The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-06-21

Forks, N. D. My Dear Sir: Being
subscriber of your very valuable paper
which read diligently, and regard 1
from a literary standpoint at least, a
far and away the best Scandinavian
paper west of the DEBORAH Posten ant
this is my excuse for taking you t
task for the spirit exhibited in you
leading editorial in this weeks Scan
dinavian headed. McCumber ant
Hanna"
The argument you make agains
those two honest, faithful public ser.
wants is neither fair nor just-mort
particularly as you assume to be re.
publican in politics, upholding ant
voicing the fundamental principles Of
the party as expressed in its nationa
platform for more than fifty years.
You first state that McCumber and
Hanna stand for the same thing. That's
true. You next state that they should
be judged by their votes. That's true
also, and here your logic and fairness
seem to end.
You go on to state, for instance, that
because McCumber and Hanna voted
with the great majority of their re-
publican fellow members in their re-
spective houses, that therefore they
were wrong, per Sc.
You show that because McCumber
voted the same way that Aldrich did,
10 times out of 1873 votes cast on the
tariff schedules, that therefore McCum-
Der should be defeated. Now, the late
M. N. Johnson, whose honesty his Bit
terest enemy never questioned, voted
with Aldrich S6 times, Carter of Mon
tana voted with Aldrich 102 times, and
even Knute Nelson, who has always
been low tariff man, voted with AL
drich 81 times. This line of argument
was first put forth by Collier's-an or
gan controlled by the importers and
which paper is recognized as the most
disreputable muckraker in America,
and is specious and dernagogic to a
degree.
You then say this: 1.-THE tariff on
harvest machines, plows, tools and all
kinds Of farm utensils was proposed
abolished, Aldrich voted against this
and McCumber did the same" Now,
Mr.. Thorson, wouldn't it be more fair
If you said that in justice to McCum-
Der, he did try to get many of these
things on the free list and that chiefly
through his efforts every implement
you mention, as well as every tool a
farmer uses from a screw driver to a
threshing machine was reduced in duty
from TN per cent to rs per cent.
Wouldn't 1t now?
You say "McCumber voted with AL
drich against putting lumber and shin
giles on the free list" Now, wouldn't
it be more in harmony with the facts
and gracefully fair to say something
like this: I'm justice it must be said
that McCumber did make very able
argument advocating putting lumber
and building materials on the free list
and chiefly through his work and in
fiuence the duty on lumber was re-
duced 3S per cent, barbed wire 81 per
cent, soft coal 38 per cent, window
glass 20 per cent and fence posts are
now admitted Free"
You know all this is true You then
take Hanna's record and you say: al.
B. Hanna has in the house the same
record McCumber has in the senate.
He voted for Cannon for speaker and
against Cooper of Wisconsin"
Now, wouldn't it be fairer to say, I'm
justice to Mr.. Hanna he did vote
against Cannon in the republican eau
Gus to elect a speaker, but Cannon re-
ceiving a majority of the caucus the
rules of party comfy and simple honor
dictated his voting for the nominee of
his party on the floor of the house"
For all this is true.
Now, wouldn't it be a graceful thing |
and true-if you said this also:
Truth and justice both dictate that
We should state that both McCumber
a nj
voted to eliminate wheat, wheat flour,
barley and flax seed and its products |
from the provisions of the drawback. |
and they also voted and worked for the |
retention of the duty on all the cereals
raised by the North Dakota farmer. and /
this is the reason that wheat and it's |
products, barley and fax seed is SO /
much higher in price in North Dakota |
than they are in Canada" And this |
also: THE great bulk of the revenue |
needed to conduct the affairs OF this /
government is derived from duties on
imports" and this must not be lost sight /
of in passing a revenue bill. We would /
really favor an income tax to assist in i
this but the supreme court has de- Il
clared this mode of taxation unconsti- |
tutional, and besides our home market /
is the best, as the American working
man when he gets full days work
at good pay is the greatest consumer
of our products on earth. This was /
shown during the years of industrial |
depression, under the democratic tar L
if bill of 1893, for the records show
that during the four years beginning
in July, 1898. and ending July, 1897 the
of the products we pro-
duce in North Dakota (wheat and beef |
were reduced from "a to Al per cent
respectively. Therefore, our members
in congress represent us we'll when
they vote to protect the fellow who
buys and consumes our products"
Then, to sum 1t all up tariff bill |
must necessarily be a compromise and |
after all what difference does it make
II we have to pay 81 more for a suit |
of clothes. or &c more for a pair OF
wooden socks, or SOC more for a pair
of shoes, If we get at least 40 per cent
more for the wheat and other products
We have to sell, for we produce 1000
per cent more than we consume and If |
we give the artisan and workingman
protection for his labor we know he
will keep us busy feeding him and that
Is what we want" Now, Mr. Thorson,
isn't all this simply plain facts?
Your statement that both McCumber
and Hanna have shown contempt for
people of the state and that therefore |
they should be put on the Shelf" is un- Il
kind, to say the least, as applied to
honest intelligent, diligent public SER
wants who have ever had our interests /
at heart, and who were on the Job all /