Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 96, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 August 1908 — NEEDED ON THE STUMP. [ARTICLE]

NEEDED ON THE STUMP.

Naturally there Is regret among the thousands of men and women who attend the Chautauqua sessions throughout the country each summer over the fact that Congressman Watson has canceled practically all his engagements at the assemblies this year. He is one of the most popular of Chautauqua speakers. But this summer, now that he Is his party’s popular candidate for governor of Indiana, he has duties that call him to devote his time to the campaign. The Republican Btate committee has called on*him to work actively for the party’s success In November. He is the best political campaigner in this state or many states, and it is fitting and necessary that he be conscripted for the strenuous fight about to begin In Indiana. Mr. Watson was happy to honor the call to armß of the state committee and has canceled his other speaking engagements. The Chautauquas will suffer, but the Btate will be the gainer. He had to cut some forty dates outside of Indiana and a few for Chautauquas In this state. He will devote his time to making campaign speeches and will avoid appearing on platforms of associations which charge admission to bear him. He is being assigned to speak about •very day, and on some days two or three times, during the campaign. These are the facts as to the cause that has filled Chautauqua managements’ patrons with sorrow. But they have been twisted and falsified and used as a text for a miserable attack on the Republican gubernatorial candidate by political opponents who hate to know Jim Watson’s power on the platform and before people, and would like to know that he was to talk ail summer on abstract subjects before women and children and old men who attend Chautauquas. All popular lecturers when running for political office have to limit their activities to the campaign stump, where only politics are called for. A little sorehead editor In Jim Watson’s own district started the lie on Its rounds among the Dem ocratlc papers of the state, most of whose men readers really know the facts and their natural cause. That's §g* __ _