Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 241, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 October 1912 — PLAIN ARGUMENT FOR THE VOTERS [ARTICLE]

PLAIN ARGUMENT FOR THE VOTERS

Congressman Crum packer’s Speech Filled With Proof of Republican Party’s Progression. & Voters who failed to hear the campaign address by Congressman Edgar D. Crumpacker at the Ellis Theatre in Rensselaer Monday night missed a logical and argumentative speech that evaded nothing, met all issues fairly, discussed them thoroughly and left a mighty good feeling with all who carefully followed the speech. There was a fine audience at the opera house. The lower floor was filled, all seats being taken and a number standing in the rear and a good many upstairs. Those who have been hearing Congressman Crumpaeker’s speeches biennially during the past sixteen years know that he has always discussed the campaign issues with implicit fairness and has always brought a message of encouragement and optimism to us. In this speech he did not differ from .those in former ’ years, except it seemed that he really had more good things to tell about to reassure doubting ones that the republican party has kept faith with the people and passed one good measure after another. Progress, long the watchword of the party, has more than ever inspired our lawmakers and nothing has been left undone to promote the welfare and happiness of the American people. The steps have not been radical; wild measures of revolution have not been encouraged by the republican party, but substantial things that make for real accomplishment have been enacted into law while keeping all business on a substantial footing,, and assuring prosperity to the farmer, the manufacturer, the mechanic and the laborer alike.

In opening bis address Congressman Crumpacker said that he considered it both a pleasure and a duty to go over the district every two years and to discuss with the people the problems of legislation. He said that he considered it the duty of the representative - of the people to declare his attitude on matters of legislation and to leave no doubt in the minds of the people as to what he would do in all legislative matters. He took a little twist at his opponent, John B. Peterson, who decided to make a gumshoe campaign, in which it is possible for him to agree with all with whom he talks and to make promises" 1 by which he is not bound. He said that Mr. Peterson is an able talker and that he owed it to the people whom he desires to represent to come before them with pledges and publicly declare his attitude on great questions. He said that no campaign should be one of personality but of policy; that voters should not be led away by the influence of any one but should vote for that which they believe to be right and for the principles and fundamental truths that determine our national policies. He devoted considerable time to a discussion of the tariff, showing that the republican party is pledged to building a tariff based upon a scientific investigation of the cost of production at home and abroad. He told of the work of the tariff board, of its reports to the president and to congress and of the fact that President Taft had repeatedly urged that their reports be made the basis of tariff revision of the articles on which the report was made. He showed that the democratic majority in the house had passed tariff bills in which the reports of the board had been ignore# and that the president had vetoed them because their operation meant the certain destruction of American factories and the consequent destruction of employment to thousands of factory hands. He showed that the country has enjoyed unbounded prosperity under the operation of the present tariff law, the much criticized and probably far from perfect Payne law, and yet a law under which the country has enjoyed unprecedented prosperity. He showed that there was not very great difference in the republican and the third pasty plans of dealing with the tariff. Both favor a scientific tariff. The republican party believes in at once adopting the expert data gathered by the board and proceeding to ascertain other information for the revision of all schedules. The progressive party believes in Immediate revision and in getting the information later. Both parties are opposed to the democratic plan and to defeat that plan should cause all who believe in protection to unite in its defense.

He talked of the Canadian reciprocity law, the introduction and passage of which had the endorsement of (Roosevelt and of Beveridge. Both are now claiming that they did not understand it and yet Mr. Roosevelt wrote a letter to President Taft saying that he was In favor of free trade relations with Canada and commending Taft for having undertaken a treaty of this kind. And Senator Beveridge had discussed the measure in detail while a member of the senate and had stood for its passage firmly. President Taft had favored It and so had Mr. Crumpacker. Roosevelt deserted when he found that it was being criticised in agricultural centers and Beveridge followed him because it seemed popular and both gave the flimsy excuse that they “did not understand.” Congressman Crumpacker said that Canadian reciprocity was now a dead issue and that he did not expect it to be resurrected in twenty-five years. Having noted down a number of the planks in the third party platform, Congressman Crumpacker ’reported the progress made in a number of them, mpst of the important ones, during President Taft’s administration. The others, he said, were of doubtful quality and had never been advocated by Roosevelt during the years he was president nor when he became a candidate this year on the republican ticket. They were adopted when through disappointment he

sought to disrupt the republican party. He read the third party pledge in the matter of pensions, which promises pensions to all American soldiers and which was beyond question a sop for southern support with the belief extended there that confederate soldiers would be pensioned. Some northern people who doubt this purpose need but know the attitude of-’southern legislators in this matter. Speaking for himself, Mr. Crumpacker said that there was not one chance in four hundred for John O. Bowers to be elected and that the tariff being the important issue and the election of Peterson meaning aid in adopting free trade-laws he appealed to all who favored a protective tariff to support himself. He read the letter that John B. Peterson wrote to Baughman & Williams, of Rensselaer, on Dec. 15, 1906, in which he declined to accept some private legislation because his time was altogether taken up in corporation work, for railroads, etc., and made the statement that Peterson was the attorney for the Standard Oil Co. and for thq railroads. Mr. Crumpacker’s speech was certainly an able one, interesting, instructive, honest, convincing and reassuring to us that the republican party has remained true to its policies and to the people and is today more deserving than ever before the support of those who have belonged to it for so many years and of those who are starting out In life with the roseate hope of success. Mr. Crumpacker In this speech at once commended himself to all who heard it as fair and honest and worthy the continued confidence of the constituency whom he has served so excellently for so long a time. If this copy of The Republican falls into the hands of any person who has not heard Congressman Crumpacker speak this year, we recommend that they make a special effort to hear him. They will be well repaid and will be doing justice to themselves, to him and to the purpose for which we are all striving, the greatest good to the greatest number.