Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1912-02-16
SENDS DECLARATION TO THE
GRAND FORKS HERALD SAYING
THAT COLONEL Is LOGICAL,
MAN-PRoTECTION Is HOPE OF
FARMERS IN CANDIDACY,


FARMERS IN CANDIDACY.
The following from the Grand
Forks Herald will be of local interest
In letter to The Herald, Attorney
Silver Serumgard of Devils Lake, for
many years ono of the leading demo.
Gratis Of the state, comes out in favor
of Colonel Roosevelt for president. MI
Serumgard was elected states attorney
of Ramsey county four years ago on
the democratic ticket and has several
times been their candidate for state
Offices.
The letter is as follows:
.. Feb. Z, 1912.
Dear Sir:-I first met and heard
Theodore Roosevelt during the Harri-
son-Cleveland campaign at big re.
publican rally at Minneapolis, Mimi,
in the fall of 1855. Mr.. Roosevelt at
that time held some position on the
national republican campaign commit.
tee and was making tour of inspec.
ton through the west. Some repub'i-
can of national reputation was the
speaker Of the evening. Mr.. Roosevelt
merely making a few remarks as to
the outlook of the campaign. The
strange thing about it is that while 1
have even forgotten the name Of the
principal speaker, Mr.. Roosevelt's per-
sonality exercised such powerful in
fuence over me that 1 still remember
ed the tone of his talk. Since then I
have followed his career with sympath-
etc interest. was then a recent and
an ardent convert to the democratic
tariff for revenue only, doctrine and
have steadily voted the democratic
ticket since. 1t has always been mat
ter of regret with me that I have not
been able to vote for Theodore Roose-
welt.
The last few years conditions bave
changed, however, and the opport'ni-
ty of combining the personal pleasure
with what I consider the best inter-
ests of the state, has arrived. I have
always held that General Hancock 5
distum that the tariff question is To-
cal issue is true, and that if I had
lived in Rhode Island or Massachu ,etts
I should always have been protection
list. twenty-five years ago IS per
cent of our population lived on farms
and were compelled to sell their pro
ducts in the Liverpool market in COM
petition with all grain growers in the
world They were compelled to buy
what they needed in the home market
from which competition had been elm
mated by the tariff wall. never could
understand why, in those days, agri-
cultural communities like the people in
our state should continue to vote the
republican ticket absolutely against
their interests in those days the eastern
manufacturers, threw the western far
mer sop in the form of tariff on
cereals and farm products. It never
was effective until recently because
there always was a surplus that must
be sold abroad and the price Of the
surplus regulated the price at hcme
Now only about IS per cent Of our pep.
ulation are farmers. Today We have
practically no cereals for export and
the tariff on grain and farm produces
has become effective. From selling in
the open market Of the world we now
sell our products in the protected
home market. The manufacturing
states have had the benefit of protec.
ton for 40 years or more. The era of
protection has just commenced for Us
and it will take us 40 years to get even.
To do this the tariff on farm produ ITS
must be allowed to remain. How car
the North Dakota farmer bring this
abouts William A. Taft and his ad
ministration holds out no assurance in
this direction. In return for the qucs.
tionably glory of being considered 8
great statesman Taft did not hesitate
to offer up the farmers Of this country
on the altar Of his ambition. The DEM
ocratic house and its leaders are as
hostile to our interests as the Taft ad-
ministration- fact they form the
combination to cheat us out of our
rights. There is only one figure in Am
erican politics that holds out any hope
to the farmers. That man is Theodore
Roosevelt, "the man with a square
DEAL" He knows the west as we'll as
the east, and I have the faith in him
that he will not allow the western
farmers to again be exploited to line
the pockets of the eastern mill owners.
For the foregoing reasons I am for
Theodore Roosevelt for president Of
the United States. If this makes me
republican-so be it. The party
slave is the greatest menace to our
free institutions. The Independent vot.
er has at all times been their safe.
guard. I am satisfied that thousands Of
1om 10 oil o1,or %bo ,o.Il-..S z.