Warren sheaf., 1906-12-27
The Cow in Politics.

The recent election was the first In
eur history in which the COW figured
rs the political emblem on a ballot
The farmers of the thirty-fourth
New York district have long been
dissatisfied with their represen tative
in Congress. Henry W. Wadswortn,
wealthy land owner and cattle
dealer, has repeatedly been elected
to the House and for several sessions
has been chairman of the Agricul-
tural committee, position vitality
affecting the interests of farm ers
throughout the country. In the
great battle between the dairymen
and oleo, Mr.. .Wadsworth took the
side Of the packing interests. In the
fight last spring tor meat inspec-
tion Jaw he used all his influence to
soften the measure for the packers
and would have defeated it entirely
but for the pressure of the farm Or
CARNATIONS, the farm press and Pre-
,sident Roosevelt, who wrote Wads-
worth a sharp letter, practically ac-
cuslng him OF treason to the people
in their efforts to secure meat in
spection. The conduct of Mr.. Wads-
worth caused great dissatisfaction
among the farmers of his district
and they organized to defeat him.
The district is largely Republican
and the farmers Of that faith
brought out an Independent cam
didate Of similar politics in the per-
son of Mr.. Peter Porter, who had his
name placed on the ballot under the
picture of COW. The machine,
backed by an enormous normal ma
jority, laughed at Peter and his COW
when they heard of the proceeding
but the event proved that "Old
Brindle'' has a wonderful drawing
power in politics as we'll as above
the pail and she proved equal to the
task of kicking over'' the great Mr..
Wadsworth, with all his wealth and
long prestige, backed by a powerful
political machine.
The farmers walked up by the
Thousand and made their mark under
the COW. 1t is the first time that
a purely agricultural issue has deter
mined an election to Congress. 1t
was happy thought to select this
emblem, for of all farm animals the
COW has had mo st to do with pros
porous farming. She is the great
farm mother, bringing prosperity to
millions of homes, giving stability to
agriculture and restoring the fertil-
ity of entire sections. The hog, the
sheep and other farm animals have
their place in agriculture, but the
good old cow is the farm queen and
any blow struck at her is a blow at
the foundation prosperity of the
farm. A farmer may we'll make his
political fight under 'the sign Of
the COW" and combination under
such leader is dangerous one to
buck against. "Old Brlndle" knows
how to hook and kick her enemies
and she has for her frieds everybody
who drinks milk, which takes in all
the men as we'll as the women and
children. When oleo, made of cheap
animal fats and cotton oil and cum
ningly colored, was sold in opposi-
tion to butter the COW was defrauded
of her rights and all consumers were
cheated. This was headed off by the
law taxing colored oleo ten cents a
pound, but the purveyors of the
nasty limitations, through their tools
in congress, were laboring to defeat
this law. One of them, heretofore
very active and influential, won't be
there tc help as the farmers of the
thirty fourth New York district
have beheaded him under "the sign