
n, "I'll meet you here or in Mena an,
ar time you say" was Petty's rejoinder
ar Judge Wear also wanted an oppor
on tunity to answer at once some of the
ce charges that Petty had made agains
m him, but the chairman decided the,
to had enough of politics and wanted pie
RS and ruled that there would be no more
rt speeches. Judge Finger was called t
in start the auction, which he prompt,
IN did. and in few minutes pie wa:
he commanding more attention than pol
e. itics.
Of The Citizens candidates resisted
rs any temptation they might have hat
re to buy a pie and hand it la Charlie
n Chaplin to their opponents, for the,
in filed out and didn't bid in single one
IS of the culinary gems offered for sale
err One enthusiast offered to chip in sc
h. cents and buy the quartet pie, but
,e no one seconded the motion.
e. Judge Finger proved to be first
10 class pie auctioneer He sold 'em fasi
e. and at good prices, refusing to start
any pie at less than dollar bid ane
{ running as high as three dollars
" Every Democrats candidate and every