The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-02
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.


All they have to do is to organize
and pull together. The republican
party can not defeat the democratic
candidate for the presidency. The
only possible thing that can prevent
the election of a democratic presl-
dent in 1912 is the Democrats them
selves. The opportunity is here, and
from all parts of the country reports
are reaching headquarters that the
democrats realize it and are already
laying plans for campaign that will
result in the democrats sweeping the
country in 1912.
There seems to be no way for the
republicans to avoid defeat ii the
democrats get together and work,
as they are now starting out to do.
If Mr.. Taft is re-nopinated the in
surgents will slash him, and If Sena-
tor LaFollette is nominated the "old
guard will slash him.
Indiana Will Go Democratic.
The Philadelphia North American,
republican, sent it's Washington cor
respondent, Angus McSween, to In
diana to report impartially on con-
ditions there This is a part of the
report he sent back to his paper:
Indiana is hopelessly lost to Pres
ident Taft and the Republicans.
From no indications is it possible to
reason that they will be as strong as
they were in the last election, when
they lost every congressional district
but one, and control of the legisla-
ture. Since then the rapid develop
ment of the progressive republican
sentiment into an open hostility to
the Taft administration, and the re-
dictionary policies which he advo-
Gates, make it obvious that with Taft
as the republican candidate again,
the vote against him in this state
will be overwhelming
The Way the Wind is Blowing.
A canvas Of Greene county, Iowa,
made by mail, may be accepted as a
thermometer showing how the pol
itical wind is blowing in that section.
One hundred and twenty letters were
sent out to republicans only, and
ninety-seven answers were received.
Some of the questions presented and
the answers received are as follows:
If Taft should be nominated, will
you support him? Yes, p; no, ga;
blank, -.
Do you approve of the Payne-Al-
drich bill? Yes, -; no, IS.
Do you approve of Taft's action in
the Ballinger matter? Yes, 2; no,
81.
Do you approve of the attack of
DR.. Wiley? Yes, g.; no, 81.
Do you approve Of Taft's veto of
the wooden schedule as passed by the
last Congress? Yes, IS; no, 70.
Do you believe the Taft admins
tration favors the farmer and labor
err or the trusts? Farmers, 6;
trusts, So.
The Aldrich Plan.
Ex-senator Aldrich, chairman of
the national monetary commission,
has revised his proposed scheme for
financial legislation. But in the
main, the Aldrich plan, which would
place the public's credit under the
control of Wall street, is unchanged.
Nobody can read his plan in de-
tail without realizing that it is a
central bank of issue that he pro-
poses. The government had one ex-
perience with central government
bank. 1t was manned by politicians
and operated for their benefit, bring
ing on panics and bank failures.
Realizing the hostility central
government bank, Mr.. Aldrich gives
his scheme the title: National Re-
serve Association" 1t is practically
central government bank under a
different name.
A Staggering Blow.
The Department of Agriculture
frequently issues a small pamphlet,
telling of the outcome of suits filed
by the supreme court against violat-
ors of the pure food laws. One of
these pamphlets, No. 1903, tells of
New York concern having plead
guilty to using arsenic in the manu-
facture of a food product known as
Light Shade Egg Color The food
poisoning firm was fined $25.
Pamphlet No. 100 tells of concern
pleading guilty to fosting upon the
public a food product consisting in
part of "dirt and eggshells" and "a
filthy, decomposed, and putrid ami
NAL substance This manufacturer
was fined $40. Now that these stag
6Sll1S UlOWS nave Uo0u SLTuck, Is IL
not likely that other food dopers will
cease administering arsenic and
"putrd animal matter" in food pro-
ducts? Yes, it is-not!
Cause of Ten Cent Sugar.
''The high tariff benefits nobody
but the sugar trust. Were it not for
the sugar tariff this package would
cost two cents pound less. Urge
your congressman to repeal the tariff
on sugar."
This is not an extract from a po-
litical speech. 1t is a statement of
fact by Pittsburg grocers to their
customers to show the latter who is
to blame for the robbery charges
on sugar. The quoted paragraph is
printed on the paper bags in which
the grocers put up sugar. The effect
of the inscription on 25-pound bag
is significant. 1t means that the
tariff has cost so cents on that one
purchase.
President Taft'S DEFY