Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1902-07-30

planks in the republican state plat |
form, I saw Jack Parrott came toting
a big dictionary under his arm. I |
knowed right away that he was up to
some new scheme, so hollered to him
to come up and explain himself.
Says he: 81 have got an appoint
ment as republican speaker during the
campaign. I suppose you have heard
that this is to be speakers campaign
and there won't be as much literature
sent out as formerly"
I told him 1 had heard it, but
couldn't 6gger out the reason for this
change of method.
"Of course you can't,'' says Jack.
"You amt sharp enough to make a
politician. Don't you see that we are
in several kinds of Loren Fletcher
fixes. There is the trust question, for
instance. It has got to be so promin.
ent that we can't ignore it, but we
amt exactly in position to brag about
our record there. Congress didn't do
thing to the trusts, and Knox only
hit them with stuffed club that made
lots of noise but didn't hurt them at
all. This is very satisfactory to the
trusts, but the people have got a
notion that something effective ought
to be done. We can't use the old dodge
about needing amendments to the con-
stitution, for congress didn't make
any effort to pass any such proposals
for amendments. Than there is the
merger. We can't push that very
hard, with a merger friend as editor
of the press bureau, and we didn't
want to hurt Jim Hill very hard
either. On the Cuban reciprocity
question we are still worse off. We
have endorsed the reciprocity and the
men who fought it. The ship subsidy
bill is half passed and we don't want
to talk more than we have to about it.,
because people as a general rule don It
seem to take to it as kindly as Morgan
does"
"But why do you prefer a speaking
campaign in that situation?" says I.
Says he: "Don't you see, when we
write something about any of these
ticklish subjects the people get a
chance to study it over carefully.
They have got our arguments down in
black and white and can take their
time to look into them fully. It is
different with a speech. I have got
this dictionary on purpose to study
up all the big high-sounding words
that I can get into my skull. Then l
go before the people. We have had a
parade, lots of fireworks and hurrah-
ing and shouting. The audience is
worked up to a high pitch of enthus-
iasm. Then I come at them with big
words. 1 talk about the flag that will
never be hauled down when once put
up; tell about the glorious deeds OF
the party under Lincoln; 1 throw a
few spasms over the way niggers are
treated in the south; tell them that
We are the biggest, strongest, richest,
freest, grandest on earth; I drag in
the American eagle and make him 20
through series of gym astics for the
entertainment of the audiences; tell OF
the hard times under Cleveland, and
show that we have got better times
now on accout of the protective tariff
l sling out some words that may be
understood to mean that we will re-
duce this tariff by reciprocity that
won't hurt any American industry; I
close with thunderstorm of words
that don't mean anything in particu-
lar. The audience goes into convul-
sions of enthusiasm, and they don't
known any more about the questions OF
the day than when I started. Now,
suppose should have put that stuff
into writing and let man sit down
and examine it coolly. Do you sup.
pose most men would not see there
was nothing in it? You bet he would.
We amt going to give him no chance
to look our arguments over that way
It is going to be lots of shouting and
very little thinking in this campaign,
if we can run things the way we want
to. The star-spaneled banner, the
American eagle, prosperity, manifest
destiny and our soldier boys are 60
ing to be worked to q finish in this
campaign. We have got to deafen the
people with noise and blind them with
fireworks to keep them from thinking,
and if the dictionary and my voice
hold out I am going to do my share
of the glorious work"
I hadn't looked at it in that light
before, but see plainly now that ] ack
PARROT had struck the right idea. A
party that is straddling every question
the way the republican party is doing
this year don't want to give people
time and opportunity to think over
the situation. CRICKETTS.
Vol. l, No. l of The Minnesota
Forum has reached US. The Forum
is strictly populistic and is designed
for general circulation especially
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