Barton County democrat., 1912-04-26
AN OPEN LETTER TO
WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE.
Winfield. Kans., April IS, 1912.
Tho tiOn. W A.swhite, :
Emporia, Kansas

Ny attention Is called to your ne.
cent appeal to Kansas farmers To
attend the caucuses and primaries In
order to influence the selection of
party candidates. In that appeal you
say: st is a bread and butter qDes-
tiou that Is before the farmers ol
Kansas. The nomination Of Taft
by the Republicans means certain re
publican defeat, aud the election Of
democratic president. The election
Of a democratic president inevitably
means hard times. The election Of a
democratic president means that
every farmer wiN have to mark off
from 20 to 30 cents ON every bushel
Of corn and wheat, and from s1.0O to
$500 on every hog, horse and steer
he grows, and from $500 to $500 ON
every ton Of hay. q" The Kansas
farmer who says that he has no time
tc get out to the caucus or primary,
to vote for his own corn and wheat
and hogs and steers and hay, is
mighty short sighted. An hour time
spent by each farmer now, will be
worth 800 q minute to that farmer
in the next four years. 1t is the
duty Of every farmer to get out and
vote-make his private sentiment pub
lie sentiment, and save himself from
the calamity of a democratic admin
istration."
With every proper effort to in
duce farmers to perform their i'm
perative civic duties l am in perfect
accord. But, my dear William, YOU
and | differ widely as to the sound
ness of your reasons for this frantic
appeal. Permit me to calm your fean
and urge YOU to spare those tears.
for the impending democratic victory
arising before your startled vision in
the face Of a funnel shaped cloud has
no calamity for our country. 1t is
only the angry protest of public sen
timent against the broken pledges.
the ruinous policies and the corrupt
leadership of the republican party
which has controlled the government
for fifty years. .
Kansas farmers are familiar with
certain historic facts of which YOU
seem to be entirely ignorant, For
your enlightenment, therefore, I will
cite the record. Since March 4, 1861,
your party has had absolute control
Of the government thirty-one years,
and partial control eighteen years,
during which latter period there could
be no legislation without its consent
and cooperation. Your national
platform Of 1904 and your campaign
text book OF 1906 assume republican
responsibility for the federal legisla-
ton since 1861. During this haf
century the democratic party has
been in complete control Just two
years Of Cbeveland's second term
when the party was under reaction
airy leadership with practically moth
ing in common with our present pro
gressive party except the name.
Kansas farmers know that all laws
relating to tariff and banking and
currency enacted in the last fifty
years are republican laws, except the
Wison-Gorman tariff act; and that
every period Of panic and hard times
In the half century has been under re
publican administration and policies.
In his inaugural address March 5,
1877, Mr.. Hayes said: with respect
to the financial condition Of the coun-
try, l shall not attempt an extended
history Of the embarrassment and
prostration which we have suffered
during the past three years. The de-
preston In all our varied commercial
and manufacturing interests through
out the country, which began in Sep
tember, 1873, still continues"
On the ith of June, 1878, the Hon.
James A. Garfield, in a speech in
congress against a pending bin, said:
"A bill so radical in its character, so
damaging TO our business prosperity,
would work infinite mischief at this
time, when the country is just re-
covering itself from a long period of
depression and getting upon solid
ground. just coming out Of the wild
sea OF panic and distress which has
tossed US so long"
These two eminent republicans tes-
tEy to the fact Of that awful panic
and distress which extended over q
period Of five years or more. At the
beginning Of this period Jour party
had been In power twelve years, al
its close over seventeen years. Thai
was a republican panic.
In April, 1890, William Mckinley
! as chairman Of the ways and means
+ committee, presented TO the house 4