The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-09-01
BAMBOOZLEDOM.

from that time to the present been
hOOdwinking each other without the
least Ietup, thus proving with a proof
| thatcan't be gainsaid, the force of her
editary transmission. About four
ffths of Adams pOsterity now living
are subject to the quackery OF quackS
who comprise the other fifth, and
every country on the face OF the earth,
civilized or not, IS q bambOOZledOm OF
more or less extent. OF all the people
in the world nOne have eVlnced 0
the force of that inherited tendency
from father Adam to be whecdled than
the agricultural class Of this country.
For % long years have we been CIR
cumscribed within the bonds of BAN
bOOzlel0m, submitting to everything
and believing everything that II
evil bambOOZleTS choose to hold Us IN
hand with.
Aye, we have been too prone to be
led away; bambOozled by every scAem-
ing jackanape Of a political demagogue
who saw fit to impose his humbuggery
upon us. The mischief of it is, such IS
| the lack OF incentive with the most OF
us to investigate for ourselves, that we
can only form vague ideas about eco
nOmic questions and other subjects of
vital concern to us. 1t Is so much
easier to adopt other peoples ideas IN
| stead of thinking for ourselves that
we become thereby too liable to be led
astray into paths that suit other mems
! interests instead Of our OWL Zoe III
| dOlent or unwilling to think for our
| selves we are necessarily forced to re
! sort to sO-caIled authorities, and being
unprepared to gainsay them, we be
! come object converts to their notions.
| Ii then they do not inStIIl III us the
proper doctrine on any particular sub
! iect, there is no help for 1t but to be
led away. We are like the way a
German philosopher expressed his
| opinion about the mental durability of
the human race. SAID he: Amy
rambler on the pasture hills may notice
the devious trails by which the herds
travel from their fold to the next
spring. You may straighten II OF
these trails, grade 1t and smOOthe II,
| and sow its borders with excellent
| clover. but not one sheep IL a dozen
will avail itself Of the improved path
as long as the bell weather sticks to
the old beaten track just so with
us, We have nadtoO many smart AIcckS
in the shape Of political bell Wcatners
! leading US along the Same OLD beaten
| track, and it is high time We were get
ting into a new trail engineered BY our
own resources and guidance. We have
been too contiding. too prone 10 yield
up Il common sense to the leadership
Of any old SIabSldcd ~bell-Weathcr OF 4
demagOgUe that comes along. We are
50 used 10 magnify what Is beyond our
comprehension that we mVert poIItI-
ticians, who purpOsely indulge IN be
wildering cVaslonS, with qualifications
far beyond their merits, andthuS over
rated, they hold sway over their self
elected, OVcr-contidmg nations because
OF Their own WIliuI bamoo0Zie-
ment. We seem 10 ignore the
tact that the human heaTt Is
deceltIul above all things and deS-
peratCly wicked, amt thus, through
OVCr-Weenlng confluence IN human ma
ture, become helpless victims ana
dupes t. impostQrs W on the alert to
fleece such gulIIbIe pigeons. If We
would but use Uncommon ems which
the God Of nature has implanted in Us
we would not forever be kept Wheadled
within the ~pr"jUdICCS OF bambOOZle-
dom, by designing politicians. These
| fellows think that we are so ignorant
on all subjects that relate to our we'll
| being that. being solely Interested in
| the maintenance Of their own ncfariOus
schemes, they think they can, as we
find little difficulty in enforcing them
upon the public. They play their game
so open handed that the most verdant
| among Us should learn. without effort.
the object lessons which Il teaches
| with more force than the education de-
| rived from all the speeches and reason
ings in or out Of Congress. Tens of
thousands Of us, from reprehensible
lnertneSS III applying the common
sense which nature has ibpraUIy y on
Gn1lol We oro eI1Ho,ino. nnJ ,'riS -
COHcu u9, are SUFFERING, ana even I'd
this Gay, @ctIhS with n oeleVlnS III