Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-09-15

ANSWERING Mr.. SKINNER.


Information and sound Advice From
.Your Father to His .Dear Boy,
Ny Dear Boy-In your last letter you
say that old man Skinner, your EN-
pIoyer, says that he doesn't see what
q farmer can be thinking Of to vote for
Mckinley when the trusts are squecz-
ing the life out of the farmers and the
country is drifting right into imperial
ism every day"
You want to know how to answer
him? Well. will tell you what to say
to him, and then / have a few words to
say to you.
Ask Mr. Skinner If he remembers
that in 1895 he sold that sorrel mare
that used to work on the nigh side with
old Jim for $40 Ask him whether the
sorref wasn't a better horse than that
bay that he sold to Crawford the other
day for $50. Remind him that he sold
his wool in 1896 for ii cents and that
he sold this year at 81 cents and kicked
like q steer because be didn't get 80.
Gently suggest that he sold a couple
of steers in 1896 for $3.25 per hundred
and that they were as good as those
splendid fellows that he sold last week
for 500.
The old man runs a huckster wagon
into Jacksonville and sells produce to
the miners wives. Ask him il he re-
members that four years ago woman
would come out to the wagon and say:
"Can you let me have a peck of pota-
toes and trust me till John gets wor1?'
Remind him that the same woman
comes out now and says: GIVE me
three dozen of eggs and two pounds of
butter. What are those peaches worth?
III take q basketful of them. Give me
a peck Of those tomatoes. How much
does it all come to? Here's your mon
ey. When are you going to bring in
some veal? John likes veal for break
fast
Ask him if he doesn't know that
more money has been paid out as
wages to workingmen during the past
year than in any other year in the his
tory of the Hooking valley. Ask him
whether a considerable part of this
money hasn't found its way into his ca
pacious pocketbook.
Remind him that he told me that
whenever the Mayhem farm is put up
for sale he intends to bid on that upper
eighty that joins his and that he has
made enough money in the last two
years to pay for it.
And then gently suggest that he does
not appear to be suffering much from
Imperialism or trusts either. Tell him
that perhaps he had better let well
enough alone. Tell him not to vote for
what he doesn't want Tell him that
when trade is good and business conf
dence strong and healthful it is not
wise to tesr the whole thing down by
giving the administration into untried
hands.
l think that this is the only kind of
argument that will touch old man Skin
ner, but you, my boy, have a larger
soul. l want to say some other things
to you.
My boy, thank God that you live in
country prosperous at home and honor
ed abroad and never so prosperous and
honored as now.
When you come to vote this fall, re-
member that the national credit has
reached its highest point. that the work
of American laborers has gained it's
highest reward and that the glory of
American arms on land and sea has
been most widely maintained under
the wise, thoughtful, patriotic admins
tration of William Mckinley.
Remember that his administration is
carrying out the principles and policy
of the Republican party.
Remember that the blood of four
generations of American soldiers runs
in your veins and then vote so that you
will not be ashamed of your vote on
the day after election.
YOUR FATHER.