Henderson gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1911-19??, 1911-05-18
TRICKS OF POLITICIANS.
Farmers Union President Directs At.
tention to Those That Set the City
Against the Country, and Declares
This Sort of Demagogy Must Be
Smashed la Interest of Real Prog
ress.


This Sort of Demagogy Must Be
Smashed In Interest of Real Prog
ress.
TO the Officers and Members OF the
Farmers Union:
Upon my several visits to Wash
lngton during the session OF Con-
gress, | have more than ever been
impressed with the Demogogy that
keeps country and city apart in SEN
timent and that is clog to true prog
ress
lcould call by name several Con-
gressmen who rode into office by ar
rayi"R country against city.
The procedure is simple and is one
OF the oldest tricks in the bag of the
politician.
He will go into the country district
during a campaign, and lash senti-
ment against the city to a frenzy.
When the returns are all in you
will find that he has been elected by
a country majority.
When he gets to Washington what
does he do? Continue to fay the
residents OF the city, and TO take the
farmer to his loving breast? Not SO.
he starts upon one OF the cunning
est raddles he can devise.
For instance, take the parcels post.
He probably went through the
district before election, promising all
the farmers that one of the first
things he would do when he reached
office would be to get them a general
parcels post.
Does he fulfill that promise to the
letter?
Not so you could notice it.
he studies the election returns
faithfully.
He finds that a large part of the
vote against him came from the
cities.
His object, therefore, is to rub the
city mans back, and at the same
time not make an enemy of the far
mer.
So he frames up parcels post
that let's the farmer ship into the
city, but that protects the little city
merchant from far-off competition
by making no provision for return
shipments.
Thus he has given the man in the
country the shadow of redemption
Of his promise. And he has made a
grand-stand play to the man in the
city.
This is only given for an illustra-
tlOn. There are many Others.
[ have seen Congressman after
Congressman get into office by ap-
pealing to the class prejudice of the
farmer, and then turn straight
around and work might and main
to get, things for the city, that he
might melt the opposition against
him.
1t is this sort of thing, the constant
lining up OF country against city,
that is one of the greatest bars to
progress.
The city man is often made to be-
lieve that the country man regards
him with suspicion and hostility, and
vice versa.
What is the result?
They both suffer in the long run.
They hesitate upon uniting in
measures in which they are both in
terested.
When good government is at stake
in the State, the county, or nation,
they are sometimes as far apart as
the poles, when they should be fight
ing under the same banner.
| cannot too frequently warn you
against this hypocritical type of pol
itician who gets your votes under
false pretenses, and who incites you
to prejudice against people in the
cities, when, as a matter of fact, the
city and the country have great
deal in common.
caution you to watch him in ac-
tion; and to mark him for close at
tention when he next offers himself
for office
Men who use this sort OF wiles to
keep in power are worthy of the sup
port neither ofthe city or the coun-
try. Where they should be repre-
senting both, they really represent
neither. They only represent them
~ n A n n