The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-03-03
WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT
To President Long of the F. g. 1.


Editor Representative.
l have read with much of feeling
and interest the communication Of
President Long in your last issue His
language is that Of the Jealous aud
sincere patriot, who cannot conceal
the sadness which is so often born of
diSillusion. 1t is sadness which
comes over all good men who have
played an honorable part in public
life,on the revelation Of their own
disnterest and self-sacrifice.
Nj. Longs words appeal to me most
~ because | have about given up all
thought of seeing anything accomp-
lished for the people through political
action. They are at best but a mob
herd of cattle-that may be driven
but can not be led, except to their
own destruction. Just as you see the
brightest minds in all professional
calllngS entering the service Of the
trusts and corporations, so in politics
the ability is all on the same side
Seven men sitting in the back room
in city ward are more potent than
| the 1000 men Of that ward who cast
| their votes; and these seven are in
variably acting in the interest of the
corporations, either presently or pros
pcctively. Only the half crazy or ex-
IRENE poor fellows bother about the
public welfare, and they soon tire of
their pursuit.
That has been my uniform expert
! ence for nigh 20 years, and | have
ceased to take enjoyment in it's rene
! tition. | do believe, however, that
much may be done on the lines sug-
gest ted by President Long My pessim-
ISM, which grows as the days advance,
does not, at least, prevent me from
believing that something may and
can be done through commercial and
industrial cooperation among the peo-
pie Indeed good deal has already
been done on those lines in the past.
! There is great work to be done In the
future if only it is taken hold of earn
estly.
There will be much of the same
charlatanism and self-seeking in the
movement that now characterizes
politics; but that is inevitable and
may be prepared for. The greatest
instrumentality in the hands of the
corpora tions is that Of concert of &C
tion and identity Of interests. If
these same agencies can not be in
voked by the people for their own pro-
lection it is time they should quietly
submit themselves to the forces that
now control them.
| 1t does not seem to me to be of the
slightest use to fight the great ten
dency Of modern Industrial society
toward concentration. 1t must be
guided and directed, not opposed
l am one Of the city farmerS-we
can't all be country hay-seeds, you
know-Who attended that recent con-
vention. | drafted plan Of action
whereby the obligation was imposed
on the officers Of the +. A. II. q.
then elected to promulgate some
scheme of cooperative action and re-
port the same for approval. l submit
ted the plan to two or three of the
leading minds of that convention; but
| found that it was the political side
of affairs to which they were looking
for aid. Except one or two men in
that convention who probably had
'axes to grind" found none who
seemed to care a jack-straw for what l
regarded as the great purpose Of the
organization.
AS executive head Of the organiza-
tion it is incumbent on Mr.. Long to
formulate and put in or GRAFTON some
mind 1t does not matter whether he
gets five or fifty letters from the
Southern tier Of counties, the ohliga-
ton is his. Those of us who believe
as he does, whether we are few or
many, look to him for guidance and
encouragement. | know there are
! men in this city who are determined
on trying to bring the country and
city producers together in concentrate
! ed commercial action. They would
| like to have the aid Of the new organi
zatiOn. But whether they get it or
not they will try: and if they fail, or
see no opportunity Of doing good, they
will shoulder the burden of their fail
ure. themselves. Let me urge on Presi-
! dent Long that, as it is better to have
| loved in vain than never to have loved
at all, so it is better to have tried and
failed than never to have tried at ALL
Very respectfully yours,
NJ. J. COSTELLO.
St. Paul, MINI.