Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1912-08-13
PEOPLES PULPIT
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Editor Courier:
i It has been said that political plat
forms, like the platform of passen
ger coach, are made to get in on On,
OF the most remarkable documents O
this kind which has been promulgated
! since the close of the civil war is tha
of the Bull Moose party.
A clause is inserted to fit every
mans case, and finally in our old age
we are all to be placed upon the pen
sion roll, not for any service we have
rendered to the government in peace
or war but because we have grown old
and our teeth are falling out.
1t is strange that the people Of the
present generation, who have every
opportunity to post themselves on
the conditions, should swallow such
taffy as this. But many of them do
Many of them believe that the, leader
of the Bull Moose party can bring
about all of these reforms and make
everybody happy, contented and pros.
porous. The fact Is that president
even with a big stick can do but little.
The power is vested in the congress
otherwise we would have monarchy,
a one man government, which the peo.
pie of this country do not want, and
will not have.
Our fathers wisely gave us certain
privileges and reserved certain other
things for our legislative bodies. In
other words, they created a represen-
tative government and such govern
ment has proved success for more
than one hundred years. We were
and are now, permitted to assemble
and choose our representatives and
send them to congress. In casting
their votes on any measure they are
voting for us. What more is neces-
sary. If one of these men betray us,
as some of them have, it is easy to
get rid Of him through impeachment
proceedings, or by the use of the bal
lot at the next election.
The cry Of LET the people rule is
all rot They do rule, and. have al
ways ruled. Mistakes have been made
but they have been corrected and can
be in the future, through corrective
legislation without all of the noise we
hear at the present time.
will concede that the country is in
condition. The statistics
show It. Reliable statistics which can
not be disputed. We are doing a.
large volume of business. The fac
tories are busy and labor is employed.
The farmers are having good crops
and receiving more for their products
than at any time since the close of
the civil war. Reports of the banks
show that the deposits are piling up
there, constantly increasing. and yet,
these conditions, we
find that throughout the country
there is feeling Of unrest and dis4l
content among the people. The ca
lamity wall is heard from all classes.
The writer has noticed that we have
had such conditions about every 20
years and that the howl always COM
when the country is in a pros
porous condition. It appears to be al
disease and a contagious one and one
that can only be cured by dose of
hard times An era Of tramps, free
soup houses, idleness, poverty and dis
tress!
What Is the cause? The writer be-
ieves it is the result of the teachings
If the political demagogue, who seeks
only place and power. He goes
abroad among the people with his tale
If woe and leaves discomfort and dis
3ension in his trail. He favors new,
.adical and unreasonable legislation
Ind makes them believe that they are
he most down-trodden people upon |
he face of the earth. These political |
aspirants present no statistics to cor
'oborate their statements, but deal |
,nly in glittering generalities, declar
ng that everything is wrong and moth
ng right. AS have said, it is |
strange that so many people swallow |
his stuff without taking the time and |
he trouble to investigate for them.
'elves
II this country was such terrible |
,lace as they represent it to be, why
he representation Of their kinsfolk
Who have come ahead of them? The
,ates of Castle Garden are certainly |
inward and seldom outward.
rhe facts are that we have the best |
on earth and while many of |
is believe in progression, the enact
nent of needed laws, we are unalter-
bly, opposed to complete change in
'ur form Of government, through the
nactment of radical unreasonable
nd dangerous laws. What the coun-
ry needs and all it needs is rest
rom this political turmoil. We have
ad an over-production Of political
in the past five or six
ears and If permitted to have their
7ay they will eventually drive us into
he worst panic and business depres-
ion the country has ever seen. Cap
talists, the men who do the business
f this country will not invest their
money under such conditions. They
yill lock il up and sit down and wait l