Mower County transcript., 1908-11-18
FARMER BEN'S
COLUMN

kULUluN
I'm nifty glad that president Roose-
welt swatted with big club those MIN
nies and shallowpates who pitched on
to Taft because of his religious views.
Just as it if a man is honest and upright
his religion is anybody else's business.
1 tell you I've got just as much right
to my own views as the rest Of the
world and if amt got any religion
at all such as some of the hardheads
perfess it's private matter for me to
settle with my Maker and nobody out
side lippin' in or interferin'. Every
body knows that Taft is honorable and
clean and upright and has got the
highest qualifications goin' for the
highest offs and Pm glad to know
he's got any religion no matter Wha5
kind This is free country and 1t
amt free if man has got to hav his
conscience tampered with by others.
go to church when / feel like it and l
stay to home when feel like it and SO
long as I'm straight and law abidln
it's my own stunt. My idee is that no
kind OF religion has monopoly of all
the good in the world.
What 8 rotten farce the law is that
requires candydates for offs to file q
statement of ali expenses incurred in
gettin' elected. The people know that
big campaign like governor costs
mint OF money, special trains and
everything else and when governor
puts in expense account of thous-
and dollars total campaign outlay it's
outrageous lynn SO fur as the intent of
coverin' all expense goes. There are
so many side ways of gettin' financial
help in a campaign that it's farce to
Civ out the statements that are made
public. Take q congressman who
might compel his postmasters to put
up five hundred dollars apiece and who
has help from trust corporations out
side to thousands of dollars and who in
private ways puts out thousands of
dollars of his own money where it will
do the most good and then covers it up
so he puts out moderate statement
of what is expended in the eye of the
public it's all lie and deception and
imposition on the law and people.
Well, we'll, see that New York ice
king that was quoted once at twenty
millions and is now convicted to if-
teen years in the pen has actually ben
com mitted to Jail while awaitin' hair
splittin' appeal to higher courts. The
judge actually refused bail to him just
as if he had ben common tramp ar.
rested for burglary. Morse is thous
and times worse because he knew bet
ter and had every chance TO keep in
line. He want tempted to steal he-
cause he was hungry and naked and
penniless. He embezzled and swindleu
in speculatin' deal to make more
millions and keep up his monopoly.
There want shadow CT an excuse for
him not keepin' strait and now let him
be treated just like any other criminal
since the jury has decided on his guilt.
When the time comes that the big
fellows are treated and handled In
courts exactly like the little fellows
it'll do awav with lots of critlsism and
unrest and danger of anarchy.
o 9 q
Boss Cannon has got bis eyes opened
wonderfully thru the last election.
He's comm down fcom his high horse
with marked agility. He amt near SO
chesty since lot of his lickspittes
were either knocked cut to the polls or
else had their majority lowered to a
size to be ashamed of as warnin'.
Now Cannon giys it out that if he can
only be reelected speaker ne will be
good and will hear more to the wishes
of the members of the house of reps
who ought to be the power. A COM
mittee of seven on rules is goin' to be
appointed to tend to that monopoly of
power which Cannon has so outrage
ously and undemocratically and chesti-
ly exercised in the face of the president
and the best heads of the nation. Pm
glad TO see there's q fight Oh for speak
er to lick out Cannon but if Cannon
wins he'll hav lot of his tail feathers
pulled out and he'll be ready to give
some attention to some other peoples
opinions. It's high time for his tyr