Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 September 1920 — DODGING THE ISSUE [ARTICLE]

DODGING THE ISSUE

The answer of Chairman Hays to the charges of Governor Cox does not meet the issue. The charge was, not that a certain amount of money had been raised, and was now in the treasury, but that it was being raised, that the plan involved raising it, and that the work was going on. Yet it is the former charge that Mr. Hays denied. Then Mr. Hays says: He attempts to prove this by quoting from the official bulletin of the ways and means committee of the

Republican national committee, a pamphlet published and sent broadcast over the country to party members and to newspapers, all to instill interest among the workers, and from an alleged quota sheet which he claims indicates the amounts to be raised in certain cities, which he does not even charge was adopted or any operation had thereunder. It will be observed that Mr. Hays does not deny that it was adopted, does not deny that operations were “had thereunder.” fn that sheet Chicago’s quota was given as $750,000. It is admitted tha£. $700,000 was the amount looked for from Chicago. Not long ago Mr. Hays said the fund would be $3,000,000. Shortly after that, Mr. Upham, treasurer of the Republican committee, said that it would be $7,500,000. Governor Cox said —and his statement has not yet been questioned —that $8,145,000 was to be asked for from 51 cities. Is he right? If not, why Is his statement not denied? Cox went so far as to say at New Haven that the 15 million fund was a corruption fund. Here Is a flat accusation that calls on the one hand for a flat denial or on the other for proof. It is not claimed that contributions are to be limited to the cities spoken of by Governor Cox. If others are sought from other cities and towns, and from the country, how much was it 'expected to raise over and above the $8,145,000?

But it is said that even if this be the quota for the cities in question, the amount is not large, since it is meant to cover national, state and district campaigns. Yet in the Official Bulletin is a letter from Harry M. Blair, in which he said: Fund raising for 41 states will be directed from headquarters at 355 Conway building, Chicago. For the present our efforts will be directed primarily toward producing the quotas of the larger cities., This does not mean that present state

and county organizations will be disturbed or retarded in their activities. It Is simply an effort to concentrate upon the sources which naturally would be expected to produce money most quickly and In chmparatively large amounts. We need the money now. Who needs it, if not the national committee? What are “the activities” of state and county organizations that are not to be “disturbed or retarded”? To such questions as these Mr. Hays might well devote his attention. The question, we repeat, is not whether the amounts have already been collected but whether they were fixed, whether the effort has been to raise them and more particularly is this a corruption fund as Is now charged.— Indianapolis News (Rep.).

The Farmer-Labor party was repudiated Saturday by the Allen county Federation of Farmers when that organization adopted a resolution refusing membership in their body to any farmer who identified himself with the new party. Persa R. Bell of Allen county is the new party’s candidate for secretary of state. The shocked expressions of the “holier than thou” g. o. p. politicians in their indignant denial of Governor Cox’s charges regarding their plan to raise a huge corruption fund —and proven by the official records of their own party —can not be glossed over by such denials. The public has not yet forgotten the “election” of “Senator” Newberry in Michigan, where like denials were made but were clearly proven to the satisfaction of the jury which convicted New'berry of buying his election. This is an old trick of little Willie Hays and his cohorts. Watson is attempting to make the price of sugar an issue in the campaign, placing the blame for the

' high cogt on the Wilson administration. If the senator was inclined to the truth he might elaborate on the subject and tell why the Republican congress smothered President Wilson’s request for authority to purchase the Cuban sugar crop i until after it had been sold to i European merchants. No amount of g. o. p. oratory can dispute the I facts as presented by the Congres--1 slonal Record.