Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-07-22

- T. VI " - oht< =
9O.OOO.ON acres of grazing lands:
15O,OOO.OOO acres of arid and swamp
lands, immensely valuable when re-
be regarded by me as charlatan and
degrading to men of the cloth.
Il will grant you that there are
citizens and candidates so cowardly
and so apprehensive Of any hostil-
ity that they will cater to you and
cover before your implied threat
of publicity, but l belong to a diff
ferent school and to a different
type of candidate.
THE menace Of your pastoral
d~ispleasure or the d%ispleasure of
the c%oterie to which you to
appeal has no terrors for me. The
ideas of such people are so foreign
to my ideas of red-blooded Ameri-
canism, SO Numerically opposed
to my conception Of western viz
ility that / doubt if they would vote
for me under any circumstances. /
would not, pander to them even
though their vote were a deciding
factor in my nomination or cleo
ton.
when I have to become a trim
mer and a sycophant to a group OF
alleged reformers. / will take UP
my residence in China, Russia or
Turkey, or some land where the
messengers of heaven confine their
activities to spiritual affairs and
do not try to blackmail and intimi.
date citizens and candidates.
PERSONALLY, Mr.. Pope, l believe
there is at present more hostility
than support of your activities and
that you overrate the influence and
amount of public approval you com,
mand.
However, do not misunderstood
me. | do not doubt your sincerity
I have never doubted the sincerity
of that misguided old man, Eugene
v. Debs, nor, in fact, do / doub,
the sincerity of all brain-warpeo
enthusiasts who aimed to destroy
American liberty and American gov.
eminent.
But like, Abou Ben Adhem, !
want my name to lead all the res,
when you set out to compile your
BLACK list" Of those who do no,
bend the knee of servility-for pol
icy's sake-to the dictates of your
clerical thunderbund.
Il have not written this letter in
the heat Of any impetuous impulse
The foregoing is what l have always
thought of your propaganda in this
community and l thank you for
your letter which gives me so ex-
c%ellent an opportunity to express
myself thus clearly. If this atti.
tude is fatal to my political aspira-
tons, l say fervently, BE ready
gods, with all your thunderbolts
dash me to pieces
Il would rather be beaten honor
ably in the forthcoming contest
than to be elected to congress or to
the senate as a candidate and a sup
porter of your propaganda.
This is my gauntlet thrown to
you and your propagandists; my in
vitation to you to fight me to the
last ditch and let the voter judge
the victor.
IF the people of the First con.
gressional district prefer the trim
mer and the political opportunis'
seeking any office in any party tc
one who has no fear to speak his
mind and advocate American lib
erty perish the thought that
! should represent them.
"While you have probably already
! fathomed my attitude on your ques.
! tionaire, I will give more details
in future advertisements in the pub.
lie press.
However, in Difference to your
expressed wish or threat, l will
give copies of your letter and mine
to the public press to use as II
sees fit.
Yours very sincerely,
BYRON E. cOONEY."