The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-03-06
AND THE TRUSTS.
Conditions OF Today Compared To
Those of WashingtOn's Time.

Whites Mill. Mar. 2.-Mr. Editor:
! VIII you allow small space Of your
valuable columns to an old crank to
turn lose heat, even if this is Feb
ruary ard IS a month of anniversaries.
one hundred seventy-fve years ago
George Washington was born. one
hundred forty-one years ago he de-
cided that the American people
should own and run their own coun-
try to suit themselves. which is
great sight more than they DO today.
Washington was the Father Of His
Country" and the leader Of his peo-
pie. He fought against taxation
without representation and won out.
Today we need a leader-another
WASHINGTON who will hand a knock
out punch to the American tyrants
who have sprung up by the scores
and who make the king we had to
contend with appear as a mere trif1e.
I need only to refer to a few Of our
American tyrants, you know them
well enough The American royal
family Of our King-Steel Coal, Meat.
Sugar. Oil and other fare, it is they
who tax everything we eat and we
are at the limit Don't you think that
George Washington would be as
founded if he were to come back to
life and see the condition OF things
i'm this country today
We find some ninety million of
people allowed to vote, but having
practically no say in the government
Of their own country Ninety mil
lions of people are taxed to the linn
il Of endurance by our royal family
Of trust kings, who control legsla-
ton, appoint judges and other Off
cials. and hold the government. and,
too often. the courts in the hollow OF
their hands. OH surely George would
be highly edited If he saw things as
they are today-the old iniquitous
system Of taxation without repre-
sentation which he fought, as ram
part as ever He would Of course be
astounded at the tremendous energy
and genius Of the people he had freed
from the tralldom Of Britain. The
development Of the country would
astonish him, but he would wonder
how people possessed Of such energy
determination and genius could al
low the government to pass from
their hands into the hands Of an ar
rogant plutocracy. Again, we can
see him scoring the wretches who
adulterate the food Of the nation. the
interests that were so busy trying to
throw DR.. Wiley out Of office. so
that they could poison us without in
reference.
DR.. Rutledge Rutherford estimates
that 250.0OO children were killed last
year from eating chemically treated
food and candy, and now these trusts
are even painting green oranges with
yellow poison to make them appear
eatable. The judge who tried the Sc
cases said this condition was not pc
culiar to his country alone, but the
same thing prevailed all over the
State. The people today in scores OF
communities have nothing on their
politicians in the way Of corruption.
Corruption began at the top and has
filtered down to the masses below
An Investigation set on foot last
spring has proved that the present
federal legislature is as hopelessly
corrupt a body Of public looters as
ever disgraced Ohio, or any other
State.
This is the way one State Is run,
and it is pretty much the same all
over So, you see. after George
Washington had punished the op-
pressors Of the masses. he would need
to give the people a thorough good
spanking too. 1t is useless for ma
ton to progress in material things,
unless it progresses in character
honesty, probity, rectitude and hon
or. Corruption in high places has be-
come so common, so much the rule
that ii has leaked down through every
stratum Of our national fabric. until
II has reached and demoraliZed the
masses of our people. We need an
other Washington today. One who
will lead the people, as Moses did of
old. up and out Of the quagmires OF
corruption and poverty. indifference
and slothfulness, in which they are
now wallowing pitifully inspiring
/ .t. ,,.i+h +bo "Goorpa washington