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The Commoner.
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Ask Your Congressman
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The time Is past for sham battles and In order that a real victory may bo won for tho
people every candidate for congress should bo questioned on several particular subjects by
the men whose votes he seeks.
Readers of The Commoner everywhere should ask their congressman:
(1) Do you believe: "A platform is a pledge, given by the candidate to tho voters, and
when ratified at the polls becomes a contract between the official and his constituents. To
violate it, in letter or in spirit, is not only undemocratic, but repugnant to the principles of
representative government, and constitutes an embezzlement of power."
Answer 'aa-fcm:qinf'c ; ui v"37'vrt:K aftu nt' '"' ru .
(2) Will you vote for a chango in the house rules, putting tho selection of committees
In the hands of party caucuses, each caucus selecting its own committee membership?
Answer
4-T'fwi.'?rrirr-je'-'fl " .,''' '"
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(3) Where do you stand on the tariff question? Do you believe in the principle of pro
tection as Interpreted by the republican party or do you favor tariff for revenue only?
Answer vw:VTrtin"- tW.t'tzwvwn wo -w
(4) Do you endorse the democratic platform declaration that a private monopoly is in
defensible and intolerable?
Answer w,w.-:iww .rr.'. W. V.wm . ; -..-. ...-..
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(6) Will you do your utmost to make it impossible for a private monopoly to exist?
(&) Will you. favor a bill requiring tho publication pi all campaign contributions prior
to election day? . -
jlhsyvci? ' '' ' '
(7) Are you opposed to national incorporation that Is, the grant of corporation charters
by the federal government instead of by the state 'government as at present?
Answer . .-I. . . .'. .'. .-. .,-. ........ .:..'. .". . .,,., ... ,.; . ,. ... .'. ., . '. . .... .
. 'v,vr '. , -.- -, '. v '. ' - Tt'.4-' '. "'', "r. "f ' '''. "
o (.80 Are. youln'-.favor of the. "election.of. United States. senatoTs by direct , vote. of ithe people?
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Answer .' '. 77 -
(9) Are you in favor of the Income tax?
Answer
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'(10) Do" you approve 'the democratic national platform for 1908?-
Answer
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Note: It is suggested that voters cut out the above list of questions and send it to the
candidate for congress in their district, asking him to fill in the answers and return tho same
to tho voter. Tho voter may, if he desires, forward the same to The Commoner, and it will
bo printed' in this paper. -
- FROTSt MINNESOTA
George B. Stedman, Utica, Minnesota. I for-
warded to our candidate for congress, Judge H.
L. Buck, Winona, Minn., the list of questions
as printed in The Commoner. He answers every
question yes. I hope he will bo elected. Re
publicanism is surely doomed in old Minnesota,,
and William J. Bryan has been the one national
figure that has brought it about. May his life
be spared to round out. a full one hundred years;
and returning them to you. I have not answered
tho second question, because I do-not feel suffi
ciently familiar with the parliamentary history
of. tho house from my one term in congress to
take a positive position on this question. I be
lieve in Mr. Champ Clark's leadership and shall
follow his advice and suggestion on this Impor
tant matter; With kindest regards, I remain
Yours truly,
WILLIAM P. BORLAND. .
IHOM MISSOURI
W, H. Coffey, M. D., Kansas City, Mo. Dear
Editor of the greatest paper published.' I would
not be without it. My wife says that it is my
Bible. Beinjg a woman and not having a vote
in this state, she does not understand that you
must read both The Commoner and the Bible
before you can un (I was about to say under
stand either) but I will modify that a little and
say before you can be a good citizen. As soon
as The Commoner arrives it goes with me where
ever I go until I have finished It. I enclose
herewith Mr. Borland's answer, also his letter.
I am going to vote for Borland for what I think
and hope he will do in congress for the common
people. He answers every question "yes," ex
cept No. 2, which he does not answer at all.
Kansas City, Mo., September 28, 1910. Dr.
W. H. Coffey, Bryant Building, Kansas City, Mo.
My Dear Doctor: Since" you have taken enough
interest to send me the enclosed list of ques
tions, I shall take pleasure in answering them
F. S. MONNETT ON THE TARIFF
Columbus, Ohio, Otober 3, 191.0. Mr. F. Sf
Monnett, In the following communication, ad
dressed to S. B. Dietz, Secretary Madison
Grange, Canal Winchester, Ohio, has answered
some questions put to him by Mr. Dietz on his
position on the- tarfff and other questions. The
facts' and figures therein are easily verified from
the records he .has at his office and" ho will be
only too glad1 to take up with any one disputing
any pf the facts:
When the Payne-AIdrich tariff bill went Into
effect, the farmers of Franklin county were re
ceiving from eighty to ninety cents for corn.
The September option has just closed at 48
cents per bushel, a difference of 6G per cent of
the value to the farmer, In less than two years,
and only 35 cents per bushel offered for the
new crop.
Last year September wheat sold at Chicago
at the close of the matket at $1.20. This year
It sold at 93 cents, a difference of 29 per oont,
or one-fourth of tho farmor'a incomo.
Last year I received 33 1-3 conts per pound
for my clip of Ohio wool. This year tho boat
I havo boon offered Is 22 centH to 25 cents per
pound for tho samo grado of wool, a difference
of about 33 per cent of my Incomo.
Lost year September oats closed at -18 conts
per bushel, in tho Chicago market, and this -year
at 31 cents, a dlfforenco of 52 per cent, or
moro than one-half of my incomo from oats.
Woolen blankets from tho samo wool have
Increased 2G per cent; wire nails mado by the
United States steel trust, and wlro fonco are '10
per cent higher than boforo tho trust fixed tho
arbitrary prices.
Farm machinery, mowers, reapors and the
repairs thereon, wagons, onginos and manuro
sprcadors are soiling from CO to 150 por cent
moro than they cost, undor tho manipulation of
tho International Harvester company.
Now under the tariff bill, tho farmers of
Franklin county get no protection upon tliolr
hay, their oats, their whoat, or their corn, be
cause they export 24 per cent of those products.
Therefore, tho tariff in no way protects any
of tho farmer's products, oxcopt wool, nnd with
a tariff of 11 conts per pound, wool forthwith
shrank 8 1-3 cents per pound in Ohio.
Tho latest report of tho American Woolen
company, nccordlug to their report of August,
1910, shows they Increased thoir incomo from
$29,886,000 (o $48,000,000, a net incrcaso of
profits from $1,287,70G to $5,798,059, or moro
than 400 por cent.
Aftor paying all thoir dividends on tho wa
tered stock and fictitious bonds, they increased
their surplus $2,000,000 and their current as
sets $8,000,000. Tho not profits of tho Amer
ican Woolen company wore us above stated, and
it is the sole buyer of the wool in this stato and
county, having Increased its profits undor tho
Payne-Aldrlch tariff bill 40 por cont, and -tho
farmers, In tho meantime, lost or depreciated
their profits 25 per cent.
These figures can rib verified from Moody's
Manual or by inspecting Otis and Hough's
records, at Columbus, Ohio, or any other re
liable financial houso in the city.
I will offer a $50 prlzo for tho best paper
proparod 'by any resldont of tho townships of
Franklin county, Ohio, tho paper not to exceed
two thousand words, and "To furnish the best
reasons why farm products, under tho Aldrich
tariff Bill havo mado this depreciation and tho
manufactured products used by the farmer have
all increased or maintained their .monopolistic
prices." If there are moro than fifty competitors,
I will give ,10 as tho second prize, tho papers
to bo passed upon by suitable Judges.
I will use tho best of these papers in tho
Sixty-second congress and havo them placed In
tho Congressional Record by any of tho con
testants that wish to havo it so done. All con
testants' papers must be filed at my office, Co
lumbus, Ohio, before November 5, 1910.
F. S. MONNETT,
Candidate for Congress, .
". ' .. ;. Twelfth District of Ohio.
. Columbus,-Ohio; October 3, 1910.
INFORMATION WANTED
A. G. Catlin, Aitkin, Miunesota: I think tho
move. to have congressmen adhere to tho wishes
of tho constituents is proper and. right. I . do
not like to see officials get a "big head" and
say, "who ar you, that you can dictate and tell
me, a public officer, what to do?" I' have a
couple of problems which should be solved.
- Problem 1. If tho last straw breaks tho
camel's "back, how many "ship subsidies" will
it take to fill the "full dinner pail" with wind?
Probfem 2. How many "cabbage leaves" "and
"other inducements" will it take to stifle the
mind of the people sufficiently to enable tho
"special interests" to put a "hypnotic sleep"
upon the voters by "waving the flag" and calling
up "patriotic phrases" to plaqe them In "full
control" of the law-making machinery?
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The American Homestead, a monthly
farm journal of national scope, will bo
sent to all Commoner subscribers, with
out additional coat, who renew their sub
scriptions during the month of Octo
ber, when accompanied by this notice.
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