Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1920-05-06
OUR WEATHER EYE
Weighed in The Balance

Last week the attention of Jour
nal readers was called to certain
tactics of Mr.. Hoogenakker in his
campaign for the senatorship which
falr-minded people generally do not
like to see used.
1t seems necessary at this time
to write into the record certain
other facts which are even less
pleasant to narrate, but which the
journal believes voters should know
in order that they may be better
able to decide as to the merits of
his candidacy.
He has, for example, made the
statement in good faith that a
pot" of five hundred dollars has
been raised elsewhere to put him
over into the state senate.
This of course does not sound
we'll to people who believe in and
stand for clean politics 1t plainly
means that money is to be used in
this campaign; and it leaves us to
guess whose money it is, how it is
to be used, and what is the ulti-
mate purpose in spending it thus to
put him over" for people who do
this usually have some ulterior aim
in view.
1t is clearly in order for Mr..
Hoogenakker to make some eX-
plantations to his fellow citizens of
this sinister assertion. Until he
does so, they are abundantly justi-
fed in viewing him and his cam
palgn with distrust and suspicion.
Another matter in which some
thing more than explanations seem
to be called for, is his brazen over
charge his home city for the
publication of its official ballot at
the recent municipal election. The
law does not provide at all for the
publication of the official ballot of
city elections in the newspapers,
though this is sometimes done.
However, ii it is done without au-
thouty, the legal rate would un-
questionably be the same as for the
official ballot of the general cleo
ton. The Advocate, which pub
;, lished the ballot in two successive
; issues, followed this rule and sub
mitted its bill for S32 for the two
sertlons. The Republican pub
, lished the ballot only once and filed
a bill for $40 which was paid.
Hence Mr.. Hoogenakker's charge
;. was two and one-half times what it
= should have been and the pockets
, OF every taxpayer in Audubon were
, picked in the transaction. More
!, than half of the bill seems to have
> been graft; and it would be sim
pie justice for someone to force its
i restoration to the city treasury.
= These and other bits of disquiet-
, ing evidence suggest that Mr. Hoo
genakker's case should be taken up
. and scrutinized as a whole, rather
, than piecemeal.
The Case Reviewed
He is a comparative NEW
ICOMER; yet he is asking for the
highest Office within the gift of our
county. The truth is that he has
never yet seen Audubon County
!. name state senator. His first ex-
perience in this line will be the one
in which he is asking for himself
the sweetest plum of all. The
last time our county was permitted
, ;, to name the senator from the dis
trict was in 1908 when George
9 Cosson was elected; and Mr..
s Hoogenakker is among those who
have arrived in this county since
a that time.
II His SERVICE to the county has
not apparently been so valuable
$ thus far as to attract notice. He
g has generally been milk-and-water
J on questions affecting the public
welfare. Whatever else may be
: said of him, he is not man who
3 stands aggressively for those things
(which make for the common good.