The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1912-10-17
HE PEOPLES FORUM.
hr. David ]. Lewis, by His Free
Trade Ideas Has Not Been Rep
resenting The Interest of
His Constituents.
To The Editor of The Republican.

several previous ARTICLES III InlS paper
have shown that Mr.. David J. Lewis,
our present representative in Congress,
has not been representing the true in
terests of his people, but has been mis-
representing them on practically every
occasion. 1t has been shown that he
voted along with some others of his
democratic brethren to place practical
" all of the farm products on the free
list, which bill, had it become a law,
would have thrown our farmers into
direct competition with every other
agricultural country of the world. 1t
has also been shown that at another
time he voted to place on the protected
list all agricultural implements and ma
chinery used by farmers and also prac-
tically all other articles manufactured
out of farm products.
We propose to give at this time a
brief account of another or third slap
which Mr.. Lewis gave the farmer dur
ing the closing days of the last Con-
gress.
The Democratic House passed a bill
placing the wool industry on the free
list. President Taft knowing that the
bill had not been constructed in accord
ance with what the country demanded
vetoed it. Thereupon the Democrats in
their zeal for free trade determined to
pass 1t over the vote and voted accord
ingly. But at the time the vote was
taken Mr.. Lewis knew that if he voted
to pass the bill over the veto he would
I be voting against the wishes of the
I people he was sent to Congress to rep
I resent. So he attempted a dodge by
absenting himself in the cloak room.
The pinch came for which he was not
/ looking. The democrats found that
they did not have the necessary two
thirds vote in the House to override
the Presidents veto and they appealed
to the absent members to present them
selves and vote to save the bill. MIR.
Lewis then forgot his people and allow
ed his free trade ideas and theories to
| become of greater Importance to him
than the interests of those who had
elected him. Accordingly he presented
himself in the House and asked that
his vote be recorded for the bill. The
question was raised as to whether Mr.
/ Lewis was present when his name was
called. Mr.. Lewis, knowing that he
was absent at the time, declined to say
definitely that he was present, but on
being pressed to save his vote and to
enable him to cast vote again for free
trade and against the wishes of his con-
stituents, said 81 was present when my
name was called" He tried to avoid
registering his opinion and ideas in this
way but when the test came and he had
to vote to save his party's measure,
| Mr.. Lewis fell into line, forgot the peo-
pie he was supposed to represent in this
and other matters, and voted directly
in opposition to their wishes. The free
trade ideas of his party proved to be
stronger with him than the demands of
his constituents and in preference to
the wishes of his District he voted to
cripple one of its greatest industries,
Does Mr.. Lewis represent you when
he votes to do the things you do not
wish done? Does he represent you when
he votes to put your products on the
free list and thus lower the price you
have been getting? Does he represent
you when he votes to put on high pro-
tective basis the things you must buv
and thus cause you to pay more for
them? Does he really represent YOU
when he votes to stagger one of the
! greatest industries of the District even
though he does try to dodge the issue?
/ Certainly. he does not. Rather he mis-
represents you. Mr.. Lewis knows that
he has not represented the people who
elected him. Any sane man knows this
and he has been we'll aware of it during
the greater part of his term in Con-
gress. But party appeal and party
theories have been uppermost in his
mind and the wishes of the voters at
home have had to be subordinated
And yet Mr.. Lewis comes back to
you this year asking that you send HIM
back to Congress so that he may con-
tinue to misrepresent you and may cater
to the interests of the minority in pref
erence to that of the majority. He
would be the servant of the minority
but he would like to have the vote of
the majority. He has failed to serve
your interests in his two years in Con-
gress. He has failed to work for you.
He has done all he could, not to better
the condition of the farmer, but to
make it worse. Do you want this to
go on for another two years or are you
going to vote to change representatives
and get one who will represent you?
A PRoTECTIoNIST.
Oakland, Md, Oct. Is, 1912.
THE DEATH RECORD
MRS. ANNICE FREDERICK.