Mower County transcript., 1907-04-17
FARMER BEN'S
COL ULlMN.

selves insted of for the people. | see
they're giggin' on the anti-pass bills
either maxim 'em so wide open that
anybody can get pass or else delayin
the real thing so that it can't get thru
at all. If there's anybody that ought
to be forbidden pass it's the polltl'
clans and these are the very hogs that
somehow alwus seem to get 'em Wnen
honest folks hav to pay regular 1are.
The people hav demanded different and
the last convention pledged to wipe
out the pass evil but the lawmakers
amt got decency or honesty enuf to de-
prive themselves of the pass bride.
Every one who taxes a pass has a col
lar round his neck and is put under OBJ
legations to the railroads. He can't
help it. But when we send agents OF
combines and corporation lobbyists IN
sted of honest farmers to the legislator
we're bound to get it in the neck.
That man Jerome that has made
such splurge in tryin' to convict Thaw
for riddin' the world Of that black vii
lain White had better go away back
and sit down. His big pretensions OF
high motives in huntin' criminals and
denouncin' crime don't hold water.
When he gets down so low as to defend
White in his plea to the jury tryin' to
justify his nastiness and vileness and
devilishness by the insinuation that "a
man may not be vlrtaous, he may be
unchaste, but it does not follow that he
is brute'', it's time he quit his high
pretensions. His discriminatin' is too
fine for common folks to apprehend.
White may hav ben man OF position
in the community and genius, as
Jerome said, but that makes his crimes
all the blacker for he knew better than
to mislead and betray and ruin and
blind innocent and unsuspectin' young
girls by leadin' 'em on with presents
and wine suppers and theatre parties
and such. Jerome is like lots Of other
lawyers. It looks like he would go a
long ways to get a favorable verdict.
So bunch of the big millionaires
and trust magnates that Uncle Sam has
ben goin' after hard for their open de-
tiance of all laws and decency and JUS
tice hav formed pool to beat President
koosevelt's renomination. They hav
raised a pot of $5,OO0,000 for starter
and are willin' to double on need to
create public sentiment thru venal
newspapers and otherways that will be
agenst the strenuous ways of Roose.
velt. They can we'll afford to do this
for it's likely we'll get old before we
find another such faithful president
that will stand up so strenuously and
bravely agenst the whole monopoly
push and make 'em keep within the
bound Of law and Righteousness.
There's no doubt that five or ten mill.
ion dollars for corruption fund can
do lots in politix. You amt got to 60
further than Austin to find this out.
Money can fix up all the ward heelers
and loafn' politicians and grafters and
buns and pay big money to the wire
pullers but woe to the country when
such politix wins out.
One of the boys was tellin me that
some Of the salary grabbers in congress
was already repentin' Of their steals
from Uncle Sam and wish they hadn't.
l spose they amt so concerned about
the national treasury lootin' but they're
thinkin' of the awful indignation that
is stirred up in their home deestricks
over the graft. But the record is on
'em and they've got to take their medi-
cine. Nobody that's got an ounce of
honesty or principle will encourage the
reelection of such public robbers. 1
tell you this whole Washington busl-
ness is gettin' demoralizin'. When
congressman got $500 salary for four
months work they lived very nicely and
when they raised to Sc, 900 they increas-
ed their style and expense and now they
hav put on the salary grab SO as to-
make it $500 year they'll .liv like.
lords and kings. Why, they tell me
that some Of the congressman when
sthav,ra in Washington hay niQgers to