The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1900-10-24
DEAR Boy LETTERS, No. 10

| want you to do little work IN poll
tics before election. I want you not only
to vote right, but to get two or three
others to vote right. / know that your
friend Morgan says that politicians are
all corrupt and that, if man wants to
is to mix into politics. But, my boy,
there are two kinds Of political workers.
A little true story will show you what
I 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
son, John Van Buren,, went up into Mas
sachusetts to make some Free Soil
speeches for his father. Now with Prince
John, as he was familiarly called, politics
was game He had no real fixed, po
litical principles. And it was revela-
ton to him when he got into Massachu-
sets and found men like Garrison, Hig-
gibson, John Bro",n and others, Of pure
character and lofty ideals, whose very
lives Nttrre laid on the altar in the cause
of freedom. When lie c:.ne back from
his trip, he met friend in New York
and the following conversation took
place:
Hello, John: where have you been?'
up in Massachusetts, making Free
Soil speeches for father
''Did you find many Free Sellers up
there?''
Eyes, and, d-n it, they believe 1t, too
Ny 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 l
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 McINin-
ley and Roosevelt will be for the good Of
the nation and the good of the world.
Now l will tell you what I want you
to do. I want you first to 60 down and
see Barney Crogan. They have been
stufing him with the statement that the
Republican party is the rich mars 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 rich
| man grows richer it is at some poor mans
expense. They have told him that the
Republican policy makes ''the rich richer
and the poor poorer"
l want you to go down and tell HIM
that when a farmer raises thousand
bushels Of corn, the farmer is richer and
no man is the poorer, but some poor man
will get the job OF cutting that corn and
be the better off Tell him that when a
man digs a thousand dollars worth of
gold out of the ground he is richer, but
nobody is the poorer. Show him that
there is such 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 highes.
reward Tell him that the Republican
! party is the party for the whole people
rich and poor alike. Tell him that we dc
! rot believe in ar-aying one class against
another, but that all classes should work
| together for the common veal. And then
I coint him to the results of McKinley'S
+! administration as proof of what YOU say.
And keep poking the truth at him until
he sees it and promises to vS1P for Nc
! K;nley.
! Then so and see Will Barton. A Dem
| ocratic neighbor is trying to get him to
| +,~de on part Of the ticket. Tell VIII
that his is not the year for a Republican
to r. e,ze,~ with his ticket. He, win get
# tangled nm end twisted till his ballot
will net To cro,n+.] il he Is not careful
There is too much at s.. Ike this year: Tel
him to let his Democratic l~'end vote as
he will. but that this is the Year TO-
straight Republican votes. Do bis, nix
boy. and then vote right yourself, and
when the news Of victory comes you can
cheer with vim and rejoice that YOU
have share in the glory.
YOUR FATHER.