The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1912-10-10
Mr.. WAGAMAN. THE FARMER, AND
Mr.. LEWIS. THE MINER.

Iltts - UiSs I'LL HiINGhs
Friends of David j. Lewis, more
particularly in Allegany county, claim
that he ought to receive the votes of
laboring men, especially the miners who
live in the Georges Creek region, be-
cause he was once a miner himself.
Persons who ought to know say that
Mr.. Lewis never mined a ton of coal in
his life; that he was a mine employee
and it was IN this way; he acquired his
knowledge of mines and miners. 1t is
not matter of great Importance which
statement is correct. Mr. Lewis has
come up from the.iranks and for what
he has made of himself he deserves full
credit. He can not, however, claim any
greater credit for himself on this score
than can his opponent, Mr.. Wagaman,
who has done equally well for himself
Born in farming section, Mr.. Waga-
mans first employment was that of
farm hand. His start in life was that
of farmers boy. Which of the two
callings is the humber is left to the
readers choice to decide. If Mr.. Lewis
had been born in Washington county and
Mr.. Wagaman's parents had lived on
Georges Creek, it is very probable that
their respective starts in life would have
been reversed. honors on the score of a
lowlY beginning to their life's work may
be considered, therefore, as easy"
The matter in either case, is not impor.
tant, as the discriminating voter of today
is not concerned half so much with the
questiOniwhence they came as he is with
the other question, whittier they 90.
They areEboth seeking the votes of the
citizens of.the Sixth District of Mary
land and the honor of representing It's
people in the Halls of Congress. Which
one more accurately reflects the opin-
ions of its citizens; which one stands for
those ideas which are uppermost in the
minds of the voters of this section of
Maryland? Shall it be Mr.. Wagaman,
the Republican, or Mr.. Lewis, the Dem
ocrat?
AS for the type of democracy for
which iMr. Lewis stands, it has been
demonstrated time and again that if the
ideas of democracy for which Mr.. JEFF
ferson and Mr.. jackson stood are to be
any criterion. then Mr.. Lewis is no
Democrat at all. Governmental owner
ship of public utilities, like express
companies, for instance, would not
figure in the creed of those ancient
worthless. 1t seems to be fixed con-
viction in the mind of Mr.. Lewis that
governmental ownership of express
companies, and possibly Of other public
utilities, is a contamination devoutly to
be wished. He did not learn such doc
trine from democracy's patron saints.
He has been studying in other schools
than those of the orthodox party, and
such notions as he seems to entertain
bear the ear-marks of newer school of
democracy often spoken of as social. "
Socialism may be right or it may be
wrong, but it is not traditional Ameri-
can democracy of the days of Grover
Cleveland.
Time and again the voters of this
District have spoken by majorities
running into the thousands, in favor of
the Republican doctrine of protection to
American interests Mr.. Lewis is an
avowed free trader. He has so voted
on every occasion that presents itself
during his first term In Congress. He
is not representing the sentiments of his
people when he takes such stand. If
he is consistent he will vote, if the OPP
portunity.presents itself, for free coal,
free lumber, free farm products and
everything else free, until our home
markets are thrown wide open to the
world and the wage scale is brought
down to the universal level, as an in
evitable consequence. Mr.. Lewis has
not represented his District; he has
misrepresented it, unless the political
sentiment of its people has undergone
an entire and radical change and of
this there is no evidence
Mr.. Wagaman's position on almost all
public questions is the opposite of that
Of Mr.. Lewis. He is Republican of