Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 241, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 October 1914 — FURTHER EXPOSURE OF HOMER L. COOK [ARTICLE]

FURTHER EXPOSURE OF HOMER L. COOK

Wrote Letter to School Book Man Asking Proposition If His Book Could Be Adopted. L. Cook, speaker of the house of representatives during the last general assembly and present democratic candidate for secretary of state, now has another and very serious matter to explain to the people of .Indiana whose votes he wishes to procure. On March 20th, 1913, while the general assembly -was in session and while Cook was the -speaker he wrote the following letter on the official stationery of the house: •Mr. J. H. Woodruff, San Diego, Cal. My dear Mr. Woodruff, I called at your home here in the city this afternoon and found that you were in California. “I am interested in the adoption of the copy books for Indiana next year and am wanting to know what kind of a proposition you would ■make to a company that would take your copy book and try to get its adoption. “Please write me stating just what you will do. I would expect you to come here and help in the work of getting the adoption. Please keep this matter confidential as I do not wish to he known publicly in the affair. “An early reply will he appreciated. „ ' v ‘^Sincerely, “HOMER L. COOK” To all appearances Cook expected to use his influence as a member of the legislature to secure the adoption of copy books for the schools of the state of Indiana, provided the right sort of “proposition” was made. It is said a contract to supply the books would he worth about $50,000 to the concern furnishing them and Cook seems to have been willing to push the adoption if he could get a good thing out of it., It fs just such men as Cook who are the undesirables in politics. Whenever one is exposed he should be denied the votes of decent, honest people, and there is now not a single reason why any person iri Jasper county Should vote for Homer L. Cook. It is not improbable that the democrats of Indiana will insist on his removal from the ticket. They will doubtless do so unless Tom Taggart and his crowd demand that he remain. If he remains he should be hurled s in an avalanche of votes, thus warding all parties that graft will not be tolerated.

C. A. Gundy was here to spend Sunday with his family. He is at present working at Kentland, where the C. I. & 8. bridge gang is at work. Mrs. Geo. P. Meyers returned Saturday evening from Madison, Wls.. where she had been since her daughter, Miss Nell, was operated on for appendicitis. She left her daughter very much improved and indications are that she will entirely recover. However, upon the advice of the physician, she will not continue in school this year, and Mss. Meyers wWI return to Madison tomorrow to remain until Nell is well enough to return home. This was her fourth and last year in college ' > i