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gM9Kg$i?$ VOLUME 61 TAFTS VIEWS k. PRESIDENT IN AN8WER TO LET TER SAYS A MAN'8 CHURCH AF FILIATIONS SHOULD HAVE NO PLACE IN POLITICS. :1 NO HARKING PACK TO DAYS OF BIGOTRY THE QUALIFICATIONS NECES SARY FOR A PUBLIC OFFICIAL, PRESIDENT HOLDS, ARE HON ESTY AND UPRIGHT LIVING. Washington, D. C., NOT. 9. —"Sec retary Tafl's religious faith is purely his own private concern and not a matter for general discission and po litical discrimination," says President Roosevelt In a letter he made public last night in which he answers numer our correspondents. The president says he deferred the publication of the letter until now to avoid any agi tation likely to influence the election. The letter follows: November 6, 1908 "My Dear Sir. I have received your letter running in part as fol lows: 'Whilo it is claimed almost universally that religion should not enter into politics, yet there is no denying that it does, and the mass of the voters that are not Catholics, will not support a man for any office, especially for pres ident of the United States, who is a Roman Catholic. 'Since Taft has been nominat ed for president by the Republi can party, it is being circulated and is constantly urged as St rea son for not voting for Taft that he is an infldel (Unitarian) and his wife and brother Roman Cath olics If his feplings are in sympathy with the Roman Catholic church on account of his wife and brother being Catholics, that would be objectionable to suf ficient number of voters to defeat him. On the other hand, if he is an infldel, that would be sure to mean defeat. I am writ ing this letter for the sole purpose of jsrivine- Mr. Taft an opportunity to let the world know what his religious belief is.' Waited Until Election Was Over. "I received many such letters as yours during the camnaism, expressing dissatisfaction with Mr. Taft on re ligious grounds some of them on the these letters durintr the camuai'trn be ground that he was a Unitarian, and ^ew York Ship Building company of others on the ground that he was Camden, 1\. J„ was the lowest bidder cause regarded it as an ovtraee I even to acitiite such a miestinn even to acitute such a ouestion as ai, man's religious convictions, with the purpose of influencing a political elec- propositions as those you make in your letter would lead. I wish to in vlte them to consider them, and I have selected your letter to answer because you advance both the objec tions commonly urpred against. Mr. Taft., namely: that he is a Unitarian And also that he is s-osoect.ed of sym pathy with the Catholics. Tsft's Religion own Business. "You ask that Mr. Taft lot the world know what his religious belief is. This is purely his own private con cern: and it is a matter between him and his Maker, a matter for his own conscience: and to require 1t to be made public under penaltv of political discrimination is to negative thc first principles of our- government, which guarantee complete religious liberty, and the right to each man to act in religious affairs as his own conscience dictates. Mr. Taft never asked my advice in the matter, but if he had asked it, I should have emphatically advised him acrainst thus statlntr pub licly his religious belief. The demand for a statement of a candidate's re ligious belief can have no meaning ex cept that there may be discrimination for or against him because of that be I lie' Discrimination against the hold 1 ed of one faith means retaliatory dis crimination against men of other ,faiths. The inevitable result of enter ing upon such a rjractice would be an abondonment of our real freedom of conscience and a reversion to the dreadful conditions of religious dis tention which in so many lands have .proved fatal to true liberty and true jreiigion, and to all advance to civiliza tion. 2 "To discriminate against a thorough ly upright citizen because he belongs Jto some particular church, or because -Jlke Abraham Lincoln, he has not Tivowed his iletrisnce to anv- church is an outrage against that liberty of con science which Ik one of tiie foundations j)f American life. You are entitled to jtnow whether a man seeking your suf Drages is a man of clean and upright c^lfe. honorable in all his dealings with ,j^is fellows, and tit by Qualification and la Continued on Page 10. a utah the hids for I at thc navy ?*gimnv~"' w^iVi? 'y"'W'"Qn "WT,'1*. jf®- POSTMASTER MORGAN SERIOUS LY WOUNDED BY E. H. B. MACK AY WHO THEN COMMITS SUI .CIOE BY SHOOTING SELF ASSAILANT ONCE' INMATE OF ASYLUM INVESTIGATION PROVES THAT MACKAY ONCE SHOT FELLOW EMPLOYE AT CAMBRIDGE AND ESCAPES FROM INSTITUTION. New York, Nov. 9. Postmaster Edward M. Morgan, while on his way to his office, was shot through the stomach, at. 146th street and Broadway today, by iirich H. B. Mackay, a sten ographer, who then shot and killed himself. At first it was feared that Morgan's wound was fatal, but upon closer examination the physicians be lieve the postmaster has a chance for recovery. The assassin was well dressed and about ^0 years old. He died instantly after firing three shots into his head. At the office of Hunt, Hill & Betts, lawyers, where Mackay was employed, he was held in high esteem. His em ployers say they are completely at a loss to explain his act. The only clue thus far found which may have a bearing on the tragedy is contained in a number of letter found in Mackay's desk. These indicate that about a year ago he complained to the post master that some of his niail had not been properly delivered. Morgan re gained consciousness while the phy sicians were working on him. He said he Tit-rer saw JjJn assailant until ho confronted him this morning. He knows of no reason for the attack. Once Inmate of Asylum. Boston, Nov. 9. E. H. B. Mackay, who shot Postmaster Morgan of New York today, formerly lived in Cam bridge. About six years ago he shot a fellow employe because of a fancied grievance. After a trial he was ad judged Insane and was committed to Worcester asylum, from which he es caped in 1904. CONTRACT FOR SHIP New York Company Lowest Bidder for Building of NeW Fighting Boat Utah. Washington, D. C., Nov. 9. The suspected to'Wsympathy con^ctZ rttoTEnES. other words freight from Catholics. I did not answer anv of I dePartment Pr°P°sltion Jn 1jjif, s"*PuuJlding Hon. But now that the campaign is ™as the lowest bidder for installing over, when there is opportunity for' machinery in the battleship Flor men cn'mlv to consider whither such |icla' belnS bulId b5' Broo5tyn. Washington, Nov. 9.—President Roosevelt has issued invitations to a notable "labor legislation" dinner to be held at the White House Nov. 17. The guests will include many of the national labor organization chiefs and several prominent judges and execu tive officials. It is understood that President Gompers, Secretary MorW. son, Vice President O'Connell and Treasurer Lennon of the American Federation of Labor are not included in the labor legislation to be dis cussed. Tobacco Stock Drops 27 Points. New York, Nov. 9. There was a sensational break of 27 points in the American Tobacco stock on the curb market today, following the adverse decision of the United States circuit Saturday. Pope Fifty Years a Priest. Rome, Nov. 9. The pope today re ceived the members of the Sacred Col lege, who congratulated him upon the fiftieth anniversary of his entering the priesthood. The pope was present ed with the sum of $4,000 in gold pieces. ^^vs^MWW* *$%f'jr •~'M~ MiltfavkeHrf- which were opened Chicago to Detroit could be shipped the-government at LABOR LEGISLATION DINNER President Has Issued Invitations for November—Guests Chiefs of Na. tlonal Labor Organizations and Others. •$? A* *1'°' 4, BYRON G. CORYELL, President of the Grand-Saginaw Val leys Deep Waterway Association. STATE PLANS A BIG UNDERTAKING MICHIGAN CAPITAL SETS ABOUT TO SOLVE TRANSPORTATION QUESTION. Grand Rapids, Mich., Nov. 9. The impetus given inland waterways by the Roosevelt administration has tak en root in Michigan. A deep waterway 120 feet wide and 21 feet deep across, the lower peninsula from Gri^nd Hav en td Saginaw is the purpose of the Grand-Saginaw Valleys Deep Water way association. The members of the association, baB ing their faith upon the recommenda tions of such eminent hydraulic engi neers as Lyman E. Cooley, Alfred. No ble and the late George Y. Wisner, are convinced, however, that such a wat erway is feasible and practical. They believe, upon the showing made by the Michigan state geological survey, that such an enterprise may be carried to perfect realization at a rea sonable cost, and that it would prove of Inestimable industrial and commer cial value to the^ntire country. Just what the results of a deep wat erway across Michigan will be is not hard to determine. The distance saved by this .canal in all shipments around the peninsula, say from Chi cago to Detroit, is approximately 400 miles. In other words, freight from today. Their hy water at a mucj» lower freight rat. is for twenty and three-! than is now possible, through the sav- Quarter knots and to build the vessel ing of this distance and toe necessary 1°'?,,, Newport News and Dry Dock company expense connected with carrying freight this 400 miles. A second point is that the boats would be assured of a safe passage in quiet water instead of the treacherous Continued on Page 10. OELWEIN MAN IS MURDERED GEORGE BENNETT FOUND DEAD FRANK HALEN HELD CLAIMS SELF DEFENSE. Waterloo, Nov. 9.—(Special)—Oel wein officers were astonished yester day morning when Frank Halen, also known as Mike Halen, told them he .had killed George Bennett in self de fense. He led the officers to Bennett's ., bodv lving in a po-l of blood thirty President Congratulates Edward. r0(jg Washington, Nov. 9. One of the ern outskirts of the city. His throat first things President Roosevelt did had been cut from ear to ear with a when he leached his office today was dull knife The wound was torn and to dictate a characteristic message of jagged. Halen was detained pending congratulation and good wishes to an investigation. Bennett was 55 Edward VII, king of Great Britain and Ireland, who today celebrated the six ty-seventh anniversary of his birth. fr0m his home in the southwest- years old and leaves five Halen is 26 years old. 55 children. RECORDS ARE STOLEN Polk County Recorder Gives Grand Jury Information Indictments May Follow. Des Moines, Nov. 9.— (Special)— Mrs. F. W. Dobson, county recorder, has Informed the grand jury that un known persons have in the past, year robbed her office of records of real estate transfers representing millions of dollars worth of property The grand jury has a clue and may indict prominent persons. £J%L OTTUMWA. WAPELLO COUNTY, IOWA, TUESDAY NOVEMBER 10, 190S Proposed Deep Waterway Across Michigan ackin* PftosKey Alpena TraveneCity MICHIGAN .CHABLBS 6. HATHAWAY SsCfetary. at 'th&. Association", NAT GOODWIN TAKES NO. 4 EDNA GOODRICH 9UtCOtt£« COME DIAN'S WIFE KNOT 18 TIED IN Bosrtw., Boston, Mas*.. Nov. 9.—Nat C. Good win, the comedian, embarked on the sea of matrimon for the fourth time '"his life yesterday when'he married Edna Goodrich, former show girl and for one season his leading woman. The marriage took place at the home of Mr. Goodwin's mother, Mrs. Nathaniel Goodwin, early |n the afternoon, and the wedded couple retuahed to New York on the midnight train last night. For some reason the name of the person who performed the ceremony was kept secret, but It will become public when he makes his return to "le city register's office. George O. Weeden, Goodwin's manager, said a Justice of the peace married the couple, but Mr. Goodwin declared a clergy man friend of his father- had tied the kaot. Mr. Goodwin, Miss Goodrich, Mr. Weeden, and Mrs. Nellie Stevens the bride's mother, arrived in Boston'yes terday morning- from New York. They breakfasted at a hotel and then went a°i, GootlwIn •!*&&£•«&«&**€&*«£ .^-BayCirir ^Sarinaw home in an automobile. AH day a crowd of curious people hung about the house honing for a peep at the bride, ,but without success. After the ceremony Goodwin received the re porters and with blushing happiness announced that he had been married. CORN YIELD ENORMOUS Total 1908 .Production 2,642,000,000 Bushels, or 26.2 Bushels Per Acre. Washington. Nov. 9.—An average yield of 26.2 bushels of corn per acre and an indicated total production of 2,642,687,000 ihels are the prelimin ary estimates announced in the report of the department of agriculture is sued today. The yield per acre in 1907 was 25.9 and^ averaged 25.6 for ten years while the'production is com pared with 2,592,32(f,0C0 bushels, final ly estimated in 1907. The quality of corn is 86-9 per cent, compared with 82-8 in 1907. Boston Brokers Assign. Boston, Nov. 9.—The assignment of Burnham, Bennett & Co., members of Boston stock exchange was announced today. THE WEATHER Iowa and Wisconsin. Fair tonight and probably Tuesday no change in temperature. Local Weather. Nine o'clock ldst evening Seven o'clock this morning Two o'clock this afternoou ji 47 35 51 Vrii-Uf T&rorvtfl t&bulft GEORGE W- BUNK.*"'.. Engineer iu.,Gharg.. w... OIL MAGNATE DNDER ARREST H. CLAY PIERCE TAKEN TO TEXA3 ON PERJURY CHARGE AND RELEASED ON BOND. Austin, Texas, Nov. 9. H. Clay Pierce arrived here today and surren dered himself to Sheriff Pierce, under an indictment charging him with per jury in connection with the hearing of the ouster proceedings of Texas against the Waters-Pierce Oil Co Pierce said he was not at all apprehen sive of the outcome of the caBe and was confident he would be exonerated. Arrangements are now being made for bond and other preliminaries for the triaJ, which is set for Nov. 23. Released on Bond. Pierce was released on $20,000 bond signed by Texas citizens representing wealth aggregating $3,500,000. The case was continued until the January term of court. FAMILY SETS FIRE TO HOUSE OHIO WOMAN AND THREE CHIJw DREN BECOME DEMENTED AND TRY ARSON. Upper Sandusky, Ohio, Nov. 9 —Mrs Priscllla Abers, 60 years old and her children, William, aged 23 Ella aged 20 and M^y, aged 18 of Carey, Ohio, apparently all became demented today and shutting and locking the doors and fastening the windows they deliber ately poured coal oil upon the furni ture, beds and carpets and set fire to the whole house. Neighbors broke in to the house and rescued them. They were brought here, indicted for arson and sent to jail. NOT HOME TERRITORY Supreme Court Refeuses to Take Jurisdiction in Panama Canal Murder Case. Washington, D. C„ Nov. 9. The case of Adolphus Couslsen, who is under sentence of death in the Panama canal zone, the penalty being inflicted in a trial without a jury, was dismissed for want of jurisdiction by the supreme court of the United States today. Coulsen raised the questions that the zone is American territory and that a trial in a capital case with a jury was unconstitutional \Xr -*,1 i'Mi &&&«* -. !BlItI«a 0H!)(? ,00s I«3|.iojs!i-| «iuqf5 tV AT THREE Some Sundayisms "If your hair is pinned to your hats, dalles, leave 'em on other wise, hats off please." "You people on the outside, looking in will have to be still or take a aneak." "There lent a lodge or society in Ottumwa that hasn't got hypo crites among its members hut If a man uses that as an argu ment against the lodge he's a blatant fool and a jackass." ."You fellows give the churoh going pennies a rest let the dol lars work awhile." "When you find a man that says there are inconsistencies in the Bible you'll invariably discover that he's keeping a woman on the side Just around the corner." "Where did Cain get his wife? From his father-in-law, of cource— there were enough buxom dansels in those day6 for Cain to choose any kind of a frow he wanted, no matter what matrimonial dreams were busting his belfry." "I heard It prophesied that Ot tumwa would be my graveyard. Let me tell you right here that the laws of this country give a man the right to protect himself and I'll do it—don't you forget It. If any man tries to get gay with this tabernacle he'll be shot so full Of holes he won't make a good sieve and I'll pay the at torney's fees when the trial comes off." "If good preaching would save Ottumwa the city would have been saved long ago. You people need something else and by the grace of God I'm going to give It to you." -"I'll be flumJiggered If I can see why you are so generous to a cir cus and ao pusillanimous and parsimonious toward* religion. It'a not a fair deal to put God on a lunch counter basis." "Pass those plates down the aisles. I want every one to put somethin' In 'em. Spit in 'em if you have no money." "Men can go to hell as quick from a church as they can from a bawdy house or a saloon." "I've never found a Catholic priest that doubted the divinity of Christ. I've got to listen to some Protestant mutt to hear that." "I can take my knife and a piece of soft pine and make a bet ter set of city officials than lots of cities in this country have." "If you kids down there In front don't behave, you'll go out through the window." "Take the churches from the city and Ottumwa real estate wouldn't be worth ten cents on the dollar in a year." "The more people there are that believe in the Bible the less there are for the policemen and Judges to deal with." "The law of their own desires is the only law recognized by most church people." "Who does not believe in God, Is a child of the devil." "Half of the church membership could die today and there would be felt no physical loss in the spiritual world." "This town Is going to hell. There is too much Joining church and not enough Joining God. There is too much playing tag with God and hide and seek with the devil." "Once a man said to me, 'I have never been drunk, I have never committed adultery.' He didn't have the devil bested any." "God don't look at the fine clothes you wear, or whether you hoof It or ride around in an auto mobile. Your Dun and Brad street rating is also passed up. What He looks at is your heart." "I'm a plain clodhopper from Iowa, and I don't like this society shake of the hands with two fingers." "Pentecost saved 3,000 souls with one sermon. Now it takes 3,000 sermons to save the soul of one blear-eyed, double-jawed old skeptic." & "8ome husbands let their wives go about the house in mother-hub bards. They look like a feather bed with a string tied around it, and whenever they go out In the Continued on Page 10. 4 1 1 cleare° NUMBER 41 YESTERDAY TABERNACLE A MECCA FOR ALU*' CHURCH PEOPLE AND MANY( OTTUMWANS TOLD THEY ARE STINGY* PAYS COMPLIMENT TO J. F. JER^ SEY IN SATURDAY NIGHT AO-i DRES8— ELOQUENCE AND GlfJ GER MIXED. parted onbthe seafc Ind1"""*1 sether ta satire and sarcasm^Lp?Ply.^ great effect, as well 1,1 pathos and sympathy Mr.1un0day%STcc^ S^wins d° & «. 4 ONE8 SURROUNDED*/ EAGER THE BUILDING. crowd*,V ceivable standing spaw to tabernacle. Rev a a w,th tory comments on iditn™ T* lau,a" and publicly thanked,*. the country for Uclty thev work. UtttoXtrt SShf*0^' "Gou,d I 8 powers of' 1116 trLX W editor of thfl He followed this whh ily Conrier.' ,n KenerH the preas od ,rupport hRd an* pnb-^ himself and his dosed the ^ng servlc^ ^Iace?"" inr. Th« .1 ocrvice by A. B. Ackley from John VII- 17. ®.!? aIl'\hn«V8 Of the even--i SShnri0r,'ffln^1 number-i secretary and Mr ..8 an,st 81115* the selection f'^ a htrono' 4 voice. strong, musical! 1 The Sermon Proper. 1 Mr. ng had apathy With ,i '^^bern^to clearer conception of their dutv in ward God and their fellow men rd' I Just as soon help somo eood Cliria tlau to a "lf-arer ldea of hhj f« ™n!erl soroe men thai never pro- fessed to be a Christian ersTRaWSt»PTIC8' sn®erer« of the n,,^.men, th *nd doubt- eis said to Jesus, 'How do "we know, that you are what you claim to be'' He replied to them, 'If you will rtv ?°«m w'!nX'?"if0U W,n whether there is anything ])ke ro- roTwm Yn0,,",e, IN ir' kn°W or "ut- If you want to know a Ch"»'» ,flnd out- The proof of the* pudding is not in smelling the string' h[rCTo7« tlH! ?g: it,s ,n the ea£: ry t0 *et som° doesn.fc Idea bag Pudd,nS by nosinB around the'! Counterfeit and Genuine. "As long aB the United mints make coins there will be found them a"camPt to counterfeit dotract from the inJL genuine. It rather accen tuates it. Brown paper nor Infldelitv are never counterfeited. Only good thlneiR are Imitated. I once saw thousands o! dollars, counterfeit which John Wilkle. chief of the United States secret service showed me I had a good dollar in my pocket at the time— but I didn't walk'to the win dow and throw it away Just because I had «een all those bomiR coins, would have been a fool to do that "I say you're a fool if you pass up heaven just because you see some hvpocrtt.es in the church who are on the road ti hell. You will find all kinds of birds in a church— from a humming bird to a turkey buzzard. There isn't a lodee, society or nnion organization in old Ottumwa that hasn't got hypocrites on the mem bershlp ro'l. is that an argument against that lodge In gpneral? No,! sir. A man that uses that as an argu ment aeainst the lodgt 's a blatant fool and a jackass. Well, then, if a man has no ujse for a church because .itut nuo iiv upu iur a cuurcn necauBe here are some hypocrites In it— he'* 1 a fool and a Jackass also. 8he Looked Like the Devil. "One day down In Missouri I saw a stiff, stately looking dame out in the crowd. She was sitting up so straight I thought she had a poker down her®'1^ back. I walked up to her and said, 'Madame, are you a church member!*^ O on nrwt#. V. (1 ti. •ti, V2&5 .i