B,n..-, -MM
w
IV
6
The Commoner.
VOLUME. 10, NUMBER 4
I'
U.V
L
Asfe Your Congressman
x r-
The time is past for sham battles and in order that a real victory may be won for tbo
peoplo every candidate for congress should be questioned on several particular subjects by
the men whoso 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 the 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
ropresontativo government, and constitutes an embezzlement of power."
Answer '
(2) Will you vote for a change in the house rules, putting the selection of committees
In the hands of party caucuses, each caucus selecting its own committee membership?
Answer
(3) Whore 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
(4) Do you endorse the democratic platform declaration that a private monopoly is in
defensible and intolerable?
Answer
(5) Will you do your utmost to make it impossible for. a private monopoly to exist?
Answer
(6) Will you favor a bill requiring the publication of all campaign contributions prior
to election day? "
Answer
(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 ;
(8) Are you in favor of the election of United States senators by direct vote of the people?
Answer ; , '..'..,.
(9) Are you in favor of tho Income tax?
Answer . ,'v. ; , . .' .'; ....
(10) Do you approve the democratic national platform for 1908?
Answer
Note: It is suggested that voters cut out the above list of questions and send it to tho
candidate for congress in their district, asking him to fill in tho answers and return tho same
to tho voter. Tho voter may, if ho desires, forward tho samo to The Commoner, and it will
bo printed in this paper.
FROM WEST VIRGINIA
Writing to J. A. Hibbs, Hundred, .W. Va.,
James W. Davis, candidate for congress, .says he
favors tariff for revenue only,, and answers all
other questions "yes."
FROM TENNESSEE
Writing to T. M. Gaddis from Crump, Tenn.,
Congressman T. W. Sims says he favors a tariff
for revenue only ar answers all other questions
in the affirmative. , ,
FROM IliMNOIS
Elton Bane Bullta, Arrowsmith, 111. Enclosed
find question blank, which was sent to and an
swered by Mr. Louis Fitz Henry, democratic can
diate from the Seventeenth congressional dis
trict of Illinois. It did not take him long to
answer the questions satisfactory to me. He de
serves tho support "of every progressive voter
in the district, as his opponent, Mr. John A.
Sterling, is a Cannonlto standpatter, and a do
nothing representative.
Bloomington, 111., October 18, 1910. Mr.
Elton Bane Builta, Arrowsmith, 111. Dear Sir:
Your favor of the 15th enclosing blank list of
questions taken from Tho Commoner, received.
I have answered them and return it to you. I
hope that my answers will be satisfactory to you
and that you will do everything in your power
to advance the interests of the cause. Tho re
publicans are very much dissatisfied with the
record of the present congressman and thou
sands of them will vote against him while many
will not vote at all. In order to insure suc
cess of the principles which are advantageous
to the people it will be necessary for every pro
gressive citizen to be extremely active from now
until the polls close. I trust you will give all
the attention possible to getting those who be
lieve as we do to the polls on election day.
Yours respectfully, LOUIS FITZ HENRY.
Mr. Fitz Henry answers question three by
saying that he favors a tariff lor revenue only
and answers all other questions, by saying "yes."
FROM COLORADO
O. L. Bright, Roggen, Colo. As suggested, I
Bent the ten questions to Hon. A. W. Rucker
candidate on tho democratic ticket for congress
of the First district of Colorado, and received
his answers to all tho questions. You will note
that he answers yes to all except the seventh
which he does not quite understand. As a con
stituent, I will say that Mr. Rucker has made
one of tho best representatives that ever went to
congress from Colorado. If elected this will
be his second term. Enclosed find his letter
and questions, which please publish. Long livo
Tho Commoner.
Denver, Colo., 'October 21, 1910. Mr. O. L.
Bright, Roggen, Colo. My Dear Sir: I have
been delayed in answering your letter and in
quiry of October 12, by my absence from tho
city. I have answered all your questions except
tho seventh, which I do not thoroughly under
stand. However, you will see from tho publlo
print my attitude in regard to these matters I
thank you for your past efforts in my behalf, and
will certainly appreciate whatever you may bo
able to do for me in my re-election. I am en
closing you herewith your questions answered
to the best of my ability, and assuro you that
I would be glad to-serve you in any way that
I may bo able to. Very truly yours,
A. W. RUCKER.
FROM WASHINGTON
Writing to G. R. Jones, Wartsburg, Wash.,
H. D. Merritt, candidate for congress, says ho
favors a tariff for revenue only and answers all
other questions in the affirmative.
FROM MISSOURI
-Hon. J. J. Russell of Charleston, Mo.', writes:
Charleston, Mo., October 17, 1910. No voter
of the district has submitted the enclosed ques
tions to me, but have clipped them from Tho
Commoner, and hand to you with my answer,
Very truly, J. J.- RUSSELL.
Mr. Russell answers question two by saying:
"I will follow the advice of Champ Clark," and
answers all other questions in the affirmative.
Perry Wright, Edgerton, Mo. Enclosed pleaso
find list of questions taken out of The Com
moner and forwarded to our congressman. You
will see all questions are answered in the affirm
ative; also enclose his reply to same; you can
publish same in The Commoner if you like.
Yours for results.
Savannah, Mo., October 17, 1910. Mr. Perry
Wright, Edgerton, Mo. My Dear Sir: Just in
from a week's campaign in Holt county and
found your letter, together with newspaper clip
ping, which I herewith return. I have answered
at least fifty of these in the last month. Every
democrat ought to answer them "yes."
Yours truly, CHARLES F. BOOHER.
Mr. Booher says he is for tariff for revenuo
only and answers all other questions in the
affirmative.
A. T. Duncan, Clinton, Mo. I am pleased to
enclose herewith the answers of our congress
man, Hon. C. C. Dickinson of this Sixth con
gressional district. Mr. Dickinson is a resident
of this city. Kind regards and best wishes.
Mr. Dickinson says he is for tariff for revenuo
only and answers all the other questions "yes."
FROM IOWA
Writing to William O. Brisbine, S. C. Huber,
Tama, Iowa, candidate for congress says ho
favors tariff for revenue only and answers all
other questions in the affirmative.
FROM CALIFORNIA
Arthur W. Callagahan, Northwestern, Cal. '
I am sending you Mr. W. Kentt's answers to the
ten questions. He is the republican candidate
for congress from this, the Second district of
California, and in a few days I hope to have the
same answered by our democratic candidate.
Things are looking fine for our party.
Mr. Kent answer's questions 1, 2, 6, 8 and 9
"yes." He answers 7 "no." He answers 3 in
this way: "Revenue and protection of indus
tries that can in a reasonable time be self-supporting."
He answers 4 in this way: "No, I
would regulate monopolies. Competition can
never be restored." He answers 5 this way:
"An uncontrolled monopoly, yes." He answers
10 this way: "Haven't read it. Am for parcels
post."
FROM OKLAHOMA .
J. Grover Scales, Row, Okla., October 27,
1910. Our candidate for congress,vHpn. James
S. Davenport, has kindly answered all the ques
tions that you ask in The Commoner. He an
swers "yes" to all of the questions by saying
that he believes in a tariff for revenue only.
Mr. Davenport represented our Third congres
sional district in congress two years ago, and
being dissatisfied sadly with our present repub
lican representative, we are enthusiastic to seo
this patriotic democratic candidate overwhelm
ingly elected. Yours for democracy.
FROM NEBRASKA.
Thomas Asp, Holdrege, Neb. I have asked
Hon. R. D. Sutherland the questions proposed
by The Commoner, and he has answered them
directly in the affirmative, every one but No. 3,
which ho answers, "Tariff for revenue only."
We surely have a democratic candidate in tho
Fifth Nebraska district this year that we may
feel very proud over, and a man who, by all
means, ought to be elected by a large majority.
--J 't ii,vt, y,, J,tL2&Ji!tnja