The Harrison times., 1911-06-17
WILES or OUR POLITICIANS
President Barrett Directs Attention to
Men That Set City Against
Country-Trick Is Old.

To the Officers and Members of the
Farmers Union Upon my several y!s
its to Washington during the sessions
of congress | have more than ever
been impressed with the demagogy
that keeps country and city apart in
sentiment and that is a foe to true
progress.
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 campaign and lash sentiment
against the city to frenzy.
When the returns are all in you
will find that he has been elected by
@ 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 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 general par
GELS post.
Does he fulfill that promise to the
letter?
Not so you could notice it.
He studies the election returns faith
fully.
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 grand
stand play to the man in the city.
This is only given for en- illustration.
There are many others.
have seen congressman after con-
gressman 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 oppo-
stion 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 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 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
poles, when they should be fighting
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-
judce against people in the cities,
when, as a matter Of fact, the city and
the country have great deal in com
mon.
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 sup
port neither Of the city or the coun'
try. Where they should be represent
ing both, they really represent
neither They only represent them,
| selves.
CHARLES S. BARRETT.