Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 111, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 May 1920 — HOME FOLK HONOR M’CRAY [ARTICLE]

HOME FOLK HONOR M’CRAY

KENTLAND GIVES POPULAR CANDIDATE ROUSING RECEPTION. WaYren T. McCray of Kentland, the condidate of the Republican party for governor of Indiana, subject to the decision of the voters of the state on iNovember 2, 1920, was given, a rousing welcome! by his friends and neighbors in Kentland Thursday afternoon. When it became known that Mr. McCray would arrive in Monticello on the '2:15 p. m. train from Indianapolis and that he expected tocontinue to Kentland on the evening train on the Pennsylvania railroad plans were quickly made to give him a hearty welcome home. An - automobile was sent to Monticello to meet the hero and more than _p^e„hundred automobile loads of enthusiastic admirers, friends and neighbors hurried to Remington to meet the future governor of this great commonwealth. The news of the return of -the victor was sent to surrounding 1 -counties and large numbers of automobiles loaded with admirers of the Kentland, candidate were soon hurrying to that pllace to be present and to join with his friends and neighbors in the expression of satisfaction and joy to a fellow citizen for the honor and distinction he had so signally won. Long 'before the parade arrived, large numbers of citizens had gathered about the public square. About 4:30 p. m. the car containing the future governor entered Kentland .followed by hundreds of automobiles and well in the ■ van of this long parade was a large Republic truck in which his majestiy, ‘‘(Fairfax,” the world’s greatest Hereford gentleman, seeming proud and happy of the remarkable honor so recently won by his owner. The truck was decorated with flags and bunting and upon the side were the many medals which had been won by Fairfax and Tris Irin. Many of the automobiles were decorated with, the red, white and blue and signs reading “Mic Cray For Governor.” The Kentland band had accompanied jthe crowd .to Remington and the music added greatly to the enjoyment of the occasion. When the throng had gathered, Mr. McCray and many of his friends and neighbors entered the band stand in the yard—of—the court house of the Neiwton county capital. The Rev. N. V. Andrews, pastor of the Kentland Presbyterian church made a short address and presented the hero of the day. The future governor was almost overcome with emotion at the spontaneous outpouring of his fellow

— — — —o — — r citizens, of his close neighbors and old friends. He made a very touching address in which he expressed his deep appreciation for the reception —and the splendid support he had received from the home folk. He had lived his life among them, he said, and to him Kentland was the dearest spot on earth, and when he had completed his term as the chief executive, which he hoped to do with honor to them and to himself, he shid he would again come home • and finish his days among them. He said it was a great honor to have been given such an endorsement by the great Republican party of Indiana, but the memory of this home coming would be cherished as one of the happiest and dearest thoughts of his life. The Rev. C. L. Harper, pastor of the Methodist church of Kentland, was then introduced. He said that he had become active in his neighbor’s campaign when the high character of that individual had been assailed. He said he knew Mr. McCray to be of the highest cleanest type of manhood and he resented as all good men should the calumy his enemies tried to fasten upon him. The Rev. Harper deplored the fact that Jasper county, in which h» had labored for four years, had failed to give to Mr. McCray a majority vote. This he said in spite of that fact that Mr. McCray had receiv?it*almost every vote in his own precinct and that he had carried every county in the tenth congressional district except Jasper. । In most of the counties the McCray • vote was very large and in Newton he received almost 1,200 out of ! the 1.400 cast by the Republican

voters. s Judge Charles W. Hanley of Rensselaer WaS called upon to make anaddressand under the very decidedly unpleasant cdndition he handled himself very creditably, and gave the sentiment of the large number of Jasper county citizens who were present. He deplored the fact that Jasper county had not given a majority vote for its distinguished neighbor, but he said he was not to blame and that he could assure Mr. McCray that Jasper county would give a larger majority in November than Newton county. Attorney George A. Williams of Rensselaer, iwho had so recently won the Republican nomination for judge in the counties of Jasper and Newton, in one of the most strenuous contests ever known in thd political history of the two counties, was then presented by the Rev. And TOWS. $ The judge-to-be made a rousing address, complimenting Mr. McCray upon his victory and the splendid re ; eeption given him by his friends and neighbors. Williams endorsed the pledge made by Judge Hanley and assured Newton county that the virus of the calumy spread by his enenties had been ' killed by the splendid vote of confidence the northern Indiana candidate had re-, ceived at home, in the tenth district and over the entire state, the first time this honor had ever reached north of the Wabash river. The last address of the afternoon was made by Attorney Abraham Halleck of Rensselaer, who gave Mr. Williams a race for his life in the recent judgship nomination. The two candidates were neck and neck in Jasper county and Williams nosed him out in Newton county by the narrow margin of forty-seven votes. Mr. Halleck had spent much of his life in Newton county and he knew many of its citizens and was happy that one of them had been exaulted to the high honor, the highest within the gift of the Republicans of the state. He was sure that the people of the state would make Kentland the home of the next governor of the commonwealth. He was sure that Jasper county would contribute a large majority vote for Mr- McCray.