The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1936-11-05
Prominent Republican
Speaks at Libby Rally

The final shots IN the local campaign
were fired from the republican batter
les last Saturday night in rally held
/ in Kienitz hall The meeting was pre-
coded by parade that circled over the
city. 1t consisted of large number
of cars led by truck carrying the
Libby band and followed by trucks OF
the Libby fire department. Lighted
flares added color to the lffair and fire
crackers were provided to help In
the din.
The speaker of the evening was dis
tinguished citizen of Idaho Ezra R.
Whitla. Whitla is member of the re-
publican national committee from Idaho
and campaign manager for Senator
Borah. His address was preceded, how
ever, by introduction of local republic
can candidates.
The meeting was called to order by
Elmer Switzer, republican county
chairman. He opened by inviting to the
platform one who, he said, had been
not only a resident of Libby for many
years but who was also known as a
sturdy and Woodworking old republi-
can warhorse, w. M, Cady of Sand
point He also extended an invitation
to another old republican war horse,
DR.. P. Baxter He then turned the
meeting over to Mr.. Cady who intro
duced the various candidates and re-
cited the many qualifications of each
for the office they sought. These were
Leo S. WEIGH for state representative;
A. M. Hoffman, for county commits
sioner; Samuel Carpenter, for county
clerk and recorder; Ivan Rogers for
county assessor, and Marshall Murray,
for county attorney. DR. Baxter spoke
a few words in support of the national
republican ticket, and then Mr.. Cady
introduced the speaker of the evening"
Mr. Whitla.
Mr.. Whitla had a wealth of informa-
ton to important from the republican
standpoint He is a fast and fluent
speaker and advanced arguments IN
favor Of the election of the state and
national republican tickets that were
later said by republicans to have been
the best speech delivered in Libby dur
ing the campaign.
Whitla attempted to show that labor
would ultimately be injured by the re-
turn to office Of the democrat admin
istration. He cited figures to show that
some of the lumber tariff had already
been taken off under the Roosevelt adj
ministration and that more of it is to be
discontinued next June. This, he said,
would work against employment of
those in the lumber industry. He also
quoted figures to show the increased
cost Of living. He advanced arguments
to the effect that the heavy deficits now
being incurred by the government must
of necessity be eventually paid by those
who produce, the farmer and the la
boring man. He said that if all income
were taken from all the rich it would
only be "a drop in the bucket toward
paying the present national debt He
said the rich and the big corporations
naturally get their income with which
to pay taxes from what they have to
sell The tax must therefore be passed
on to the ultimate consumer in higher
prices. Thus it is, so he said that the
common man eventually has to pay the
expenses of government, and he blamed
the wild extravaganza of the Roosevelt
administration for the present increase
in the cost of living. He read figures
to show that huge payments-some of
them over $780, O0-had been paid 10
sugar growers in Porto Rico, in the
Hawaiian island, in Cuba for mot
growing" sugar. while the price of
sugar was going up in the United
States. Payment Of similar huge sums
to wheat and cotton growers were read
by the speaker, in order to cut down
our wheat and cotton production, Now,
said the speaker, we are importing
wheat and cotton for our own use and
are losing our foreign cotton market.
Tons upon tons of farm produce are
being shipped into the United States,
said Whitla, following the Roosevelt
policy Of curtailment