Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-05-12
CITY AND COUNTRY MUST
FIGHT UNDER SAME FLAG
Barrett Scores ''WiIeS of Poll
tiCian" Which Causes Diff
ference in Sentiment
Especial Dispatch to The Journal.)

Especial Dispatch to The Journal.)
UNION CITY, Ca, May 1-Condemning
what he terms the .'wiles of the politician
that set city against country" President
Charles S. Barrett of the National Farm
ers' union, has issued a card to the mem
bers, calling on them to assist in smash
ing this sort of demagoguery in the in
terest of real progress. His statement
follows:
TO the Officers and Members of the
Farmers Union:
Upon my several visits to Washington
during the sessions of congress, l have
more than ever been impressed with the
demagoguery that keeps country and city
apart in sentiment and that is foe to
true progress.
1 could tell by name several congress-
men who rode into office by arraying
country against city.
The procedure is simple and is one of
the oldest tricks in the bag of the poll
tician
He will go into the country districts
during campaign, and lash sentiment
against the city to a frenzy.
When the returns are all in you will
find that he has been elected by coun-
try majority
When he gets to Washington, what
does he do? Continue to fay the resi-
dents of the city, and to take the farmer
to his loving breast.
Not so.
A CUNNING STRADDLE.,
He starts upon one of the cuhningest
straddles he can devise.
For instance, take the parcels post.
He probably went through the district
before election, promising all the farm
ers 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 let
ter?
Not so you could notice it.
He studies the election returns faith
fully.
He finds that 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 to
make an enemy of the farmer.
So he frames up a parcels post that lets
the farmer ship into the city, but that
protects the little city merchant from
far off competition by making no pro-
vision for return shipments.
Thus he has given the man in the
country a shadow of a redemption of his
promise. And he has made a grandstand
play to the man in the city.
This is only given for an illustration.
There are many others.
l have seen congressman after con-
gresham get into Office by appealing 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 led to believe
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 interested.
USE SAME BANNER.
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 lighting under the
same banner.
/ cannot to frequently warn you against
this hypocritical type of politicians who
get your votes under false pretenses, and
who incites you to prejudice against peo-
pie in the cities, when, as matter OF
fact. the city and the country have a
great deal in common.
1 caution you to watch him in action,
and to mark him for close attention when
he next offers for office.
Men who use these sort of wiles to
keep in power are worthy of the support
neither of the city nor the country
Where they should be representing both,
they really represent neither. They only
~1~~agon4 fhorncaIuaQ