Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1902-02-07
GARNETT, KANSAS, FEBRUARY 7, 1902.
10 MCDII'S MUSINGS

He marshas armies to worldwide combats and defty
beeds the ongsuering and stupid taxpayer to raise
the revenues He is always on the alert. His pickes
we'll out from the main body and he has multitude
Of detectives who hear the first whisper Of the would be
reormer The politician glores in action, but his ac-
tion s.inspired by devils
To tear reformatory movements limb from limb, to
the politician is glorious achievement. To him. the
blood Of reform is choice vintage. He goats over the
quvering flesh Of dsmembered theories for when once
aroused his nature is savage tigers of Indas jun
gles Not infrequeny, the priest is his tool, and al
ways, the priest his dupe With the politician the
ignorant man is splendid fellow. The politician hugs
ignorance to his bosom and embraces the rabbe in an
alpervading hug Of rags and wretchedness Where he
cannot crush he is not above flatery and he buys all
the purchasable material to be found on private sale.
When the politician changes it is from very bad to
great deal worse He has opposed all reforms from the
beginning and will continue to do until the end His
only good qualities are energy, and constancy His bad
qualities may be summed up in the qualities of Old Nick
He is the representative Of brute orce-in some measure
the eincarnation Of Julius Caesar Louis le Grande
His mission is not along the lines Of prevention Of evils
and his call for boodetngs biserings and ampu
tatoins.
Cure society Of its evils by preventing Them and the
better than he and hence his hostility to reform No
field for his peculiar talents the realm of love- justice
and equality Nobody to crush no ignorance to hug no
knave to buy no gheaded scheme to boost kings
corporations no fools to ater armies to raise no
taxes to squeeze patronage to dole out He has ruled
with more less for thousands Of years. and
dies hard. Like Satan. he would rather rule in Hell
than not be first in Heaven. 81.
Usually the politician is lawyer. He has nfaIlible
Coke and Blackstone when he has no bayonets He
welcomes the priest coadjutor Cast in ancient
mouds there feeling Of kinship Both appeal to the
wanton wicked old past Of civilization just emerging from
barbarism. That which lives grows, is truth they
fuse to acknowledge They cry "Treason!" and "Here-
sy Of the man who would dig about tree. manure it
and water it, Cut the tree down and into the fire
is to their liking. They are loud in profession Of
friendship for the fathers at the moment they most
busy in throtling the children
Don't trust them. and don follow them. Do your own
thinking Build Of the best material at hand Always
hope and strive for something better and higher Look
up and forward not down and at the past
The politician is not statesman any more than
quack is DOCTOR
Statesmen reformers-are not united to the dead
of played-out old mi-barbarism Statesmen
believe in better things, have theories and ideals They
would educate the ignorant and vicious lop off the
parasites that live off the fat Of other mems toll They
buy no votes and bend knee to kings or olgarchs
To Them the nfabe things the everlasting truths Of
the universe. They have no relics. Dead mems bones
have attractions neither mouldy old law books only in
so far as they teach justice and humanity They live in
the present and the future Like the politician they too
alert but to do good thing for suffering husni-
W Statesmen fight the causes Of evil believing that the
best way to deal with disease is not to be sick Follow
the statesman through storm and sunshine is he that
builds civilization enlarges human happiness, and Sc
cures the perpetuiy Of the human race