James A. Frear

              Mr. Frear is a credit to his district, his state and his party.
—


Chicago Tribune.


Figure



JAMES A. FREAR

Hudson, Wisconsin Republican Candidate for Congress
Tenth Congressional District, Wisconsin at the 1922 Primary, Sept. 5th.



The gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Frear) is entitled to the thanks of the Country for what he has done.
—


Republican Leader, Mann.  In debate, Cong. Record,




Compiled and Published by O. H. GRINNELL Washington, D. C.




ALLIED PRINTING TRADES UNION LABEL COUNCIL  22





APPROVAL OF WISCONSIN CONGRESSMEN



Ways and Means Committee—Wisconsin's Congressional Delegation.




A voluntary testimonial signed by every member of the Wisconsin Congressional Delegation was handed Mr. Frear before the 1920 adjournment because of his work for a Soldiers' Aid bill, in some respects the most important measure of last session.  It also mentions his aid in the defeat of an $800,000,000 nation-wide consumption tax on all we eat, use, drink and wear.




Hon. 
JAMES A. FREAR
, Ways and Means Committee, House of Representatives.




June 5, 1920.




Dear Colleague:  We, the members of the Wisconsin delegation, wish to thank you for the strong and successful fight you have made in helping to put through your committee a Soldiers' Aid bill, at this session of Congress, and to have led the fight in the defeat of the consumption tax that was first proposed in the bill.




FLORIN LAMPERT
, 6th District,


D. G. 
CLASSON
, 9th District,


JOHN ESCH
, 7th District,


C. E. 
RANDALL
, 1st District,


J. G. 
MONAHAN
, 3rd District,


E. E. 
BROWNE
, 8th District,


EDWARD VOIGHT
, 2nd District,


JOHN C. KLECZKA
, 4th District,


A. P. 
NELSON
, 11th District.




Washington, D. C., January 7, 1920.




Hon. James A. Frear, House Office Building.




MY DEAR FREAR
:  I am glad to have your letter about the committee assignments.  I feel you have done arduous and brilliant work as a Member of the House.  …




Yours most sincerely

JAMES R. MANN.




(Pursuant to that letter Representative Frear was assigned by the House to a position on the most important committee in Congress, the Ways and Means Committee, that controls all revenue-producing measures for the support of the Government.)




STANDING COURAGEOUSLY FOR RIGHT



Des Moines, Iowa, March 8, 1921.




DEAR MR. FREAR
:  … I count it as a privilege and an obligation to uphold the efforts of those who are standing courageously for what is right as I feel that you have done.  We have some articles on your position on the Philippine question and want you to feel that in this and in other matters we are always not only ready but anxious to throw all our support to such right and progressive stands as you are taking.




Cordially yours,

DANTE M. PIERCE
, 
Publisher Pierce's Farm Weeklies,
 (400,000 circulation.)



A Record of Performance



Representative Frear received hundreds of approving press notices for his notable attacks and final overthrow of the scandalous pork barrel system that for years primarily controlled waterway and public building bills.




The reprehensible system is now discarded and a saving of wasted government funds reaching from one to two hundred millions of the taxpayers' money resulted from cleaning up that system.  The country knows that this work was started and prosecuted by Wisconsin's Tenth District Member, now Dean of the Delegation.




A national budget system along the lines of Mr. Frear's budget bill offered back in 1917 has now been passed and this reform is a great constructive business measure with which he was actively connected.




Mr. Frear's activities have been directed this session toward important national measures before the Ways and Means Committee of which he is a member.  Among these were the defeat of the dye embargo by the House; defeat of a half billion dollar retroactive repeal of excess profits tax and surtax for 1921; defeat of the effort to pass a drastic surtax amendment; defeat of repeated efforts to pass a sales tax; perfecting of the eleven billion dollar foreign refunding bill which included five of Mr. Frear's amendments, the only House amendments adopted; preparation and passage of the soldiers' bonus bill and other important work discussed in his speeches and in the debates.




His leadership was notable on several of these measures including the defeat of a consumption tax which would have shifted two billion dollars or more annually eventually onto the people of the country least able to pay.




A few personal letters from men of national standing are submitted herewith instead of press editorials in order to offer a concise record of performance and of consistent, persistent work in the interests of the people.  The letters speak for themselves.





Opinions of Well-known Men on the Record

67TH SESSION, 1920-1922

DYE EMBARGO DEFEAT
(From the Republican Leader in Senate fight.)



United States Senate, July 21, 1921.




DEAR MR. FREAR
:  The splendid vote which the House gave in support of your contention today (defeat of dye embargo) must be gratifying to you as it is to those of us who have watched your fine fight for real Republican protection.




Yours ever,

GEORGE H. MOSES
 (Senator), [
Chairman General Woods Presidential Campaign Com.
]




FROM THE DEMOCRATIC LEADER IN SENATE FIGHT



United States Senate, July 27, 1921.




MY DEAR FRIEND
:  You have made such a splendid fight that I feel you deserve the thanks not only of Congress but of all patriotic Americans.  … I shall appreciate all the help that you can give in securing the investigation.  Again expressing my thanks for your splendid fight and magnificent courage, I remain,




Yours sincerely,

WILLIAM H. KING
 (Senator), 
Author Senate Dye Investigating Resolution.




PROTECTIVE TARIFF APPROVAL



American Protective Tariff League, New York, August 10, 1921.




DEAR MR. FREAR
:  Again we want to congratulate you regarding the defeat of the dye monopoly embargo in the House of July 21, 1921.  All will concede that your exposure of the methods of the dye trust and your admirable handling in the House Republican Caucus and on the floor of the House of Representatives were responsible for its defeat.  …




WILBER F. WAKEMAN
,

Treasurer and General Secretary.




BREAKING A STRANGLE HOLD



The dye industry has a strangle hold on independent industries the total production of which totals three thousand millions in value, … More power to Representative Frear and the other honest Republicans in the Congress who are fighting this audacious project.—


Extract from column editorial in 
American,
 and papers with 3,000,000 daily circulation.




The fight waged by Mr. Frear was actively supported by the American Protective Tariff League.  … The action of the House . . was a distinct victory for James A. Frear, of Wisconsin.—


La Crosse Leader.





PEACE CONFERENCE

(Four months before the President's call.)

Woman's Committee for World Disarmament, Washington, D. C., June 9, 1921.




MY DEAR MR. FREAR
:  … We are very grateful to you for the letters and resolutions on the subject of disarmament that came in this morning.  We are confident that your speech in the House, either as a whole or in the form of leaflets which we had printed, has helped to clarify many minds on the subject.  We sent out quantities of your speech to thirty-seven States and only a few remain for individual distribution now.




Very sincerely,

EMMA WOLD
, 
Chairman.



United States Senate, November 3, 1921.




MY DEAR MR. FREAR
:  I want to tell you I have heard some of the finest kind of reports from your speech over in New Jersey the 29th (substituting for Senator Borah, author of the resolution).  It seemed to have met the highest expectation of your audience, and I sincerely congratulate you.




Yours,

WM. E. BORAH
, [
Author Senate Conference Resolution.
]





SOLDIERS' BONUS BILL



THE AMERICAN LEGION
 National Legislative Committee 530-536 Woodward Bldg., Washington, D. C.




April 6, 1922.




MY DEAR MR. FREAR
:




Now that the Soldiers' Adjusted Compensation Bill has been passed by the House by such an overwhelming majority I desire to take this opportunity, on behalf of the ex-service men and in particular The National Legislative Committee of the American Legion, to thank you for the vigorous fight that you conducted on this legislation.




In particular I wish to thank you, as a member of the Committee on Ways and Means, for assisting us in bringing out the proper and necessary facts bearing upon this legislation of such vital interest to every ex-service man and woman in the country.




All soldier beneficial legislation has received your careful consideration and your hearty support, and I cannot let this opportunity go by without letting you know that The American Legion is cognizant of this fact and appreciates it sincerely.  I am,




Sincerely yours,

JOHN THOMAS TAYLOR
, 
Vice-Chairman, National Legislative Committee.




AIRCRAFT PROBE—SPEAKER GILLETT



When Speaker Gillett appointed Representative Frear Chairman of the Aircraft investigation to complete the work begun by Judge Charles E. Hughes, he said he chose Mr. Frear from the House membership because he 
knew he would work
.  General public approval came for the probe and a high public official declared experts placed on the 4,000 printed pages of hearings to condense the report stated after critical reading, nothing needed to be added to or taken away, and that it was the most comprehensive report of all the War investigations submitted by Congress.





SURTAX FIGHT



It was the insistence of Representative Frear, a member of the Ways and Means Committee … that finally brought the victory.—


Milwaukee Sentinel.




[And also saved $50,000,000 annually in taxes to the people.]





PRAISE FROM THE AMERICAN FARM BUREAU



Chicago, September 20, 1921.




DEAR MR. FREAR
:  Your work on the floor of the House and the special study you have made of the sales tax merits praise.  May we express to you the appreciation of the American Farm Bureau Federation for your services in the House of Representatives.




Very truly yours,
J. R. 
HOWARD
, 
President,
 (Representing 1,000,000 farm members.)



BONUS BILL AND SALES TAX FIGHTS

(Approved by Organized Labor)

Washington, D. C., March 27, 1922.




MY DEAR CONGRESSMAN
:




I hasten to congratulate you on the determined and successful fight you waged in behalf of the soldiers of our nation in helping to get them the adjusted compensation.  We who have been following this legislation closely in Washington recognizes the fact that your influence on the Committee on Ways and Means was a powerful factor in putting this bill over.




Permit me also to congratulate you for your most earnest efforts in the interest of the workers of the country in defeating the attempt of big business of the nation to saddle upon the people unjust and heartbreaking taxation.  While the Press has stated 
that Congressman Frear of Wisconsin in the Committee on Ways and Means has saved the people of the United States more than $500,000,000 during the last two years
, I feel that this estimate is very conservative.




Your efforts in behalf of the people of the country has well merited the title of 
All American
 Congressman, and I sincerely trust at some time I will have the opportunity of telling the people of Wisconsin of your devotion and ceaseless vigil in behalf of the workers in the United States.  …




Sincerely yours,

EDWARD F. MCGRADY
, 
Legislation Representative, American Federation of Labor.





THE GREATEST VICTORY OF THE SESSION

DEFEAT OF THE VICIOUS SALES TAX


National Board of Farm Organizations, Washington, June 15, 1921.




DEAR MR. FREAR
:  I enclose copy of letter received from our Farm Union protesting the sales tax…  I feel you may want to have this in connection with the splendid fight you are making.  Sincerely yours,




CHARLES A. LYMAN
,

Secretary.




My dear Frear … You have in my judgment performed one of the greatest public services that any man has ever done in Congress.  … Would that we had more men like you in Congress.  Sincerely, W. S. 
KENYON
 (Senator).

Jim Frear
 of Wisconsin is entitled to most of the credit for what has been accomplished in the direction of River and Harbor reform.  Frear has long been accustomed to parliamentary scrapping and leading forlorn hopes.  … He has made the House understand that on one subject at least he knows more than all the rest of the House membership.  There is nothing that impresses the House so much as that.—


Washington Times.





CHAMPION OF A SQUARE DEAL



House of Representatives, U. S.
Washington, D. C., April 9, 1922.


Hon. 
JAMES A. FREAR
, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.




MY DEAR JIM
:




I have long wanted to convey to you my keen appreciation of the position you have taken in all legislative matters advanced in behalf of setting the Nation's house in order and restoring to us a normal and sane administration of affairs.  
I have been with you in all your fights while in Congress.
  During the last war, I was away for two years with my regiment.  In 1914, when you cleaned up the pork barrel, I was with you and you led then, as you have in the tax fights and tariff changes this Session.  We have worked together on the Soldiers' Bonus bill and every ex-service man in the House appreciates what you did.  You have been at the forefront in good roads legislation, in opposition to the sales tax, and you were with me in my efforts to bring about prosecutions of the war fraud cases and have always been the champion of a square deal for all the people, regardless of station or prominence.




I like the clean-cut way you have of declaring your position on these matters.  … Surely your constituents have been aware of your high-minded and straightforward course all through your years of conscientious service for them and appreciate as well as we do here how necessary it is to have men of your proved courage and ability and prominence in the Congress.




I should be glad to come over from Michigan and present the facts concerning your splendid record to the people of your district if necessary.




With best wishes for your success in the primaries and election, I am,




Very sincerely,

ROY O. WOODRUFF
.




[Maj. Woodruff, 10th District Michigan, served in the Spanish-American and last war with distinction.  He has helped Mr. Frear in all his legislative contests, including the passage of the Soldiers' Bonus bill, and was active in recent prosecution of fraud cases against the Government, supported by Mr. Frear, who had previously investigated some of the frauds.  Woodruff's letter gives the opinion held by progressive, fearless men in Congress, of Mr. Frear.]





THE WISDOM OF COURAGE

(From a well-known writer and public man.)

Washington, D. C., January 8, 1922.




MY DEAR MR. FREAR
:  I hope you will let me thank you for sending me a copy of your speech on the income surtax.  … If we only had a few more men in Congress like you we should be in a very different situation in this country.  … The tremendous services you have done for good causes must be pleasant in your recollection but I hope your countrymen will also have them in memory.  You show us constantly the wisdom of courage.  Not being afraid, you can make your own path and be free.




Yours very truly,

CHARLES EDWARD RUSSELL.





REFUNDING BILL AND SALES TAX

PEOPLES' RECONSTRUCTION LEAGUE
, Representing many farm and labor organizations.

Washington, April 19, 1922.




MY DEAR CONGRESSMAN FREAR
:




I have recently been reading your speeches on the bill creating the commission to refund the debts owed this country ($11,000,000,000) … and I have noted with great pleasure the tremendously effective and successful fight which you made to have that bill amended so as to safeguard the public interest.




Your fight against the pernicious sales tax entitles you to the gratitude of the entire American people for I realize fully the wealthy and powerful interests that were fighting for a sales tax.  You have introduced a bill providing for a progressive inheritance tax upon large fortunes.  … I know I am voicing the opinion of the members of the organizations in the Peoples' Reconstruction League as well as the opinions of hundreds of thousands of other wage-earners and farmers in thanking you for what you have done … and we know that you will continue the fight on behalf of the people which you have so fearlessly and ably made.




Yours sincerely,

BENJAMIN C. MARSH
, 
Executive Secretary.





THANKS FROM RAILWAY MEN


LABOR
 (representing all Railway Brotherhoods)

Washington, June 4, 1921.




MY DEAR MR. FREAR
:  … I think you have won your sales tax fight; at least that is the sentiment I get from Senators and Congressmen.  You are entitled to practically all the glory because without you I do not believe it would have been possible to head off the proposition.  …




Sincerely,

EDWARD KEATING
, 
Manager,
 (Formerly M. C. from Colorado.)



The gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Frear) is entitled to the thanks of the country for what he has done.—


Republican Leader Mann, in debate.




The only member of the Ways and Means Committee who fights effectively against the 
millionaire bloc
 in the committee and carries his fight to the floor is James A. Frear of Wisconsin.  Out-voted on the committee … Frear has repeatedly appealed to the membership of the House and won out.  … Within the past year Frear has won notable victories by defeating the dye embargo, the sales tax, the retroactive repeal of the excess profits tax and the slicing in half of the surtaxes.  … Co-operating with farm and labor representatives in Washington Frear organized a revolt of 100 Republicans who were ready to bury the sales tax beneath an avalanche of votes.  Frear presented figures in the House which demonstrated that the sales tax would have placed a tax of half a billion dollars on necessities and added $20,000,000 additional tax burden annually to the people of Wisconsin alone.—


Capitol Times.




(Editorials from the 
American Economist, American, World
 and many other leading publications are omitted because of lack of space.)