Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1911-09-29
SIX QUESTIONS FOR MR.. TAFT.

When Mr.. Taft was inaugurated, dt
was with more general good win than
had marked the Inauguration of any
other president since the civil war.
That was only thirty months ago.
And two years ago this fall when
he made his first presidential tour,
his praise of Aldrich and his endorse
ment of the Payne-Aldrich law al WI
mona, were received with tolerant
and respectful silence by the people
Of the west who felt that
that law was a, betrayal of the panty
and Senator Aldrich the principal
traitor.
Two years ago the people in the
western states were not unwilling to
believe. that the signing and the de-
tense of the tariff bill were grave
but retrievable plumbers of a well in
tentioned, though inexperienced pres
ident.
Since then a great deal has hap
pened to change the attitude of
the people toward the president. Now
he will be expected in the course of
his two hundred speeches to answer
a halt dozen questions clearly, Spe-
officially, nequivocaMy and without
inviting his nearer to consent to fur
Their presidential procrastination.
The people will ask the president
why he considered that a reduction Of
the duties on agricultural products
so urgent as to require a special ses-
sion Of Congress, while he compelled
the country to await the revision of
the much debated, we'll studied, well
understood and discredited wool sche
dule, until he shold publish the re-
port of his tariff board. What ever
be the merits of the reciprocity poll
cy, the farmers of the West win want
him to tell them how they were bene-
fitted in the past by protective du-
ties on. farm products in the Dtngley
and Payne laws, II they ane not in
need of protection under reciprocity.
They are not confused about reel.
procity. 1t win reduce the cost Of
living or it will not, If it will not,
1t is a prebense, If 1t will, it MUST
reduce the prices of farm products.
In this connection it is significant
that the Canadian Pacific Railway,
(which, next to- the government, is
the largest land owner in Canada)
has advertised that reciprocity will
increase farm land values in the Do
minion by 100 per cent.
The people will expect the Presi-
dent to plainly state whether he is
in favor of Aldrich 8 central bank
plan, or opposed TO it. They want to
know why a central banking organiza-
ion, under the Adrich plan, win not
be controlled by the great moneyed
interests which center in Wall street.
The western people are deeply and
individually interested in the curen-
cy question, because a monopoly of
the credit of the country win
throttle the free development of
western Industries and reduce them
to a condition of industrial and fis-
cal dependency such as is now some
times to be found in Pennsylvania,
New York, New jersey and New Eng
land.
Remembering that Richard Achilles
Ballinger came from the State, of
Washington to the Cabinet, as a rep.
eesentatiRe of the public land states
OF uhe northwest and later, his
own state. by an overwhelming vote,
sent his critic, Poindexter, to the Sen
ate, they viii want to know the Pres
dents exact attitude on several con-
serVative questions: the public land
question; the question Of the preser-
Walton OF the use Of national forests;
the development OF the Alaska coal.
fields; the construction and control
Of railroads in Alaska. They will ex.
pect Mt. Taft to be expicit-to ou-
line a definite policy 50 they may
know whether his inclination IL to-
ward the development of natural re-