The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1912-02-15
Oonmunicated.)
ommu
Open Letter To Senator Bacon From


respect all Of us entertain for you
personally, the interests intrusted to
you as public servant are so ire
mendous that, to overlook differ
ence of views on vital issues would
brand us as people wanting in
respect for ourselves.
| now mention that you were nomi-
mated in 1908 and accepted the
appointment and election as a Dem
ocrat. The Democratic platform
with which we had q right to pre-
sumo you were in accord declared
emphatically for free 1umber-yet
in 1909 you persistently voted with
Aldrich, the Republican leader,
against Clay and other Democrats
(see Congressional Record June 23rd,
1909 to even increase the duties
fixed by the Payne-Aldrich bill in a
Republican house, and with your help
an amendment was carried in the
Senate putting duty of from $3.50 to
$500 a thousand on lumber. This
would naturally increase the prices
to the consumers on the amount
used about sixty million dollars a
year. On the amendment to strike
out all duty on lumber, you voted
with Aldrich voting NO against
Clay ond other Democrats See Rec
ord May oath, 1909. So On amend
ment to reduce the duty to $1.00 you
voted "No'' with Aldrich.-(J June
3rd, 1909
It is true you claimed it was a
revenue duty, but the three or four
millions revenue would hardly out
weigh the sixty million addition in
price. What the people would receive
would be four million in one pocket
for which they would pay out sixty
million from the other.
Undoubtedly you will candidly
admit that you were voting to protect
to that extent the lumber interests
of Georgia But I respectfully sub
nit that we could not afford in the
midst of that critical fight to sur
render the very principle for which
the party had so long contended to
favor any particular interest how
ever near at home.
Protection in the garb Of revenue
is as obnoxious as in it's own undis-
guised deformity Those who agree
with you have never caught the spirit
of true Democracy which denies the
right of the Government to take his
hard earned money from one man to
build up the business Of another,
especially as in this instance to main
tain the profits Of few millionaire
lumber men in Georgia. l deny also
the right of q Democratic senator,
however well intentioned his motives,
to play fast and loose with propo-
sition solemnly and deliberately
made, in the interest of the people,
a cardinal tenet Of the Party Greed.
You were also one Of the few Demo
Gratis who voted with Aldrich for
duty on iron ore. (See Record May
13, 1909, the United States Senate
has too long had the character of an
exclusive club, dedicated by tradi-
tion to ultra conservatism, and has
thus been the favorite barrier Of the
big business interests against neces-
sary reforms. The country feels
that we need more progressive rep
resentatives in that body. You have
been for seventeen years a member
of that select chamber where every
vote weighs q ton and where there
have been splendid opportunities for
aggressive action to correct the evils
under which the people have suffered.
Doubtless in the announcement prom
Used you will tell us what measures
you have initiated and put through
for the amelioration of the conditions
which all thin king man agree are