Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 February 1918 — BABCOCK FOR ADMINSTRATOR [ARTICLE]

BABCOCK FOR ADMINSTRATOR

ADMITS HE IS FORMER COAL DEALER AND THOROUGHLY QUALIFIED. The Republican recommends that Frank E. Babcock, the self admitted tax-payers’ friend, and that he is otherwise eminently qualified, be appointed by the chairman of the Jasper Co. Democratic Central Committee as Fuel Administrator of this county. We further recommend that he nfft only be appointed coal administrator but that the coal interests of the county be McAdoo’ed under said Babcock as director general.

In order that said Babcock may not in any way be embarassed in this great undertaking for which he admits his unequalled qualifications and by his direct demand I, Louis H. Hamilton,, do hereby convey to said Frank E. Babcock all interests held by me in the coal business of the city of Rensselaer and elsewhere. Said Babcock, knowing the great value of said interests, is hereby directed to use all moneys derived from the profits of said t coal business so conveyed to him by*me in the erection iri Milroy Park of a majestic monument in commemoration of the splendid service rendered to the people of Jasper County by Frank E. Babcock, the tax-payers’ friend.

It is certainly mighty naughty for the editor of the Republican to differ with this, great personage;, the one great outstanding character in our midst. How foolish for us to in any way try to even suggest that he could be in error. No, not possible. And then think of our audacity in attacking this great wise individual who eyen without an iota of investigation knows the deepest recesses of our own personal private business, the benefactor who hab stood by and defended the tax-payers of the county for, 10, these many, many years. When we think of his onslaughts on the characters of such men M as Jesse C. Gwin, Hairy B. Murray, Abraham Halleck, J. A. McFarland, Colonel George H. Healey and many other men who in some mysterous way, have continued to hold the respect and- esteem of their fellowmen, it makes us shudder with fear and trembling to know what he is trying to do to us.

His pure and holy motives, and lis every utterance founded upon the rockbed of truth make him an adversary to be dreaded. Why he has had to continue as the editor of a small town paper and has not been called to positions of fame, even to the very sanctuary of the wise and powerful is more than we can understand. , Recognizing his great capacity for efficient service he should at least lave been appointel postmaster. His mighty pen has been a powerful factor in bringing position®' and honor to his party in the county. Count, if you please, the large number of Democrats who have been elected to office in this county and who must all admit that they were so honored by the powerful influence exerted by The Jasper County Democrat and its editor whose pure love for the people had guided his every utterance. When we consider the awful fact that Louis H. Hamilton is openly charged, and that J»y the very fountain head of truth and veracity,“with .being one of the profiteers” and that naughty coalmeh have “camouflaged” poor innocent B. F. Fendig, is it any wonder that we give up and insist that that terrible crime be stopped and that Frank E. Babcock, the ex-goalman, the tax-payer’s friend and the one who admits that he is in perfect accord with Frank Welsh, the double barrelled chairman of the county Democratic committee and the county council of defense, be appointed the Kaiser to right this awful evil?

We are truly sorry, most perfect and righteous demander, that your article - stirred up such a rumpus in your own Democratic camp and that Fendig gave yoU such a decent dressing before the'large meeting of the county council of defense. You had been to so few meetings and then to have a good fellow Democrat charge you with bad faith was really humiliating. We believe that the oil that you have asked, your double