Muncie Post-Democrat, Muncie, Delaware County, 11 November 1921 — Page 1

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THE ONLY DEMOCRATIC NEWSPAPER IN DELAWARE COUNTY THE MUNCIE POST-DEMOCRAT

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VOL. I. NUMBER 45

MUNCIE, INDIANA, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1921

SUBSCRIPTION PRICE $2.00 A YEAR IN ADVANCE

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SENATOR WATSON BITTER IN REPLY TO HIS CRITICS

Secretary Weeks and ‘General Pershing Drew Verbal Fire From Georgian

Repeats His Charges Washington, 7 Nov. 5—Presenting further support of his charges that American soldiers were hanged overseas without court martial, Senator Watson, Democrat, Georgia, in the senate turned his fire on Secretary Weeks and General Pershing because of their denial of the senator’s asser-

tions.

Alluding to a statement made by the war secretary that “no decent man” would make charges with respect to army nurses such as made several days ago in the senate, Senator Watson, while disclaiming any intent to attack the nurses as a whole, said he would leave to any impartial tribunal to judge whether he or Mr. Weeks was the more “decent”. The senator said his charge as originally mad was “that officers in too many made was “that officers in too many cases made courtesans of the nurses”. Replies To Pershing Reading General Pershing’s statement, as made in Nashville, Tenn., that the Watson charges of illegal hangings and inhuman treatment of privates by officers was a “most outrageous and untrue accusation,” the Georgia senator declared: “When the general denounces a senator as a liar he had better remember that it is within the power of the senate to bring him here and a time may come when we will do that. If he talks that way about more senators it may be done. We have as yet no kaiser that says: ‘Me and God’. “I am not going" to lower myself,” Senator Watson continued, “to the level of either of Secretary Weeks or General Pershing by indulging in abuse. I simply content myself with saying that it was a great impropriety for cither of these gentlemen in the public service to publicly condemn another without the slightest

investigation.”

from an unidentified Richmond, Va., woman who said she had served 12 months as an army nurse. The letter said that “officers made courtesans of the nurses whei’ever possible and

nurses who resisted were

subject to personal indignities.” Mr. Watson also said he had been told personally by a former nurse that she had been compelled to repel the

assault of an officer.

More telegrams and letters in support of his illegal hanging charges also were presented by the senator. He submitted another photograph of what he said was an army gallows in France, which photograph, he said, had been Smuggled into the country by a Huntington, V/. Va., private.

Informant Is Named

1 “ApparentlyThere were as many gibbets as hospitals,” said the senator, who for the first time gave the name —Clifford L. Ayer, jr.—of the man he said told him of hearing from a gallows guard that 21 soldiers had been hanged without court martials. He presented a telegram from Ayer stating that an affidavit was being forwarded for the use of the special committee that met Monday termine procedure in the investigation of the senator’s charges. The senator promised to protect his witness if any ; ttempts, he said were made to. “brow-

beat intimidate them”.

Another telegram presented by Dm senator was from George Carborough, Aaron, Ga., who said he served in the

605th engineer corps and declared that Mr. Watson’s charges of illegal hangings were true. Senator Watson said this witness would appear before the committee and “face the nabobs of the general staff.” Specific Cases Cited The senator read another telegram, the sender of which was not disclosed, which asked that the senate investigation include “the case of Albert Putcell, of Cincinnati,’’ about which the informant said he had been able to learn nothing from the war department. The message said Purcell’s death occurred at a camp at San Antonio, Texas. William Gibbons, of Cleveland, had written, Mr. Watson said, that he had two photographs, one taken before and the other after the hanging of a soldier against whom the writer said the charges lacked definiteness. The senate also was told by the Georgia senator that a former service man now living in Washington, had given him a statement as to the hanging of four negro soldiers ;“on one gallows at one timfe, each clad in the uniform that General Pershing wears.” Another soldier had informed him, Mr. Watson said, that the body of “a negro convict, the black cap still over his face,” had been exhumed and sent to the home of a white woman in Rochester, N, Y., whose son had been killed in action. “Just such a case happened in my home county in Georgia,” the senator added.. Saw Negroes Hanged William T. Collins, of Titusville, Pa., in a letter presented by Senator Watson, said he saw a negro hanged but did not know if there was a court martial. Another correspondent from Elmira, N. Y., said he had “seen two negroes hanged” in France, and Harry D. Waldron, of New York, and exsergeant in the army service corps, the senator said, offered to give evi-

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Hie Election and Its Aftermath U ^ ^

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dence of “cold blooded murder” in the A. E. F.. and destruction of files of

the Bastile prison.

HI Finally after presenting an.affida- ,

to.r.vdi. Liul- .<

arson then read a letter aaelphia, stating that he saw a negro

hanged in uniform. Senator Watson said the executions cited by him already had passed the figures given by the war department and Chairman Wadsworth of the Senate military

affairs committee.

“The further we go the worse it

gets,” he concluded.

TWO GOOD MEN AND TRUE MAY QUIT JANUARY 1ST.

Harry Michaels has announced, it is said, that, owing to pressure of business, and the necessity on his part of being compelled to look after so many outside interests, he will resign as city controller on or about January first. It is said, also, that Charles Emerson will refuse to accept from Dr. Quick the job that he now holds on the board of works. An effort will be made, it is said, to induce him to reconsider, but it is feared that he cannot be induced to remain.

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TIPP CITY WINS GAME Tippecanoe City defeated the Dayton Linden Centers Sunday with a score of 14 to 7. About 500 fans saw the game. Tippecanoe City has won five straight games.

WEASELS fTTACK GIRL Cardiff. Wales—While Lizzie Thomas was going home from school she threw a stone at a weasel in the road. Six other weasels attacked her and had to be driven away by a farmer.

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Now for A New Deal

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The democrats of Muncie should now get ready to organize their party along the lines of sanity and reason. Leadership which carries with it the predominating thought that the party cannot live unless it take dictation from all the lawless elements of the city, has been thoroughly and

effectively repudiated at the polls.

Parties are only instruments in the hands of the people to be used in the selection of men and women in whose hands |

are placed the destinies of all the people.

If a party falls into the hands of law breakers, it is • | only to be expected that if that party wihs, with candidates chosen by the lawless few, that the revolting rule of the underworld will follow. f The strangle hold which Dr. Bunch has held on the Democratic party of Muncie has been broken. His rule or ruin policy has been buried under an avalanche of votes. If he is ever again to sit in the councils of the party, it must be as one who is willing to play the game of party

politics according to the rules.

Dr. Bunch is a practicing physician, and a good one. In the practice of his profession he observes the ethics so essential ,to the standing of a doctor among his medical associates. In politics, if the doctor will pardon the thought,

he is a quack of the first water.

His method of organizing is to employ a socialist to assemble a big group of democrats, republicans and socialists, to be used as a weapon in primaries. He was nominated last July by just such an organization. In the future democratic primaries must be conducted under different rules. Democracy and fair play should be synonymous terms. Men and women of other parties and men with no party should not and will not, be permitted to take a hand in selecting democratic candidates.

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The people of Muncie, regardless of politics, have spoken in no uncertain terms. Dr. Quick, republican, will be mayor for four years, beginning January 1, and it is up to him, as chief executive of the city, to show by his appointments, and the methods employed by him in the control he exerts over his subordinates, whether or not the people were mistaken when they entrusted him with the important task of administering the

affairs of the city.

Had it not been for the efforts and th e votes of a great body of Democrats, Dr. Quick would not now be the mayor-elect of Muncie. These democrats, along with the republicans who supported the succesfful candidate, feared to trust the management of the city to a candidate who h,ad linked himself up with a bunch of notorious law

breakers.

They distrusted his repeated statements of his love for labor, in the light of his record, which showed that during the six years he had served as mayor he had never appointed a laboring man to a position of importance. Those democrats who had given the matter careful study were firmly convinced that the Tucker law would prevent him from serving as mayor even in case he were elected. His refusal to resign from the ticket and permit some eligible democrat to become f^he candidate was ample evidence of his disregard for the interests of the democratic party and those who voted against him felt that one so selfish had forfeited the right to demand party fealty. One of the greatest factors contributing to his defeat was the opposition of a great group of democrats who, at one time or oth er during the time he had served as mayor, had been the victims of violated pledges made by the candidate. They very properly felt that he should be placed in such a position that he could not betray those who trusted him and believed in his promises. He should have known, but apparently did not, that no man can remain indefinitely in power who makes promises to political friends without the slightest intention of keeping them. x The democratic victims of misplaced confidence in his pledges and promises are legion in Muncie and the majority of them felt that they were well within their rights when they handed him a dose of his own medicine. The greatest mistake he made during the campaign was when he induced Mayor John Kelly to appoint two men on the board of safety who could be controlled by the candidate. This gave hinf absolute control o ver the police department and using his power as a supposed asset, he surrounded himself with a small and exclusive cabinet of known law violators who immediately gav e a fancy exhibition of a sample of the kind of lawlessness they expected to pull oh' here during the ensuing four years. The big gamblers, as well as the myriad of minor law violators in the “redlight” district, contributed their money and supp ort to his candidacy. Under the whip and lash they were even forced to wager large sums of money on the result. Most of the law violators are broke today because of their advocacy of the cause of one who had no chance of being elected. Most of them were forced, unwillingly, to put up their money, for they not only beliefed, down in the bottom of their hearts that the candidate was feeding them hot air when he told them there was no chance of his being defeated, but they also had grave doubt; as to his eligibility to serve. One big gambler who came here t > “deal bank” the day after the candidate had. his board of safety appointed, was doped ; ito b etting five thousand dollars on the result. When the returns came in Tuesday nr ht he telephoped. to the C. & O. agent: “Get me a^eservaiion «.nd,» ticket.:for,-{'‘hi- % hell with Muncie.” Many of the-others fcM the same way about it, but owing to their liberal support of a lust cause, haven’t got the price of a ticket to Chciago. The people here became tired of the wh ole sordid business and decided that it was time to return to sanity. For the past fe w weeks, since Dr. Bunch became manager of the police department, an intolerable co ndition has existed. The small group of law violators and ex-convicts that surrounded him became so chesty and arrogant over their supposed power, that they swaggered openly through the city declaring that they would beat up, and even murder, tho se who were opposing their reign o fterror. On election night one well known man who is known to be a good friend of the publisher of the Post-Democrat, was black jacked by so;n e thug, who emerged suddenly from a dark alley and struck the coward blow. No democrat who has the welfare of h is p?Yrty at heart cares to support a candidate who has a gang around him who are ready to strong arm those who are not acceptable to the chief. The police department had had its attention called to the activities of these thugs but with Dr. Bunch controlling them, the h ands of the police are tied. There are "some who believe that Dr. B unch will voluntarily relinquish his control of the police situation in Muncie during the seven weeks which intervene before the new administration comes in, and that the t hugs with their ' black jacks and brass knucks will be ordered back to their kennels. » If he is wise he will do so, for he will b e held responsible for their acts as long as he wields the big stick over the board of safet y. The government officers have amassed complete information concerning, the doings of these fellows during the past few weeks and if so disposed they can make things ex ceedingly warm for the desperadoes who lie in wait in dark alleys to slug political enemies of the defeated candidate. It would seem to the casual observer that Dr. Bunch would not care to aggravate the situation for in seven weeks he will be politically dead and the gang that surrounds him will not have his strong arm to lean upon. The Post-Democrat is not posing now, nor never ha^ posed, as a great reformative institution, but it simply won’t stand for organized gambling, bootleggers and moonshiners who are forced to pay a royalty each week to somebody for the privilege of breaking the law and threatening to assa il t those who have the courage to look the situation in the eye and tell the gang to go t o hell. Dr. Quick has a great opportunity. W e do not know whether he will rise to the situation. He has a man‘s job in front of h im and it is up to him to put real men‘on guard m every department of the city admin istration. We refuse to predict what he will do. Actions will speak louder than words. I f he acts right the Post-Democrat will be for him tooth and toenail, as the saying go es, but if he turns out to be a trimmer we will be right on the job to tell the folks about it.

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JOHN COB FOUND HIMSELF QUITE A CROWD

Editor Post-Democrat: In his final speech at the court house Monday night, Dr. Bunch said: “Just look who are opposing me—Gene Williams and John Cox.” I was surprised, on reading the election returns Wednesday morning, to find out that besides myself and Gene there were exactly eight thousand, five hundred and sixty six others against Doc. I thank you. JOHN COX

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There Are None So Blind As Those Who Will Not See

The Post-Democrat w^s generally circulated on the Southside during the campaign and it is apparent that the people there believed it was telling the truth. This newspaper has been the consistent friend of labor and will continue to be so. It makes us sick to see a four flusher like Bill Daniels, who was hired to make speeches and write poetry for Doc Bunch, try to tell laboring men and women whatis good for them. The Post-Democrat told them about Bill and told them about Doc and they evidently believed what they read, from the way over three thousand of them voted. In his Whitely speech Dr. Bunch told his. hearers that the support of the publisher of the Post-Democrat in 1917 ^ost him a thousand votes. He lost, Whitely. He told the democratic central committee that the Post-Democrat had no influence either way. The Post, edited by Dale, supported Bunch in 1917 and he was elected by 2009 votes. The Post-Democrat opposed him in 1921 and he lost by 2072 votes.

I Counterfeit Newspaper Proves

Boomerang But What Else Could Anybody Expect

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Last Sunday morning the people of Muncie found a sort of a newspaper lying on their front porches. The sheet was the same size as the Post-Democrat and it bore the name

“The Democratic Post”.

The subject matter of the 'counter-

feit sheet consisted of eulogiums of

Dr. Bunch, combined with attacks on the editor of the Post-Democrat. It was apparent that the intent of

the Bunch board of strategy by nam-

ing it the Democratic Post, was to create a sort of an impression that the publisher of this newspaper was the author of the monstrosity. Whatever the object might have

bpen, its appearance merely created

resentment. As a piece of campaign

\ literature it ranked well with the.

poetical effusions of the poet Laurae-

ate, out dt Five Points.

Amateurs never do well at that sort of thing. As a piece of political bungling it ranks with the other boners pulled by the Bunch board of

strategy.

The threat, (or promise) was made that the “Democratic Posts” might he made a permanent institution' in order that the democrats might have real democratic representation. The water is fine. Come on in.

Verjr little surprise was occasioned here by the election of Dr. Quick for mayor, btit the size of his majority, 2072, was beyond the expectations of most of the political prophets. Quick carried fifteen of the twenty four precincts, while Bunch carried away the laurels in the other nine. Quick carried the thirteen precincts north of the railroad and much to the surprise t>f everybody, stepped over the deadlne and captured the seventeenth and eighteenth, the Congerville district. One of the greatest surprises of the day was Bunch’s comparative weakness in all of the southside precinct^., where he and his board of strategy were claiming' everything. Instead of carrying the eleven southside precincts by 8,500 or 4,000, as his backers expected, he came to the great divide, with a majority of only 1062. Labor evidently failed to respond to his fervent apoeals, for right down in the 21st, Bill Daniels’ precinct, the home of the bum poet and originator of the idea of busting into Joe Goddard’s to steal beans for the proletariat. Bunch got by with a bare majority of 103 instead of the predicted 300. Dr. Quick carried his own precinct, the fourth, which was considered Bunch territory. The vote in t;he fourth stood 260 for Quick and 221 for Bunch. The home precinct of Dr. Bunch, the ninth, went to Quick by a three to one vote, the figures being 476 for Quick and 157 for Bunch. Whitely turned out to be a surprise for the Bunch forces, where it was confidently expected he would win. Whitely, a distinctly labor precinct, was carried by Quick by 30. Bunch’s largest, majorities were recorded in the sixteenth, known as the “redlight” precinct, and the fourteenth, sometimes called the Shedtown district. His majority in the sixteenth was 218 and in the fourteenth

304.

William McClelland, candidate for re-election for city judge, led the democratic ticket with 6,994 votes, running 498 votes ahead of Bunch, White and Ward both led Bunch the former by 372 and the latter by 301. Four democratic candidates for Council eieetetl, Juini Hu-hog L* the fifth. Leo Fell in the sixth, William Hohn jn the seventh and Luke Plymale in the eighth. The republican elected five ward councilmen and four of the councilmen at large. The council will stand nine to four in favor of the republicans and by virtue of executive control every department in the city will be under republican control. Among the appointments to be made the first of the year are city attorney, city controller, city engineer, building inspector, park superintendent, three members of the board of works, street sunerintendent, chief of police and chief of the fire department.

I FOUR wop GET PLACES ON ARMS ADVISORY BOARD

Washington, D. C., Nov. 10—With the appointment of the American Advisory Committee of Governpient offiicials and representative citizens and of the American technical staff the United States is ready to take part in the international conference on limitation of armaments. The American Advisory Committee, which was announced by Presiden Harding, follows: George Sutherland, former United States Senator from Utah, authority on international law (chairman); Herbert Hoover, Secretary of Commerce; Gen. John J. Pershing, Chief of Staff of United States Army; Admiral W. L. Rodgers, member of the General Board of the Navy; Rep. Stephen G. Porter, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House. Governor Parker Governor John M. Parker of Louisiana, Democrat, candidate for VicePresident on Progressive ticket in 1916; Henry P. Fletcher, Under Sec-

retary of State; Col. J. M. Wainwright, Assistant secretary of War; Col. Theodore Roosevelt, Assistant Secretary' of the Navy.' Mrs. Charles Sumner Bird of Massachusetts, active in woman suffrage, club and philanthropic work; Mrs. Katharyne Phillips Edson of California, member of State Industrial Welfare Commission, noted arbitrator of labor disputes; Mrs. Eleanor Franklin Egan of New York, traveler and author, authority on Philippine and Oriental questions. Mrs. Thomas G. Winter of Minnesota, president of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs. William Boyce Thompson William Boyce Thompson of New York, capitalist, head of the American Red Cross Mission to Russia, 1917; Wijlard Saulsbury, former United States Senator from Delaware, Democrat; John L. Lewis, president of the United Mine Workers of America; Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor;

Walter George Smith of Pennsylvania, former president of the Federation of Catholic Societies of Pennsylvania; Carmi Thompson of Ohio, former Treasurer of the United States; Charles S. Barrett of Georgia, president of the Farmers’ National Union, and Harold M. Sewell of Maine, former Consul General in Samoa and Minister to Hawaii.

THOUSANDS OF CASKS OF WINE POISONED IN ITALY

Rome—Acting on a mysterious warning that Communist agents have poisoned thousands of casks, of Italian wine, government chemists ? are making extensive analyses to determine whether the warning is true. No wine can be exported before it has been thoroughly tested. SCIENTIFIC BURGLARY Paris—Burglars who robbed the home of M. Jean Stern, the Frerich millionaire, of $30,000 worth of art and jewels, wore slippers and rubber gloves. They thus avoided leaving a single clew.

$5,000 GRATITUDE GIFT Paris—M. Eugen Burinin, winner of the $200,000 national lottery prize, has given $5,000 to cletks of the banl^ where he bought his ticket.

DEATH TO STAY OR LEAVE Copenhagen—Dispatches from Reval report that hundreds of persons have been shot down for attempting to escape from the cholera infected districts of Russia into other provinces. A recent Bolshevik order prohibited emigration from “dead” zones i. •?., cholera districts.

A WILDCAT STORY Rome—According to Roman news- * papers a great number of wild cats i are now concentrating about the city. 1 Sonic zealous citizens have already re1 ported seeing several within the city limits.

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IA Real Democratic Newspaper

A | few honest, but misguided democrats took considerable offense because of the attitude of the Post-Democrat in the recent campaign. Among these is Obed Kilgore, who, in some manner to affiant unknown, rose from the ranks to the title of “assistant chairman” of the democratic city

central committee.

Ray Andrews, the city chairman, took no active part in

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the campaign, because of the fact that he had publicly de- M dared that he believed the Tucker act would be held good ®

An attempt was made to oust him as chair- kj

man, and Ray, being no quitter, did not resign. He would probably have done so if the Bunch board of strategy had

not sought so eagerly to remove him.

After becoming “assistant chairman,” Mr. Kilgore attempted to remove the editor of the Post-Democrat from the city election commission, declaring that the Post-

Democrat was not a democratic newspaper.

He failed, miserably, in his attempted ouster proceeding, and we are willing to leave it to the democracy of Muncie whether or not this is a democratic newspaper. The Post-Democrat stands for constructive democracy, and not the destructive brand advocated by the candidate who was

directing the activities of Mr. Kilgore.

We readily forgive the unkind thing-s said of the editor of this newspaper by Mr. Kilgore in the heat of the campaign. He remarked in one or two speeches, that we had been “run out of two towns and had been here about

twenty minutes too long.”

He knew that he was uttering a damnable fajsehood, and was no doubt ashamed of his remark when he made it, but what else could be expected of a man whose vocal organs v/ere controlled by Dr. Bunch and Bill Daniels. We thought that Mr. Kilgore was a good personal friend and were sorry to see him descend to the tactics employed by the bum poet, Bill Daniels, and a few other ir-

responsibles.

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