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SUPPLEMENT TO McCOOK Neb TRIBUNE
ALDRICH AT HOME
David City Neb Oct 1 A canvass
of the people -who know C H Aid
rich as fellow townsmen and neighbors
during the last twenty years has just
been completed for the purpose of
letting the state know something def
inite about the personality and pri
vate record of the republican nominee
for the governorship The opinion of
the community will be given in the
words of representative people com
prising it They will show that Mr
Aldrich is a man of substance and fine
reputation whose private and public
life can be investigated to the bottom
without disclosing a flaw
A correspondent going from store
to store and from office to office
around the public square of this thrif
ty and high grade county seat town
found the business and professional
men ready to give out their testimony
In such a hearty and positive manner
as to leave no doubt as to their con
fidence in their townsman that ho is
not only able not only sincere but
enthusiastic to carry into the execu
tive office at Lincoln the high purpose
expressed in the republican state platr
form and in his own public utterances
Vhat His Neighbors Say
Across the street from the Central
National bank is the general merchan
dise store of Mr George Schweser
Mr Schweser being himself a sue
cessful business man was asked to
make a statement for publication of
his judgment of Mr Aldrich from the
business mans point of view
I judge Mr Aldrlchs business as I
do those of other men from what he
chows up for himself He came to this
county a poor boy fresh from college
taught school at Ulysses one of the
towns in this county came from there
here with his young wife whom he
married there came here to begin his
career as a lawyer has been here ever
since nearly twenty years has prac
ticed law and been successful in that
profession engaged in other line3 of
business on the side from time to
time succeeded in the other enter
prises provided well for his family
all the time schooled his children four
sons has now a profitable law busi
ness one of the good homes here has
a 320 acre farm a few miles out in
the country some other property and
is on the whole not rich but well to
do and prosperous I call that success
from a business standpoint
Mr Aldrich is broad minded and
progressive in his views of public af
fairs He wants the best schools the
latest and best methods and appli
ances in public Institutions but he is
no visionary no experimentor nor
waste of public money I believe he
would give the state a first class and
clean administration
The next man interviewed was Al
binus Eberly a banker and retired
farmer I have known Mr Aldrich
about twenty five years said Mr Eb
erly When I was on the farm I
used to be called on the jury A farm
er juror watches the lawyers in court
He learns to judge their character and
methods I learned from that experi
ence to know Mr Aldrich as a hard
lighter in a trial He is plum full of
energy always in dead earnest about
everything but in the trial of a case
he fights with all his might He
wants to win his cause I have always
admired him for his courage and his
grit as a lawyer
But Mr Eberly you are a bank di
rector now as well as a farmer and
you are a part of a big business that
is more or less jealous of the progres
sive laws and of aspiring politicians
and public men who cater to progres
sive public sentiment Is Mr Aldrich
a fire eater who wants to attack busi
ness for the sako of being popular
with the masses
No not a bit of it He is too much
of a business man himself for that
He prospers in his own business af
fairs wants every other business man
to prosper but he is a stickler for the
law He wants the business interests
big and little to respect the laws and
he wants the laws to be made so that
every man rich or poor will have an
even chance Both the farmers and
the business men of this county will
have confidence in Mr Aldrich if he
goes to Lincoln
The next business man seen was
G W Gates He said Mr Aldrich
Is a good citizen I want to say that
about him because it is true and the
people of the state have a right to
know it Everybody here even his
most active political enemies will
agree to that Mr Aldrich is enter
prising and public spirited Thats
a good point in his favor now He
wants the best conditions in the city
affairs here where he was mayor for
a time and in the public schools
where he has been a member of the
school board for years He has had
jots of experience In our public mat
iJKt T ASll
aii 1 a
mt
ters of this town and county and we
know him as a leader who leads to
wards better conditions all the time
Mr Benison a business man said
I have known Mr Aldrich a good
many years From what I know of
him I would have absolute confidence
in every promise ho would make He
is no ready promiser On the whole
I should say he is thoroughly depend
able and will not disappoint the public
nor betray the people If ho is elected
governor
George Wanser hotel man I
knew Chet Aldrich when he was a
young fellow teaching the school at
Ulysses I knew Mrs Aldrich when
she was a girl there before they were
married They have lived an ideal
life and have a fine family of four
bright boys The boys worked out on
the farm when they were not fn
school Aldrich is a clean home man
Everybody knows that He Is a great
horse man He used to own some of
the fastest horses in the state He
has had lots of experience in fine
horses and fine cattle He has a herd
of white faced cattle now some of them
the best in the state Aldrich has
been a mighty busy man here If he
gets to be governor he will be a
worker He cant keep still He is
right at something all the time and
he makes It go
James Frater druggist If you ask
me about Mr Aldrich I will say this
He is a good worker a good thinker
and a man of good purposes and good
principles He has an active mind
Now I say that about him because
it is true and its a good recommenda
tion for a man who is going to be put
in a responsible public position Then
I want to say another thing He is
a common man who puts himself on
the level with the common people and
thinks of them and of their interests
He gets this characteristic from his
early life and he Is too independent
to change himself now If he goes in
to the governors office he will be
square with the interests of the com
mon people His head Is all right his
heart is right his judgment 13 right
and his sympathies are In the right
line
W C Buchta jeweler I believe
Aldrich will be one of the very best
governors the state ever had He Is
keen minded to see things sees them
correctly and wants to succeed in
whatever he undertakes He is pro
gressive all the time in his political
views but is no fault finder nor
chronic howler of calamity He will
not persecute an Interest unless It is
something he thinks Is positively bad
and then hell fight itno matter what
the consequences are to himself
Mr Myaat banker If you want me
to make a statement about Mr Aldrich
I will just say that I know him well
know his business methods his politi
cal history and his work here in a
public way and from that knowledge
I would say he would be a thoroughly
safe man for governor He is progres
sive but hes a builder up and not a
tearer down Thats the way I would
put it You cant wheedle Aldrich nor
procure him nor bluff him Mr Aid
rich is an open kind of man He se
cretes nothing Whatever he is every
body knows Hell undoubtedly make
mistakes if he gets to be governor
for they all do but Aldrich will never
get tangled up in any manipulations
that will discredit him
J G Ross banker Aldrich made
his own way through school came out
here to Nebraska and succeeded Hes
a self made man He is not visionary
He dont get rattled I have had lots
of business with him and have always
found him on the square I believe
that he will be elected and that he
will make a splendid governor If I
did not think so I would not endorse
him
C O Crosthwait banker Aldrich
has the qualities that have made Gov
ernor Folk famous He is quick to
see to judge which is the right course
and he moves straight forward with
energy and ability He is like Gover
nor Hanley of Indiana full of senti
ment and full of enthusiasm in any
cause If he Ib elected governor I
shall expect him to grow into general
favor with the Nebraska people
Gene Wright business man I can
not say now that I fully agree with
Mr Aldrich in his county option views
But I am bound to say that I have the
utmoBt confidence In his sincerity and
in his ability as a man and that if
elected his administration will be
clean and competent Every one here
who knows him will say that of him
whether they agree with him political
ly or not
Democrat Gives Support
J F Ammond hardware store I
used to be a democrat But I am sup
porting Mr Aldrich now I know
him well know him to be an
upright man a progressive man
one who cannot bo swerved from
his duty to the public He is neither
a coward nor a trimmer The people
of the state ought to know him from
his legislative record He is what I
call a man of the people
Ex State Senator Hastings attor
ney I am not agreeing with Mr
Aldrich in everything but I want to
speak fairly of him He is a good
lawyer a good business man and he
is competent to handle the public
business as governor He is ambitious
I think wants public applause but
he will do what he says he will do
His career so far has been a success
Anton Ptacek business man I
A L Hughes abstractor Put me
down for Aldrich I believe in him
and I conscientiously recommend him
to the thousands who are to vote in
the election
Ed G Hall postmaster I know
Mr Aldrich thoroughly and I hope he
will be elected not simply because he
Is a republican but because I believe
he will make good He has right
ideas and he will carry them out
Henry Bock farmer I am in a hur
ry I am in town only for a few mo
ments I voted in the primary for
Shallenberger for I am a democrat
But I am going to vote for Aldrich at
have known Mr Aldrich about twenty
five years I knew him at Ulysses
when he was a young fellow I know
that he stands high there now He
got every republican vote but three
or four there in the primary Mr
Aldrich is a very outspoken man If
he gets to be governor hell offend
some people now and then with his
abruptness for he is decided in his
manner but the public will respect
him when they find him out Aldrich
has a good deal of sympathy and sen
timent in his make up Anyone who
hears him speak in public can tell
that But hes got lots of practical
sense Hes a close student He has
in his home one of the fie est libraries
the election I dont want to see this
state cut loose from lav and order
and everything that is decent We
cant afford to do that Theres a lot
of democratic farmers in this county
who think just as I do Good bye
William Kilgore retired farmer
Im for Aldrich Hes on the right
side of the case Hell do what he
says and hell do it right
Troy Eller merchant We are
strong for Aldrich here We know
him and we believe in him Some
think he is too radical but he Is just
simply in earnest thats all He wants
what Is right in government and we all
want that I think hell be elected and
I believe hell make a splendid gover
nor
COUNTY OPTION IS NOT PROHIBITION
County option does not put in a saloon nor take out a
saloon On presenting a petition to the county board with the
legal number of signatures all the voters of any county may
say whether they do want a saloon or whether they do not
want one
At present all the villages towns and cities in Nebraska
have option The taxpayers outside the towns are required to
pay court expenses and assist in the maintenance of jails and
penitentiaries thereby forcing them into the position of being
taxed without representation and virtually disfranchised
Should the coming legislature pass the county option law
any county not voting on the proposition afterwards would
retain the Slocumb law and 8 oclock closing law as at present
It is eminently fair to let Douglas county have what she wants
and at the same time let the outside counties have what they
want which both could get by majority vote of their own
people Let all the people rule
The democratic platform stands for the initiative and
referendum which will give all the counties the right to vote
on the liquor question the same as county option Hence
county option does not restrict personal liberty it enlarges it
in the state and Is a great reader I
would sum up Aldrich this way He
is a good lawyer a good farmer a
good stock man a good man in public
affairs and he is above all else a clean
home man and a good citizen
Captain J F Zellinger We are
backing Mr Aldrich hore because we
believe he will make good He has
proven himself here among us and we
believe he will make good If he gets to
the state house in Lincoln I want to
say this in particular about him He
will carry out his promises
John Harper merchant and for four
years treasurer of Butler county I
have been here thirty six years I
can sincerely commend Mr Aldrich to
tho Nebraska people Theyll not be
disappointed in him if they elect him
governor
L C Harris a storekeeper We are
proud of Mr Aldrich In David City
We are expecting him to be elected
and to give the Nebraska people an
administration that will not be disap
pointing
W A WellB lumber merchant One
trouble with public affairs is that the
men we elect to office are pulled away
from their duty to the public by the
men and the interests who have axes
to grind The special interests want
to use the officials and they manage to
get a good many of them Well I
can say this of Mr Aldrich they cant
use him Hes too independent in
character for that They couldnt hold
him back when he went In for that
freight rate law Weve tried him
here and found him true at every
point Hell be just as square with
the public when he is governor as he
was when he was state senator
J A Constant editor of the Peo
ples Banner a republican paper Mr
Aldrich Is a man of strong will I
dont mean that he is stubborn and
self opinionated He is an open and
candid man ready to talk out his
plans with everybody and ready to
change his course if he finds hes
wrong but whenever he once sets his
mind on a certain course after he has
Investigated and satisfied himself that
he is right then you cant move him
He was that way in the senate Thats
why he is popular here He got every
republican vote but three or four in
tho primary at Ulysses where he used
to live He got all but seven of the
republican votes cast here He got all
but twenty five votes in the whole
county at the republican primaries
Hell get a lot of democratic votes in
this county at the general election
I E Doty bank president Every
fair minded man who knows Mr Aid
rich well as I do will agree with me
that he is a man of most excellent
qualities in every way we measure
men He has good ability plenty of
courage and is absolutely sincere and
faithful in whatever he undertakes I
know a good many bankers and men
of affairs in this state I want to be
quoted as saying to them that I be
lieve Mr Aldrich qualified to be and
that ho wili be if elected one of the
safest and ablest governors we have
ever had
Well Informed populist leaders
who know the voting strength of the
party in the state and the general sit
uation say the populist vote for Mr
Aldrich will more than offset the re
publican vote that will go to the -democratic
candidate on account of the
saloon issue
There is no better authority as to
this situation than A M Walling one
of the prominent citizens of David
City and now grand master workman
of the Ancient Order of United Work
men Mr Walling was seen at his
office He had just returned from Lin
coln where the populist state commit
tee had rejected the old fusion with
the democrats and refused to put the
name of the democratic candidate for
governor on the populist state ticket
Mr Walling spoke of the old unien
that had existed for so many years be
tween the populists and democrats but
said it was off now so far as the elec
tion of governor Is concerned on this
one question of county option and that
in his judgment 90 per cent of the
populists would support Aldrich They
are for Aldrich he says not only on
account of county option but because
they prefer the character of Mr Aid-
rich to that of Mr DaKlman
It was a great day m Lincoln said
Mr Walling Our state committee
turned down Mr Dahlman and while
we were doing that that our voters
might be free to cast their ballots for
Aldrich the Hon George I Wright
prohibition candidate for governor
was resigning his candidacy in the in
terests of Mr Aldrich and at the
same time Mr Bryan loved by the
populists more than any other man In
the nation was declaring himself
against tho democratic candidate
Dahlman
It was a great day It all means a
good deal for Nebraska It means
that the people who want law and
order are getting together regardless
of party It is fortunate for the popu
lists who as a rule are farmers clean
and law abiding people that the repub
licans have put up for governor a man
that every good citizen can support
with a clear conscience I have known
Mr Aldrich sixteen years We do not
agree on everything political but I
have found him square and sincere
and I like a man of that kind even if
his views do not match with mine In
every particular We are together this
year onthe issue that is before the
people and I intend to support him
with all my might The populists so
fa ras I know are practicaly unani
mous for Mr Aldrich and knowing
him well as I do I am glad as a citi
zen of this town where he lives to
recommend him as a man who will not
fool the people who trust him Hes
a splendid man in his public spirit He
gets behind things such as our new
library that we are building here our
churches our schools our city affairs
and be always works In a hearty and
manly way for the best things
Endorsed by the Ministers
The last men seen by the cor
respondent at David City- were the
ministers They are not on the street
and so had to be called on at their
homes The Rev Mr Gettys of the
M E church to which Mr Aldrich
and his family belong was warm and
enthusiastic in his commendation of
Mr Aldrich
I want you to say this from me
said Mr Gettys that Mr Aldrich has
the confidence of the Christian people
of David City and of Butler county
Whatever his political enemies may
say of him they cannot truthfully say
that he is not a clean man a good
home man sincere and consistent as
a church member and he is a work i
ing member of the church The
other ministers here will tell you the
same There is no sweeter home than
his nor no man who is more loved
by his family Everybody here knows
that I am not such a church bigot
as to want him to be governor of tho
state simply because he belongs to
my church but I want to see clean
Christian men in public office for
every state government ought to- be
clean at the top at least Go and sea
the other ministers and find out what
they think of Mr Aldrich
Rev Mr Kleihauer pastor of the
Christian church is a son-in-law of
Dr W P Aylsworth chancellor of
Cotner university Speaking of Mr
Aldrich Mr Kleihauer said I have
watched Mr Aldrich since I have been
pastor of our church here in David
City He is one of the leading men
here and I have been Interested In
his course I find him a man of good
principles true in his character and
clean in his life as a citizen and as a
church member Mr Aldrich planned
the dry campaign here three years
ago when we drove the saloons out of
David City He went into the fight
With the viETOr and parnptiiB fTio
characterizes him in everything he
undertakes
It was suggested that Mr Aldrich
as senator voted
against
county op
tion
Certainly he did said Mr Klei
hauer and we understood that here
County option was not an Issue whenv
he ran for the senate If it had been
Mr Aldrich would have been defeated
This county as a whole Is strongly
democratic and strongly against coun
ty option When the county option
Issue was raised in the senate he felt
that he must vote a vote that -would
represent the majority will of his con
stituents in this county because they
had not considered that issue when
they were voting for him and had not
had an opportunity to ca3t their votes
against him But in order to put him
self fair before the people of his own
county and the people of the stata
when he announced his candidacy for
governor he proclaimed It boldly that
he would favor county option and he
put it out plain so that everybody
could understand and could vote
against him on that issue if they
wanted to
Rev D F Firor pastor of the Bap
tist church was found in tho base
ment of the church helping to repair
the furnace He seemed glad to ba
called upon to give his testimony for
his fellow townsman I have a high
opinion of Mr Aldrich he said I
got that estimate of him from my
personal acquaintance and from what
the people here say of him I hava
been here only two years but that is
long enough to learn that Mr Aldrich
is held m high esteem by the church
people of this town He has been a
consistent worker here for the best
things He is clean in his home life
and has a fine family
Dr C S Beede of David City a
prominent physician was seen on the
train on his way to Omaha He was
very earnest in his endorsement oj
Mr Aldrich Mr Aldrich is an en
thusiast said the doctor not of tho
visionary kind an enthusiastic builder
up of any cause he espouses He is a
man who proclaims from the house
tops what he believes In the closet
You can always depend on what ha
says I mean by that that he will
keep his promises If he changes his
course at any time it is not for policy
but for principle He is no political
side stepper
Mr Aldrich as an Executive
W S McCoy formerly of David
City but now with the Lincoln Safe
Deposit and Trust company of Lin
coln was asked for his estimate of
Mr Aldrich from the standpoint of
his former association with him as an
essoclate in city affairs I lived in
Butler county thirty two years I ttos
city clerk of David City twelve years
During that time Mr Aldrieh was
mayor and member of the city council
several years and was chairman of the
finance committee He has exception
ally good ability In handling publlo
business He is quick and accurate
He was the one man in tho city gov
ernment who gave close attention to
the accounts As mayor he put out
the slot machines and kept them out
and kept order In the city They had
saloons in David City then There
was an ordinance that required them
to close at ten oclock This ordi
nance had never been enforced When
the day came for the licenses to be
issued at the beginning of Mr Aid
richs administration he called tho
saloon men In I was right there a
the time and he gave them a stralghj
talk He told them before they paid
their money they must understand
that the ten oclock ordinance would
be strictly enforced A little later
some of the saloon men appealed to
him to let them remain open till
eleven oclock on Saturdays They
said their best trade was on Saturday
night Yes said Mr Aldrich If I
would override the law and say eleven
oclock then youd want to leave tho
back door open until twelve oclock
You want to violate the law and you
want me to indorse your violation
which would make me a violator too
I have taken an oath and you want
me to violate it for your benefit 111
not consent to it And he didnt Ho
enforced the ordinance to the letter
I mention this because it shows him
as he is a man who respects the law
and feels a proper sense of responsi
bility Mr Aldrich Is not a bully nor
a tyrant but hes a strong and posi
tive man when he is under responsV
bllity