The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1926-07-22
IS IT TO BE A REAL FIGHT
OR JOLLY POLITICAL FUSS
People Are Wondering What
George EpplerWill Do In Con-
test With Fred Zihlman


test With Fred Zihlman
Much curiosity has been aroused in
the past week by the announcement
that George L. Eppler would seek the
Republican nomination for Congress,
in a contest with Congressman Zihl-
man. People are wondering if there
is to be a real campaign, an old-time
earnest political fight, over this non1i-
nation, or if it is to be just one of
those easy, jolly, yet fussy affairs
that will excite nobody except, possib-
ly, the candidates and such persons
as may intensely love or intensely
hate either of them. If they are to
have a real fight, contest that any
one who remembers the political bat
ties of years agone, will recognize as
a real fght-one of them will have to
get busy soon, and tell the world what
he thinks of the other one and the
reasons why he thinks as he does. The
voters of this region will not permit
themselves to get "het up" at this
time by street corner conversations
and unverified sweeping statements
about how mad or how pleased the
people are. In real fight some one
must hit out from the shoulder, in
way that will make the other fellow
hit back, or quit. They have enough
to fight about and make the contest
interesting if they get started.
The question is will either of them
start something? Naturally, the vot-
ers are looking to Mr.. Eppler to lead
off if there is to be anything of inter
est doing. Mr.. Zihlman is, undoubt-
eddy, quite satisfied to let things drift
if nobody else will raise any disturb
ance.
Editor Says Eppler Is Brave
AN editorial writer in the Baltimore
Sun thinks that Mr.. Eppler is brave
young man, because he dares oppose
the present congressman. The Sun,
too, wonders if the old time political
entertainment of the Sixth District is
to be revived and apparently would
like to see season of political ham
mering in this section of the state
once more.
The Sun says
"Mr. George Eppler, of Cum
berland, is brave young man.
"He lives in a Congressional dist
riot that has voted dry for many
years, albeit there are stories that the
bootlegger flourisheth. Nay, more,
there are stories that the moonshiner
flourisheth abundantly in the old
Sixth, so that his juices overflow the
surrounding lands. In Baltimore and
Washington, not to mention the fat
and indulgent valley towns Of Vir-
ginia and Pennsylvania, there is much
liquor of the kind that, in the words
of the long dead O'Sullivan, feels
"like torchlight procession march
ing down your throat" And they do
say that large quantities of it pro-
coed from bubbling stills and enrich
bullying tills of the district.
"To run for Congress on a wet
platform in a district thus excellently
poisoned between dry conscience
and a wet habit is an act of great
daring. To begin running by enter
ing the primary of the Republican
party, in which that equipoise has
been held for years with fascinating
delicacy, is an act of consummate
daring. Nevertheless, we are very
glad that Mr.. Eppler has entered
against Representative zihlman,
guardian of the perfect equipoise
these many years. Perhaps it shall
be shown that, after all, this equi-
poise between a dry conscience and a
wet habit is mirage, and that con-
science approves habit. If that fails,
perhaps there is a chance-a bare
chance-that discussion may result in
subdueing habit to conscience.
''In sum, no harm and some good
many result from campaign that
should make men stand up and be
counted And anyway, Mr.. Eppler
possesses something of the talent of
his uncle George l.. Wellington, for
sprightly statement and repartee.
Whatever happens, he should restore
the political entertainment for which
in past years the Sixth was famous"
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES