Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1938-11-03
DEMOCRATIC RALLY HERE
VERY LARGELY ATTENDED,

The Democratic rally here Tues.
day evening was one of the largest
and most enthusiastic in the history
| of the local opera house. Every
] seat was occupied and many stood
throughout the entire program
which was about three hours in
length. Judge Clarence A. Graham,
| state central committeeman Of this
district, presided. and put in many
| good words not only for candidates
on the state ticket, but district and
county tickets as well. No better
speaker is to be found than Judge
Graham. With our limited space
it will be impossible to give any
thing like complete summary OF
the several speeches-all of them,
Of a very high class, were free from
mudslinging or abuse. The first
speaker was Hon. John McSweeney,
congressman at-large, who is SEEK
ing a second term. His home is at
Wooster and he comes from an ag-
ricultural community. He referred
to Bob Secrest as one of the ablest
men in the United States congress-.
He called attention to the changing
conditions-0f the progress made
in the past few years. He spoke OF
a concern building $11, 100000
steel plant A few years ago he said
that such a sized plant would have
employed better than 1000 work.
men. but with modern machinery it
would employ less than 500. What
will become Of the others? How
would you build the chasm of unem-
ployment, he said, and told of how
Mayor Burton, Republican, of Cleve-
| IT, u
thing would have to be done in the
way of relief, for the people OF
Cleveland Mr.. McSweeney remark
ed if business men do not have Gus
toners with money in their pockets,
what will they do? President Hoov-
er, he said, sent money abroad to
permit the war torn countries to
rebuild their schools, roads, ETC.,
hoping that it would create mar
ket for our products and materials.
But it didn't work that way. Nom
ey was spent by them to build up
their war strength, and it has not
been repaid Hoover contracted a
debt of eight billion dollars, with
nothing to show for it. Roosevelt
took our money and spent it in Amer Z
lea. and we have things to show for
thew school buildings, streets,
better roads, ETC., and at the same
time people were clothed and fed.
Mr.. McSweeney, himself World
war soldier, told that when he went
to Ft Benjamin Harrison, discover
ed a young man in camp by the
name of Charles Sawyer. He was a
brilliant young lawyer and could
have been assigned to an easy job
in the judge advocates department,
but he took his place in the in
fantry and served overseas, and was
honorably discharged with the rank
of major.
Congressman Secrest briefly re-
viewed his record in congress-what
he had accomplished for the people
OF this district. He stated that the
reason he had not appeared in this
county in his campaign for 1884 and
1886 was because he wanted to be
fair to the man who ran against
him. He said he had never in his
campaigns mentioned his opponent,
or those against him, and said when
a man criticises his opponent it is a
good sign that he has nothing to
say for himself. He devoted much
of his speech to the matter of con-
servancy district assessments. He
traced from the beginning the flood
control matters, and told that the
Muskingum valley conservancy dis
trict was created by the state OF
Ohio; that it was set up by common
pleas judges of the district, and the
money to carry it on was through
WPA grants just as other projects
are; told how he had gotten the
money from the government to car
ry on the work; told how he had
introduced and had passed the mea-
sure which reduces the assessments
about 70 percent, and as soon as
congress meets will introduce a
measure to have the federal govern
ment assume the remaining 80 per-
cent He is the only congressman
from the state of Ohio on the flood
control committee, and he has the
word of more than a two thirds OF
the flood control committee that
they will back him in his bill. In
cidentally every Republican member
on the flood control committee is
back Of Mr.. Secrest.
Commenting ON the tax duplicate,
Secrest declared that the duplicates
were made up and approved by the
state tax commission i'm May and
were euectlNc IOT COlleStlOu III ouAt>
The flood assessments under the law
had to appear on the duplicate. The
bill making the refund to the Mus
kingum cOnservancy district did not
pass until the middle of June and
did not become law until June 2Sth,
more than week after congress
adjourned. 'If 1 had brought the
money back in my hat" Secrest
continued, 1.-THE tax would still have
been en- the books
(This assessment affair is being
overworked by the oposition in an
effort to discredit Congressman Se-
crest. But those who know Mr.. Sc
crest know that the opposition is
misrepresenting him for political
effect. What do they hope to ac-
complish should his opponent be
elected? He would not be mem-
ber Of the flood control committee,
and he would be absolutely help
less.-Ed.)
(Continued on page four)