Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1910-08-26
Gilbert'S Position on Con-
greSSiOndl Issues

Dear Sir: | am in receipt of your
favor of the 18th inst. In which you
say:
'1n order to determine to whom to
delegate our share of the responsible
ity for government, l am instructed
by the Executive Board uf the Wis
consin State Union American SDc,ety
of Equity, acting upon instructions
from our State Convention. to request
of you, AS candidate soliciting our
suffrage for the above Office (Con-
gressman), q statement of your att
tude upon the following public ques-
tions, and the position you will take
toward legislation thereon if elected
and to advise our membership of your
position. And you submit seven
teen questions for answer.
In reply to the same will say that
l take pleasure in answering questions
of such a nature when / have reason
to believe that they are inspired by
worthy motives and not propouDded in
a spirit of petty factionalism at the
behest of some interested candidate
for office. ] know your organization
to be COMPOSED of earnest, sincere
men, honestly striving to secure good
government and. as its name implies,
equity for all with unfair advantage
or protection to none. l find 1t quite
impossible with justice to myself, or
even to you, to use the exact method
you desire in my answers and find it
necessary to state my position as
follows:
l. l am not in favor of Mr. Gan
non for speaker and will not vote for
his nomination. tSee also Ans. No.
17)
2. / am in favor of and shall vote
to have the Rules Committee appoint
ed by the House.
8. favor a revision of the tariff
to the lowest roint consistent with
the welfare of the American laborer,
the American farmer and the Ameri-
Can manufacturer, having in mind also
tn. need of it's revenue to help main-
tain the government without direct
taxation on personal and real prop.
erty. Should proper investigation
and research show that "actual differ
ence in wage cost" meets these re-
quirements, shall vote for it.
4. | am in favor of the valuation
of the physical property of railways
and rates base on that valuation.
S. / am in favor of limiting the
issuance of stocks and bonds OF rail-
wavs to the actual money investment
represented by property.
6. am in favCr of the election of
United States Senators by direct vote
of the people.
=. am in favor of Parcels Post
system. suitable to the conditions of
this country, that will benefit rural
communities without destroying hon.
estly conducted home lines of business
and industry.
8. l am in favor of business
administration of the Post Office
Department and tn. appointment of q
permanent Director of Posts If the
Carter bill, to which you refer, NEE te
these requirements, shall vote fol
9. ] believe the Federal Govern
ment should retain the mineral de.
posits undlsposed Of in the West and
in Alaska, either by retaining the fee
or by reservation in grants, such
mineral deposits to be leased il
necessary.
10. l am in favor Of the govern.
ment retaining it's existing water
power sites, to be leased or developed
by it a. found to the best interests Of
the people.
IL. / believe it il necessary to pru'
vide new methods nf deciding upor
internal improvements on rivers ant
harbors and the location of public
buildings. l am in favor Of u non
political, unbiased commission fol