Wadsworth semi-weekly dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1904-04-26

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All. Of This Class Should Read
This Article and see Them
selves as Others see Them

To knock or not to knock, that is
the question; whether 1t Is better to
knock every proposed enterprise that
would be to the interest Of our country
and village, or to sit idly BY and view
with complacent air the hustlers' efforts
TO add to and maintain the prestaee
now enjoyed by our community.
The above may not be the exact
words used by the melancholy Dane"
in his soliloquy. but for the matter in
mind they will serve as a text.
In every community. especially in a
a new country. there exists a class Of
men-and women, too-who seem to
be imbued with a chronic desire to
combat all that which tends to the bet
torment and advancement of their own
home town. These people. for want Of
a better name, are called knockers"
No matter what new enterprise
seeks TO enter their town, whether or
not It might be a benefit. this class
gets out its hammer and proceeds to
knock right and left in an effort to
prejudice their neighbors against the
proposition. They may not do this
because they DO not think the enter
prise will be a benefit, but solely to
crafty their disposition to knock. Many
worthy towns have been practically
killed because of the knockers efforts.
Again. a mar may stand for election
TO a public office. He is honest, up
right and capable, Nothing whatever
can be said against his character. but
as 500 as his candidacy becomes
known, Mr.. Knocker is after him. He
remembers the candidate as a boy:
when he was selling papers. or backing
boots. or saving wood For that rea-
son he should not be elected and the
knocker gets busy trying to defeat the
other. In this manner some OF the
meanest, low-down. party-whipped in
competents have been elected over
their every-way capable opponents and
in the end have proven costly to their
constituency.
A man goes into a new country; he
looks around and recognizes the ma
tural possibilities of the section. He
secures a holding, enlists capital and
inaugurates a campaign Of improve
ment. Settlers are induced to come
and the prospects for the cult ,ation OF
Of the season are bright. But the
Knocker is awake, ready and anxious
to be heard. At the first opportunity
he b%uttonholes the newcomer and pours
into his ear a tale Of woe; and this is
the burden Of his song: This country
is no good; people here now are living
a sort of hand to-mouth existence; the
proposition you are here TO look over is
nothing but a money-making scheme
and after Its promoters have gotten
your money you will find yourself richer
in experience though poorer in pocket"
In many instances the Knockers argu-
ment causes the prospective settler to
throw a fit and thus the community
DOSES a good citizen and the knocker
is happy because of his success in
soaring the other away.
A person may have occasion to en-
ter a saloon. There he meets with z
friend and the two indulge in a social
drink. The mar goes to his place Of
business and While waiting upon a Gus
toner the fumes Of liquor are noticed.
Immediately a story IS circulated that
Jones, or Smith. or Brown, as the case
may be. is drinking. AS the story cir
cuiates It grows in dimensions and be-
fore the Knocker has completed his
rounds 1.-THE business mar Is drunk all
the timA. he is ahi,sjva IN his family