The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1907-04-11


iween insanity and delusion, and if
lot held in check by men of sound
minds, will draw much greater evil
On society than the men who are stark
mad. Not many years ago q bright
genius up in the native home of wood
en- uutmegs, pretended to have dis
covered plan by which he could
gather fabulous amounts of gold from
sea water. But this was at time
certain politicians were struggling to
carry an election TO election to estab"
lish the gold standard by law. AS
soon as the election was over we heard
no more of converting the Atlantic
ocean into gold, and this man who be-
lohged to the tribe of Ananias, went
out of business and pulled down his
plant, Any man who is crafty enough
to concoct q scheme to decieve the
voters will soon learn how to swindle
them out Of their property.
The boldest feat OF the confidence
game in recent years was pulled off by
the last congress increasing their sal
aries. When they went to Washing
ton in December under the specific
contract with the people that they
would serve them a whole year for
So, 900, were not all the congressman
bound in honor as we'll as law to abide
by that contract. Not one of them had
eyed suggested during the canvass be-
fore the dear people that his salary
was too low, but all of them went
around preaching the fundamental
doctrine of tho United States; "All
just government derives its authority
from sthe consent of the governedW
Did they ask or seek or care for the
consent Of the governed" in this case?
If not, who is on top, and who is do
ing the governing, congress or the
people? And what does this teach all
all men who are not willfully blinded?
Simply that the people have lost their
grip on their representatives, and we
now have a government not "of the
people, by the people and for the peo-
pie" but government of grafters, by
grafters, and for the grafters inand out
of congress. Is not this the whole
case in nut shell, and we have sim
ply lost the form Of government the
form of government the fathers hand
ed down to us 118 years ago? [ assert
without fear of contradiction that if {
single member of the last congress who
traded with himself and hired himsel
as a lawmaker at 81, 500 year to 60 t.
Washington to represent the people il
returned to the next congress he will
represent constituency utterly incap
able OF self government.
Let us test this by simple common
sense business rule: You hire Pete
Jones at fifty dollars q month to man
. age your business. He goes on yer!
we'll for while, but falls in with 10
of highfysrs who spend money extrav
agently, and fifty dollars month vii
not ensble him to go to the theatre AM
other places of pleasure and amuse
ment. So he calls grand council
with himself, but you are not invited
and the result ia he hires himself q
$75 a month to go on with your bust
ness. Very naturally you dismiss hir
and sue him for breach of contract
But if the Judge is CRATER, Mr.. Jone
. says to him, eff you will look u
: some himsy legal technicality and sem
: this fellow out of court with the cost
: on him, I will divide the swag wit
= yov."
Did not E. FL. Hartman admit re
u Gently that he had traded several mil
lions railroad boands, water and all,
. himself at sixty cents on the dollar
n and afterwards let them off at par, pu
II ting some IS, 200, 900 in his own pocket
|. Was this case of moral insanity, {
|. was it merely case OF unblushin
moral depravity Of an expert CRATER
It reminds me of good old calvanisti
sister who had become little nike
a on the Westminster creed of faith on
q. said II thank the Lord for the blesse
10 doctrine of total deprayity."
Of When the vote was taken nd Il
o. members Of congress had hired then
+; selves to make laws for thy people
le 81, 800 q year and Uncle Joe had il
ut structed them how to quiet all con
p.1 plant. it must have been extremely i
in teresting to hear his musical voice tri
es ling that grand old nursery rhyme:
Or "Rok-a-by baby, don't you cry,
O. We wont whip you by and by,
th Only be good and we wont even try
So M. T. p.