West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1905-10-26

Shaw, what is your answer ?
Is it not remarkable, my farmer
brethren, what silly men Political
Pyeindiee will make out of us7 II
was a happy thought of the man who
said 1--WE are never too old to learn. /"
l thank God that / have had the
political scales of prejudice drop
ped from my eyes. From this time
henceforth l propose to investigate
for myself every political issue that
comes up. No more political Rings
to do my thinking. understand
the meaning of Ring and Machine
now. II was a dear lesson to me,
but like every other man who fol-
lows a political party blindly,
could learn in no other school but
the school of Experience. / have
paid my tuition fee to the Ring and
hold their RECEIPT showing that
have paid up to date. They have
no further claim on me. l am a
freeman now and do my own think
inc and vofiNg.
Brother farmers, il we ever hope
to get any legislation in the interest
of the farmers we must declare our
independence Of all political parties.
Let us vote for the eaHIidafes, what
ever ticket they are on, whom we
know to be the true friend of the
farmer and who, when they go to
Charleston and Washington, will
vote for legislation that will help
the farmer with his heavy load
When we do this, political Rings
and Machines will disappear, and
not before.
Brother farmers, there is one
thing l desire to call your particu-
lar attention to. Many of you have
served on the jury. l have on sew
eral occasions. You will remember
that witness now and then giving
in his testimony wants to furnish the
evidence that will clear his friend of
the crime that he is charged with.
He is so anxious &c do this that i'm
some part of his evidence it is
found to be false. The result is
that the Court rules his evidence
out. So the witness, probably un
conscious, does his friend more harm
than good. So it is with the Pres
ton County Journal. In its anxiety
to convince us farmers that the
Dawson tax laws are what we want
it has fals;fied the tax laws time and
again. This being true 1t cannot
expect us farmers to believe any
part of the argument which the
Preston County Journal has advanc-
ed in favor Of the Dawson tax laws.
AT best its argument has been 7Oeak
in defense of the tax laws. We old
subscribers of the Journal cannot
help but notice that the Journal has
for the past few years been retire
grating editorlally. 1t is comment
ed on frequently by us old farmers
who got our education" in the old
log school house. This is why we
are called GLARS" damned fools"
and "hypocrites," because we have
progressed up to the thinking line
and refuse to let the Journal do our
thinking at one dollar a year.
Now, my brother farmers, l have
endeavOred to give you my honest
views on the Dawson tax laws. AS
/ have told you am not an Office.
seeker, have never held a public
office and would not accept one if
offered me. So you can readily see
that I am not one who has been
fhrOaOH GoWH by the Committee or
organization. They would have had
a loyal supporter in me yet had they
not deceived me with their Dawson
tax laws. l cannot emphasize too
strongly the necessity of us farmers
getting together for self-protection
before we enter into another politi-
cal campaign. Let us not forget
that the Ring and the Machine new
er sleep. As soon as they get
through with one campaign they i'm
mediately begin to prepare for the
next one. They get together and
select the candidates who may run
for office at the ensuing election.
We are not consulted about IT,.
We are supposed to ratify their Sc.
lections and ask no questions.
This is what is known in the par
lance Of the Ring and the Machine
as "doing things" and "working for
the good Of the party" / may be
'1iar,"a damned fool" and a
"hYpocrite," as my Republican"