Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-05-09
COUNTRY VS.. TOWN.
President Barrett Discusses Wiles Of
the Petty Politician.

President Barrett Discusses Wiles o'
the Petty Politician.
To the officers and Members Of the
Farmers Union:
Upon my several visits to Washing
ton during the sessions of congress,
have more than ever been impressed
with the demagogy that keeps coun-
| try and city apart in sentiment and
| that is foe to true progress.
l could call by name several con-
gressmen who rode into office by ar
raging 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 districts
during a 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 a
country majority.
When he gets to Washington, what
does he do? Continue to fay the res
idents of the city, and to take the far
mer to his loving breast?
Not so.
He starts upon one of the most cum
ming straddles he can devise.
For instance, take the parcels post
He probably went through the dis
trict 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 par
GELS 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 to make an enemy of the farmer.
So he frames up parcels post that
lets 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 a shadow of a 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-
ton. 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, tndl ne might IHell lue oppo-
sition against him.
1t is this sort of thing, the constant
lining up of country against city, that
is one Of the greatest bars to pro-
gress.
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 meas
ures in which they are both interested.
When good government is at stake
in the state, the county, or nation,
they are sometimes as far apart as
the polls, when they should be fight
ing under the same banner.
/ cannot too frequently warn you
against this hypocritical type Of poll
ticians who get your votes under false
pretenses, and who incites you to pre-
judice against people in the cities,
when, as a matter of fact, the city
and the country have a great deal in
common.
l caution you to watch him in ac-
ton, and to mark him for close atten-
ton when he next offers for office.
Men who use these sort of wiles to
keep in power are worthy Of the sup
port neither of the city nor the coun-
try. Where they should be represent
ing both, they really represent neither.
They only represent themselves.
Chas. S. Barrett.