Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1922-06-09
BACK TO THE PEOPLE
(By Robert M. La Follette)

and repudiated by the people. 1t is
being tried at the present time in
Iowa and Michigan, but the voters
are wary and it will fail.
But the chief reliance of the reac.
tionaries is the cry of "radicalism,"
raised against every progressive can
didate who by his record in public life
has demonstrated that he can not be
bought, intimidated, or cajoled.
In Iowa, the reactionaries are fight
ing Colonel Smith Brookheart-a dirt
farmer who served with distinction in
the World War-as a radical. He
urges repeal of the Esch- Cummins
law, just as he opposed its enactment
in 1920, advocates an excess profits
tax to pay for the bonus, and cham
pions free speech, free press and free
assemblage and other fundamentally
democratic principles which, up until
the present decade, had never been
seriously questioned in America.
In North Dokota, the reactionaries
are out in force to save the political
life of Senator Porter j. McCumber,
chairman of the Senate Finance Com
mittee, who is undertaking to defend
the revenue and the tariff bills.
McCumber's opponents are de-
nounced as radicals" His friends
point to him as the eXemplar of con-
servative craftsmanship. The oppon-
ents of Senator McCumber attack his
vote for the Esch- -Cummins law and
for Newberry, find fault with his Of
forts in shifting the tax burden from
large to small incomes, and advocate
legislation in tn e interests Of the
farmer and the consumer. That is
the measure of their "radicalism."
In Massachusetts, in Michigan, in
Minnesota, wherever a Senator who
has faithfully served the special in-
terests faces the people, his record of
connivance in the milking Of the pub
lie through railroad rate guarantees,
monopoly tariff rates, and repeal of
the taxes on swollen profits and in
comes is defended, and his opponents
are pilloried as radicals" seeking
the disruption Of the State.
In this year of 1922 the people are
not to be diverted from the main is
sue. The voters of this country de-
sire to know, and have q right TO
know, whether a candidate for public
office condemns or condones the Esch-
Cummins law, which looted the
Treasury of hundreds of millions for
private interests and increased rail
road rates for the farmer the mer-
chant End the travelling public by bill
lions of dollars.
The voters have a right to know
whether a candidate for public office
condemns or condones the seating of
Truman H. Newberry by the United
States Senate after he had admitted
expenditure of 100000, in violation
of the letter and spirit Of the the COR
rupl practices act.
Finally, the people will know
whether those seeking their suffrage
will stand in the state and national
capitols for tariff and taxation legis-
lation in the interests of the mass Of
the people, or in the interests of Or
ganized Greed and Monopoly.
These are the real issues of the
campaign of 1922. They will not
down at the whim of reactionary can
didates to whom they have become
embarrassing. Upon these issues,
wherever they are presented honestly
and fairly to the American people,
candidates, pledged to de-
fend the interests of the farmer, the
worker, the legitimate business man
and the mass of consumers, will be
elected to office.