Gilmore City, Mo., December 2, 1905.
Hon. Thomas E. Watson.
Dear Sir: I am a reader of your Magazine and am highly entertained by its editorials especially, also by its Educational Department. Am a member of the Old Guard and I take the liberty to ask you a few questions in the line of Populism.
(1.) Does England call her navy to a certain point from thousands of miles distant to fire a salute on George Washington’s Birthday, or that of any of our noted Presidents, as we did eighteen vessels a month ago for King Edward? How ridiculous for a republic!
(2.) Why has not the Census of 1900 been given to the public, as were former ones, within two years after being taken? It was the disclosures of the 1890 Census that tripled the Populist vote in ’92.
(3.) Has the $900,000,000 of farm mortgage indebtedness been increased or diminished in the ten years following 1890?
(4.) Are the free holdings of the people increasing on a ratio with the increase of population in these U. S.?
Yours very truly,
⸺ ⸺.