There are 29,000,000 people in this country engaged in gainful pursuits. An author (Bolton Hall) who has devoted much study to our economic situation states these producing citizens annually create wealth to the amount of $19,000,000. You can figure out for yourself how much each worker creates. Ten per cent of our population get almost all the annual production of wealth. * * * * * GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS, JANUARY 1, 1906. _Hon. Thomas E. Watson, Thomson, Ga._ MY DEAR SIR: A Republican here claims that the tariff shuts out the cheap labor of the European countries and on that account, the laborers here in our factories get high prices. He says that the factories of England pay their laborers twelve to fifteen cents per day on account of free trade in England. He says children work for five cents per day, and railroad engineers get only $4 per month. He says that if this country were to adopt free trade, the factories of the European countries could come over here and buy our cotton and raw products, ship them to England, manufacture them, ship them back here and sell them cheaper than our factories could do it, and the result would be that our factories would be compelled to close down, thus throwing thousands of people out of employment. I think his claims are extravagant. I want you to explain this fully. I want to be loaded for him the next time I meet him, and if I can get “loaded up” on your ammunition, I will dead sure knock him out. I have read all you have written about the Bank system and am prepared to put up a very fair argument. I don’t understand this, Mr. Watson. In a recent issue of your Magazine, you say there is no reason on earth why the Government should not loan the money direct to the people instead of the 5000 bankers. Please explain fully just how this could be done. How much per share did Cleveland get for the bonds that he sold on the midnight deal? I have heard it said that he sold them for $125 per share. Thanking you for the great work you are doing for the common people and with kindest regards to you personally, I am, very truly, ⸺ ⸺. P. S.—I am a Georgian. I met you personally on two occasions at Athens. Perhaps you have long since forgotten me. I would consider it an honor to be known by you, and to know you as a personal friend. In ’96 I wrote you from Athens for a copy of the P. P. P. I had misplaced my copy wherein you showed up the littleness of Bill Arp’s school history of Georgia. You sent me a copy from Thomson; I have it yet. ANSWER