Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-09-21
SOME POPULAR DELUSlONS.
CA LETTER By BLISS BOUTWELL,,

If the CITIZEN and its readers will
pardon my presumption and put ur
with my bad grammar and syntax
will endeavor to entertain that
papers host of readers for short
while with some ehections-awk-
wardly expressed, for they come from
an awkward fellow, but dashed with
pure condiments, and hope that they
will be both palatable and healthful
Delude means to hefool, to deceive
to disappoint, to mislead; aud delu-
sion means the act of delnding, state
Of being deluded.
Have you noticed the great differ
ence in the dictionary meaning and
the practical application of many
words i'll our language? Some people
will make YOU believe they are acting
IN perfect accord with the meaning
and intent of a thing, but are, never
the!ess, acting in way widely con-
trary to what they profess. Some
delusions are so invariably practiced
and are so very popular, that neither
thepractitioner nor the one physicked
know the thing is fraud. But as
a rule, if the delusion requires both,
a practitioner and one for him to
practice on, the former right well
understands the nature of the treat
ment. Take for instance the two
words: 'policy" and politician. -
The former is defined by the
dictionary, thus: the art of govern
ment or prudent management of
public affajrs;and the latter to mean:
One versed in politics, statesman.
This dictionary meaning was un-
derstood and practiced in the good
honest old times when Washington,
Jefferson, Adams, Monroe and others
welded the governmental sceptrr:
and in those times politics was a
lofty and honorable profession
second only to that Of a preacher of
the gospel.
ltls true those times had its Aaron
Burr, as did Apostolic times it's
Judas-but they were rare cases, so
rare that to this day every school
child is familiar with Aaron's treason
and Judas betrayal. But suppose
our future historians should attempt
to give even a partial account of the
misdeeds of our modern Han
mas, Elkinses, Quays, Germans and
hosts of other government off.
cials-to use scrptural language
Il suppose the world would not be
large enough to hold the books"
1t would be interesting reading. If
their misdeeds are written one
hundred years from today l would
get the heavenly book-keeper to give
me two weeks furlough, so l could
come to the terrestrial planet and
read about these modern govern
mental Solons, Josephs and honest
Quakers.
But now comes in, how the people
are deludedl Many modern politi-
clans profess to live up to the
dictionary meaning of the word
"policy," but in reality their lives
would change the old time diction-
airy meaning to read thus: The art
of knowing how to practice rascality
without being found out, butif found
out, to know how to hypnotize the
ones finding it out, so as to retain
popularity and office. And the word
politician would read thus: A person
who knows how to fool the people,
get in office and use his influence for
that legislation that will make for
him more money than he gets out of
his salary.
Policy is all right if conceived
and advocated by a wise and right
eons man, but is dishonesty if con-
ceived and advocated by a politician
who believes in the modern diction-
AIRY. Look at McKinley's China pol
icyl Sending thousands of troops to
China to protect man who has never
been IN any danger, and only needed
to behave himself and not protection.
Mckinley knows European nations
intend to divide China up, and he
wants to be in a place to get slice
for himself too.
My child goes to your house, vio-
lates your rules Qhough arbitrary
they be); you threaten and thrash
him; ne communicates with me, and
l come with 25 men armed with
sticks and pitchforks; would you
not fight? And, then, if you knew it
had been my desire for long time
to give yoa a good beating and steal
away your wife would you not fight
still harder? People, when will YOU
cease to be deluded by politicians?
They want their party in power, to
get in power themselves. but things
are too calm for them, SO they dis
cover some paDacea for all the
nations ills: Silver one time, Tariff
another time, "Open door," Expan-
sinO apA fha ooNIuoea l,.,o.