White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1922-10-29
0FM0CRl1!!"', In'|N|.,,RMAN
REVIEWS CHALLENGE

The democratic state central COM
committee, through its chairman.
William Mcknight, has issued tho
following open letter to the voters OF
Nevada:
Tho republican candidate for gov-
ernor and other republican campaign
speakers have made certain state
ments and have quoted certain al
legged figures purporting 20 show the
cost of government In Nevada dur
ing the Oddie republican administra-
ton as compared with III, cost of !
government under the succeeding
democratic administrations.
The republican state central COM
mittee has also had published certain
paid political advertisements. in
which 1t claimed that the cost of state
government had materially increased
between 1914 and 1871. Figures
purporting to represent the cost for
the various years were given. The
claim was also made that such fig
lures were takea fIom the reports of
the state controller
We knew that the utterances of the
speakers and the figures and the
statements so published were un-
founded in fact. but we did not then
believe that the republican state GEN.
trail committee had deliberately at
tempted to deceive the voters.
We therefore issued a public chal-
lenge TO such committee TO produce
its candidate for governor, or its
campaigner, or any
other person it might choose. for
Joint debate on the follow ing ques-
ton:
Resolved, That the published
statements and figures of the repub-
lican state central committee pur-
porting to compare the cost of gov
ernment in Nevada under the repub-
lican administration with the cost
under the democratic administrations
that followed are incorrect, mislead-
ing and in essential particulars
wholly untrue and false"
This challenge. has not been ac-
cepted.
1n0 IepuDllCdn StdlC CCntla al tOn-
mittee rejected responsibility for its
speakers, and thus rerudf-
ated them.
One of the republican speakers an
nounced that he did not represent
the republican committee or the re-
publican candidate for governor. He
declined our challenge but said he
would debate on a separate and dis
tinct subject-the relative costs and
accomplishments of the state engi-
neers Office.
We gladly accepted this challenge
and stated that our representative
would meet the speaker at any time
or place.
The said speaker then declined to
debate his charges with our repro
sentative on the ground that he must
be go-starred on the stage with either
Colonel Scrugham or Governor Boyle
His refusal to debate with any other
person was undoubtedly prompted by
the fact that he knew Colonel Scru-
CHAM could not change his campaign
plans and itinerary and that Gov
ernor Boyle was waiting acceptance
Of the original challenge to the re-
publican committee. He also knew
that we would not use sledge-ham-
mer to swat q hy.
We again challenged the repub-
lican state central committee. We
offered to meet any person 1t might
select We agreed to debate with
that person in every county seat Of
this state. We guaranteed full pub
1icity. We promised to pay all ex-
penses of all debates. We offered to
select as judges three of Reno's most
prominent bankers. all republicans.
We stated that these three represcn-
tative bankers might submit their
findings direct to the public. We re.
peated the charge. but the republican
state central committee did not dare
to meet us in public debate.
Could anything DE fairar? Yet
this challenge was not accepted.
IT is apparent that the republican
state central committee knows thct
its published statements and figures
are not true.
We cannot get any responsible rep
resentatiye OF that committee on tho
stage for a debate upon its own is
sue, even with three republican bank
ers for Judges. Therefore, we will
shatter its claims through the ma-
dium of the public press by means
of series OF exhibits taken from the
official records. with reference IN
book and page-something that the
republican committee has not done.
and cannot do.