The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1900-10-26
DEAR BOY" LETTERS, No. 10

My Dear Boy:
| I want you to do little work in poll
| tics before election. L want you not only
| to vote right, but to get two or three
others to vote right. l know that your
friend Morgan says that politicians are
all corrupt and that, if man wants to
turn ont grand rascal, all he has to do
| is to mix into politics. But, my boy,
| there are two kinds of political workers.
| A little trSe story will show you what
/ mean:
In 1913, Martin Van Buren, failed to
get the Democratic nomination for the
presidency. He and his friends bolted
the ticket and he accepted the nomina-
ton of the Free Soil party. His brilliant
sou, John Van Buren,, went up into Mas
sachusetts to make some Free Soil
speeches for his father. Now with Prince
John, as he was Familiarity called, politics
was game. He had no real, liked, po'
litical principles. And it was a reyela-
ton to him when he got into Massachu-
sets and found men like Garrison, Hlg-
gibson, John Brown and others, Of pure
character and lofty ideals, whose very
lives were laid on the altar in the cause
of freedom. When he came back from
his trip. he met friend in New York
and the following conversation took
place:
Hello. John: where have you bcen!
up in Massachusetts, making Free
Soil speeches for father"
"Did you find many Free Sellers up
thcre?"
"Yes. and. d-n it. they believe it, too
My boy, this nations safety depends
largely upon the political work of men
who work because in their very heart of
hearts they believe that their political
principles are founded in truth and right
eousness. That is the kind of worker |
want you to be. Don't get down TO any
thing mean or tricky. but work because
you believe that the Republican position
is right, and that the election of McKin-
ley and Roosevelt will be for the good of
the nation and the good of the world
Now | will tell you what | want you
to do. / want you first to go down and
see Barney CrOgan. They have been
stuffing him with the statement that the
Republican party is the rich mans party,
and that the Democratic party is the poor
mans party. He sees the rich men and |
great corporations growing richer and |
they have told him that whenever a rich |
man grows richer it is at some poor mans |
expense. They have told him that the |
Republican policy makes 1.-THE rich richer |
and the poor poorer
l want you to so down and tell him |
that when a farmer raises a thousand |
l,,c b.n1, % f,r e oh nd
no man is the poorer, but some poor man |
will get the job Of cutting tina, corn and |
be the better off. Tell him that when 4 |
man digs Il thousand dollars worth Of |
gold out of the ground he is richer, but |
nobody is the poorer. Show him tina |
there is such a thing as natural increase |
of the worlds wealth which benefits all. |
Tell him that in this country, whenever |
the rich are doing the best the poor are |
doing the best; that when coal operators |
make money miners have more work and |
better pay; that when railroads and man |
ufacturers are making money labor is |
most abundant and receives its highcSt
reward Tell him that the Republican |
party is the party for the whole people, |
rich and poor alike. Tell him that we dc |
not believe in arraying one class against |
another, but that all classes should work |
together for the common veal. And Their |
point him to the results of Mckinley, |
administration as proof of what you say. |
And keep pokng the truth at him until |
he sees it and promises to vote for Me
Kinlcy.
Then 90 and see Will Barton. A Dem
ocratic neighbor is trying to get him to |
trade on a part of the ticket. Tell VIII |
that this is not the year for a Republican
to monkey with his ticket. He will get |
it tangled up and twisted till his ballo |
will not be counted if he is not careful |
There is too much at stake this year. Tell |
him to let his Democratic friend vote as |
he will, but that this is the year for |
straight Republican votes. Do this, my |
boy, and then vote right yourself, and |
when the news OF victory comes you can |
cheer with vim and rejoice that you |
have a share in the glory.
YOUR FATHER