Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 258, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 October 1914 — Takes Final Fling at Congressional Candidate. [ARTICLE]

Takes Final Fling at Congressional Candidate.

Still hatboring resentment because of his defeat for the local pofittoffice Editor Babcock takes a final fling this week at Congressman Peterson, democratic candidate for re-election to congress, and ait Charles, J. Murphy, democratic district chairman and member of the public service commission. The Democrat says: “Now, so far as we have been able to learn from our exchanges over the district, Mr. Peterson has not spoke in either Jasper, Newton, Tippecanoe, Warren or White counties in this campaign. He has spoken in Lake and Porter. Why this is so we are not prepared to say, but the fact is that he is receiving lukewarm support all over the district, and no one knows this better than the state committee, which has sent two U. S. senators and Gov. Ralston into the district to help him out during the last week—Shively here Tuesday, Kern at GOry Wednesday, Valparaiso Thursday and last night at Lafayette, and Ralston at Monticello

Thursday—and also sent Bryan here but recently, and it has been currently asserted and never denied to our knowledge, that Peterson did not support Bryan in his campaigns, too. “No one is to blame for this condition except Mr. Peterson- himself, who forced an obnoxious district chairman on the democrats, who alligned himseffif with the machine politicians rather than the democrats who east the votes, and who has stood for measures in congress that are particularly obnoxious to who believe in the cardinal principles of the democratic party—especially is this true pf his action on retaining the 20 cents per mile mileage graft, when all the other Indiana congressmen voted to abolish it,, and his efforts in behalf Of retiring government employes on a pension.' Also, his ignoring of precedent of both democrats and republicans, of permitting postmasters to serve out the terms of their commissions, but ousting them to put hungry officeseekers in their pllace, has been condemned, as the Republican once said, by the decent democrats everywhere. Mr. Peterson has shoWn himself less of a statesman than a spoilsman, arid if the democrats are not very enthusiastic over his re-election it is his own faullt.

“(Bos) Murphy, democratic chairman of the tenth congressional district, was opposed for re-election as chairman by practically every democratic paper in the district and by all the anti-machine, farseeing democrats* because, for one reasbn, that he Hard been appointed as a niember m the public service Commission arid drew a salary of $6,000 per year SSOO per month, and his time and services belonged to the state rather than to any political party. But he’was forced —and to need himself on the democrats despite the wfehes of 95 per cent of the party, and for the past two months, almost Continuously, the business of the office tor which he draws a laige salary, has been neglected While Murphy has been working at polities. This should not be with any party and The Dentoerat does not think it is ,any Iras loyal to democratic ideas and principles by condemning such action. In fact, it is only by Downing upon suoh things as this that strengthens a party. If they are condoned it would not be long until the democrats Would And themselves in the same condition the republican party Was In two years ago.”