Mower County transcript., 1904-09-14
FARMER BEN'S COLUMN.

One of the boys was tellin' me that
rich chap up to Minneapolis who is
bein' coached and encouraged to beat
senator Clapp next winter is furnishin'
big wads of spondulix to the grafters
and legpullers who are putin up lots
of candydates in every county to de-
feat the will of the people who are
teetotally and unanimously for Clapp.
His idee is that if he can get enough
unpledged legislators elected to st.
Paul next winter that he can run a
Doodle campaign in the legislator and
buy his way in right over Clapps head.
The smell of some of the rotten and
corrupt and Doodle campaigns where
money was used to buy legislators in
past years still makes me hold my nose
when bring 'em to mind, and Farmer
Ben never, never wants to see any
more of it while he survives. Moses
E. Clapp has been nominated straight
by two republican state conventions
just as fairly and outspokenly as
Roosevelt has been nominated by the
national convention. What would be
the sense of leavin' the national elec-
tors to 60 unpledged to Roosevelt and
open to change for somebody else and
what is the sense Of havin' legislators
elected unpledged for Clapp when he
has been unanimously nominated? 1t
just leavs hole for legpullers.
1 alwls liked senator Clapp. He's
got brains and no money. Most of the
national senators hav got money and
no brains. Look at the list of mil
lionaires that compose 'em, every last
one hitched up to the corporations and
lots of 'em buyin' their way in same as
they would buy pig. Clapp is brainy
and wise and broadminded and in
tluential and commandin' and he's an
honor to this great commonwealth. He
is of the common people and stands
for em and represents 'em and he's en-
titled to the compliment of bein' re-
nominated after his first term. [
reiterate and asseverate that there's
not a shadow of excuse for anybody
goin' to the next legislator unpledged
on Uncle Sans senator. It's only a
loophole for unnecessary pullin' and
haulin' and maxim trouble. Folks are
all the time cryin' for a direct vote of
the people for national senator, now
here's pretty near the real thing.
Nominate your senators in. the state
convention and then elect legislators
that will be honorable and trusty
enough to stay by the convention
nominee and not wander off after false
gods from outside considerations and
personal advantage. The man that
says he is for Clapp or some other good
man amt tied up close enough. He
ought to be for Clapp and for Clapp
only.
Well, the primary election is on top
of us again and we hav another chance
of seein' it's freaks and injustices.
Theory is one thing but practice is a
big another, you bet all your old socks.
The idee of favorin' a scheme in which
all the democrats can pack republican
primaries in republican precincts and
mako rocky nominations, and on the
other side of the fence the idee of re-
pnblicans packin' democrat primaries
in democrat precincts is the most out
rageous proposition that was ever con-
cocted in the fertile brain of schemin'
and deep politicians. Why, under the
present primary law, the rankest demo
crat that ever voted at the last election
can 90 over to auditor Robertson and put
up his ten dollars and qualify as a candi-
date for any office on the republican
ticket and go on the official ballot as a
republican candydate. The old con-
vention that distributed nominatin'
DOW0I U1lO COuAoy '" eS0 AOesAoA AAS5A~S'
You'll see how it is next week. In
Austin and the centers all the voters
will get out and in the country few
will get out and the whole ticket will
be controlled by the city instead of the
country, all of which means that the
saloon power will dictate the whole
business.
tell you there is joy enough in
harvest to pay for all the back aches of
all summer in raisin' stuff. just spend
every day happy and singin' while I'm
eatherin' in my stuff, pickin' plums
and apples and diggin' potatoes and
pilin' up punkins and cuttin' up corn
and pickin' tomatoes and cabbage and
beets and onions and helpin' thrash
down at the old farm. 1 love it all
After all the plantin' and sowin' and
hoein' and buggin' and trimmin', to get
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