Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-09-21
SIX QUESTIONS FOR PRESIDENT TAFT

That was only thirty months ago.
And two years ago this fall, when he
made his first presidential tour, his praise
of Aldrlch and his endorsement of the
Payne-Aldrich law, at Wlnona, Mimi,
where received with tolerant and re-
spectful silence by the people of
the west, who felt that law was a be-
trayal of the party and that Senator
Aldrich was the principal traitor.
Two years ago the people in the
western states were not unwilling to
believe that the signing and the defense
of the tariff bill were grave, but re.
trievable plumbers of a we'll intentioned
though inexperienced president.
Since then, a great deal has happened
to change the attitude of the people to-
wards the president. Now he will be
expected in the course of his two hun
dred speeches to answer a half dozen
question clearly, specifically, %unequivo-
cally and without inviting his hearers
to consent to further presidential pro-
crastination.
The people will ask the president why
he considered that a reduction of the
duties on agricultural products so ur-
gent as to required a special session of
congress, while he compelled the
country to await the revision of the
much debated, we'll studied. we'll under
stood and d%iscredited wool schedule,
until he should publish the report of
his tariff board. What aver be the
merits of the reciprocity policy, the
farmers of the west will want him to
tell them how they were benefited in
the past by protective duties on farm
products in the Dingley and Payne laws,
if they are not in need of protection
near reciprocity.
They are not confused about recipro-
city, 1t will reduce the cost of living or
it will not. If it will not, it is a pre-
lence, if it will, it must reduce the
prices of farm products. In the con-
nectlon it is significant that this Cana
dian Pacific Railroad, which, next to the
government, is the largest land owner
in Canada has advertised hat recipro-
city will increase farm land values
in the Dominion by one hundred per
cent.
The people will expect the president
to plainly state whether be is in
favor of Aldrich's central bank plan, or
opposed to it. They want to know why
a central banking organization, nnder
Che Aldrich plan will not be controlled
by the great moneyed interests which
centerin Wall street. The western people
are deeply and individually interested
in the currency question, because
a monopoly of the credit of the country
will throttle the free development of
western industries and reduce them to a
condition of industrial and fiscal de-
tendency such as is now sometimes to
be found in Pennsylvania, New York,
New, Jersey and New England.
Remembering that Richard Achilles
Ballinger came from the State of Wash
lngton to the cabinet, as a representa-
tive of the public land state of the
northwest and that, later, his own state
by an overwhelming vote sent his critic
Poindexter, to the Senate, they will
want to know the Presidents exact
attitude on the several conservation
questions: the public land question: the
question of the preservation and the use
of national forests; the development of
the Alaska coal fields: the construction
and control of railroads in Alaska.
They will expect Mr.. Taft to be ex.
plicit-to outline a definite policy so
they may know whether his inclination
is toward the development OF natural
by such large and enterprising
syndicates as that of ~Guggenheim and
Morgan, or by pioneers, prospectors and
small business men, with the protection
and assistance Of the government.
And the people will be anxious to
learn the Presidents policy toward the
industrial trusts. They believe a public
servants policy with regard to railroad
combinations is indicative of his prob
able policy towards industrial trusts.
They have not forgotten that it is of
record that the present administration
proposed to allow the railroads to enter
into pooling agreements and attempted
to legalize the ownership by one railroad
of majority of the stock of another
competing with it; in brief to legalize
railroad trusts. The people want to
know if what is the presidents policy
regarding industrial trust.
And finally the people will want to
learn from the President what his att.
tude will be toward the progressives, in
in his own party, if he should be nomi.
mated and reelected. In the unfor.
gotten Norton letter, it was acknowledge
ed on behalf of the President that he
had dealt with the progressives as il