Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-25
THOSE UNCoUrH RUsTIcs.

THOSE UNCOUTH RUSTICS.
The idiosyncrasies of agricultural Legis-
latures furnish a subject which is evoking
sarcastic comments from the lofty organs of
financial and monetary centers; and the
Kansas Legislature is no exception to the
rule. A caustic New York journal has
found in the London Times description OF
the Servian Skuptschina, or legislative
body, which is composed largely of peasants,
and proceeds to discover points of re-
semblance between that body. 1t thinks
the Servian costume is more picturesque
than that of the Kansas legislators, t'though
we have recently been assured that nearly
all of the latter wear 'turn-down collars and
black neckties,' though one of them is
sockless." The points of resemblance are
enlarged upon as follows:
The Times tells us that the peasants of the
Servian Skuptschina ''see no necessity for ap-
plying any other standard to public affairs than
that which suffiees for the regulation of their
agricultural concerns" and it would not be
easy to find a better description of the standard
that is upheld by the corn raisers of the Kan
sas Skuptschina. The Servian lawmakers
possess the charming qualities of immatur-
ity," and perhaps the same may be said of the
Kansas lawmakers. The Times is watching the
development of ideas among the unsophisti-
Gated Servians." as we are watching it among
the unsophisticared Kansans. 1.-THE present
government of Servia is radical one. " like the
present Government of Kansas. The Servian
candidates for the Ministry seek office at
great Inconvenience to themselves" like the
Kansas candidates for the Senate.
The lack of general smartness and the un-
fashionable garb Of the rustic has for many
ages been the stock jest of the city wits.
The joke in one form or another was first
heard from the man about town to Attic
times who made Bstian simplicity the butt
of their jokes. 1t is quite natural there
fore that the mirrors of culture and ele-
gance, who revolve in city life, should keep
the old jest in circulation with the varia-
tions that modernized conditions render
possible. There has been good deal of
pictorial wit recently at the expense of the
social uncouthness and ignorance of what is
called the "hayseed" class; but the extract
above quoted is one of tine most noticeable
expressions of the urban sentiment that the
farmers of this country are really too ignor-
ant to be treated with respect when they
venture into politics.
Yet it is worth while to remember that
some of the historical sneers at this class
have turned out to be notably misplaced.
The Athenians who turned up their noses at
the Macedonians; the Roman exquisites who
imagined themselves far superior to the
Goihs; the curled darlings of the Stuart mon
archy who only could speak with contempt
of the farmers and small shopkeepers of
Cromwell's party, all were proved by subse-
quent events not to have been any wiser
than they might have been. 1t is also the
case that the history of this country makes
the stereotyped and antediluvian theory
that the agriculturist must be an ignorant
boor, incapable of knowing anything about
politics and craftsmanship. peculiarly mis-
this nation were subjects for the same jests by
the lordly British until the failure to SUBJ
due them turned the joke on the other side.
When it is now the fact that the errors of
the present day are in failing to live up to
the standard set US by those rude farmers of
stock outburst of humor at the unfashion-
able agricultural clothes and putative agri-
cultural ignorance might be restrained even
from a city SO renowned for the culture of
its aristocracy and the enlightenment of its
political rulers as New York.
The DISPATCH is the more free to ex-
press its disapproval of this stock Jest at the
expense of the farming classes, because it
differs from the policy which the Kansas
farmers seem disposed to adopt, and has by
no means a predominance of agricultural
readers. 1t is able therefore to speak of the
subject with impartiality. Any sensible
person should recognize that the growth of
this nation has been in great measure due to
the intelligence and political independence
of the farming class. While there is much
vagary and even demagogism in the Kansas
Farmers Alliance movement, there is as
good reason to trust in their honesty, their
sober second thought and the intelligence OF
their judgment as in the suffrages on which
the political machine of New York City
POUNDS its power. 1t is true there is talk OF
measures on the part of these rebelllous
rustics which would be very bad policy.
But when the sneers at their policy come
from source which has proposed that the
settled policy of our laws shall be reversed
in order that our corporate millionaires may
increase their millions, to plant 500. 600, 600
of Government credit in Nicaragua in order
to prevent its use in this country in a way
that would bother tine corporations, it may
be thought by the public that the rustic
vagaries are not worse than the urban SUBJ
servience.