Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-11-01

that they are in favor of it, but it isn't
in their party platform and they are
not pledged. Without regard to party
are you In favor of equal rights to all
and special privileges to none and the
two cent fare?
/, Non-Partisan Assessment Board.
Takes are deductions from income.
Taxes are heavy in Iowa. There has
been scandal after scandal growing
out of the manner Of assessing taxes in
Iowa. Lieutenant Governor Herriott,
a republican Office holder, has deliver
ed the most scathing philippe against
the assessment board. Don't you think
that that ought to be taken out of poll
tics? Don't you think that the rail-
roads ought to be taxed on the same
basis with the farmer and merchant?
Nothing more than that, for the man
who would want to tax the corpora
lions unjustly ought to get out of pub
lie life. But they ought to be taxed
equally and they can't be as long as
the matter of assessing the taxes is in
politics.
In our platform we state that this
ought to be left to non-partisan
board of assessment, to be composed
of six men, not more than three of
them to belong to any one political
party. This board is to be chosen by
the state senate and legislature in
joint session. Doesn't that strike you
as practical and just? Doesn't that
strike you as eminently common
sense? Railroads are taxed by the
mile. Yet they have terminal property
OF immense value. We state that they
should be taxed also upon this ter
minal property"
| The speaker cited several instances
where industries in the state of Iowa
were unable to ship to Des Moines as
cheaply as goods in the same line
could be shipped into that city from
outside states. He said: "The corpor-
ations claim the right to tear down
the Industries of Iowa to build up those
Of another state. We are not fighting
for democrats when we oppose this,
but we are fighting for all of you.
Direct Election of Senators.
"You have here two candidates, one
for the senate and one for the state
legislature Why should the selection
of national senator be taken from
you and given to Mr.. Moon and Mr..
Sparks? Are you not capable of gov
erning yourself? I introduced a bill
calling for the direct election of sena-
tors twenty years ago when repre-.
sented this district In congress.
1T was met with derision and con.
tempt. Now bills calling for this meth.
cd Of electing senators have already
passed the lower house Of congress
three times. Now both parties In Iowa
are In favor Of 1t, though only one has
put 1t in their platform. The senate
has three times said no. When will
it say 'yes?' When you say to the
senators, Say Eyes" or you won't go
back there until you do The people
of this country must rule or the pluto
cracy will rule the people.
There is just one day in which you
can make yourself felt and that is on
election day. Governor Folk once said
in substance, that the man who neg.
1 lected or failed to exercise his right
iof suffrage was an embezzler OF
power. The thought of suffrage is a
! tremendous thing. No man should GO
into the booth other than as an intelli.
| gent elector. God, your conscience and
! your pencil is the trinity that should
accompany you there"
The speaker then briefly discussed
the state wide primary law, which the
democratic platform declares for. He
! stated that this measure was a most
beneficial one, as it gave every man
whether rich or poor, an equal power
in naming the candidates of his party
Speaks Of the Tariff.
| General Weaver next reverted to a
national question. In considering the
tariff issue he said in part: 81 am not
going, tonight, to question the wisdom
! Of law that gives to labor the diff
ference between the cost of production
/ in foreign lands and in our own
Mind you, admit nothing, state moth
Ing. deny nothing. I am just going
to let that phase of the question pass
at present unchallenged simply
won't discuss it. However say thai
the country passes law to shut out
foreign competition and succeeds
Then tho manufacturers combine al
home to shut off local competition
Then they have got you. They soon
will be millionaires. soon be safe and
sane fellows. Shut off both home and
foreign competition and we have 8
u ooI. hC patty Says
that when there is trust formed tc
shut off home competition on goods
! these articles should be placed on the
free list. If they do not want that done
let them dissolve their trust.
They then have no business to have
large and protective tariff on the
goods that they manufacture, we have
no business to vote for it, and thanh
God / never will. VIII you do your
duty for Molly and the babies once:
Vote for what is right.
/ What Harm Will 1t Do?
What harm will it do to vote fol
our heroic young candidate for gov
ernor? When the Spanish-Americar
war came on, he left his young wife
and one child, placed himself under the
flag. and said Here am l, take me- Is
is going to hurt anything to elect 6
man like him to be governor of the
state Of Iowa.
There is another thing that wan
to mention. Up in Keokuk county