The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-06-14
FARMERS EASILY FOOLED.
President Barrett of National Organ
izaton Tells Why He Believes This
II True.
To Officers and Members of the
Farmers Union:

Farmers' Union:
In the nine years have been
identified with the Farmers Union,
most OF the time as head OF the Nat
ional organization. have troveled
many thousands of miles, visited prac-
tically every state in the Union. al
dressed hundreds OF meetings and
vast numbers OF people. have come
Intimately In contact with farmers of
all sorts and conditions. and / give
it as my matured judgment that the
things most the matter with men who
Till the soil Is the ease with which
they are fooled.
And. unhappily. nc Is fooled ninety
nine times out OF a hundred by the
fellow with an axe to grind. He who
owns the axe puts you at the grind
stone handle and tells you to turn,
mayhap making some vague promises
Of reward. And you. trusting and
hopeful. turn and turn until your back
Is aching. your hands blistercd and
sore. After awhile the axe gets
sharp edge and you are told to go
your vay, es the axe-owner has no
further use fof you. You insist on
your promised reward. He is amazed
at your credulity and wonders where
you got the impression OF anything
Tor your GOOD Offices.
so you gulp down your disappoint-
nent. rub your aching back, grease
your blistered hands and swear youn
never trust another one OF 'em, so
help you! And you go away breath
ing fire and vengeance. Presently
the next smooth guy comes along,
smiles upon you. pats you upon that
weary old back, makes a lot Of fresh
and hollow promises. and you grab
the grindstone handle again and go
at IL for dear life. And the fellow
getting the edge on his axe, grins
slyly TO himself, and thinks what an
easy. gulllble. credulous. unthinking
old simpleton you are.
harsh accusations. but 1 make them
after matured reflection and in the
absolute certainty that no living man
can refute them successfully.
You know me well enough by now
to understand that / don't oft-soap,
trim. quibble or dodge. l have the
deep-grained and old-fashioned idea
OF calling a spade by It's real name.
i don't believe In damning with faint
praise: l don't believe in avoiding
the unpleasant things II they are
necessary to handle for the ultimate
good.
So. j want 10 lambast you about
this grievOus and tormenting trait of
character you so unhappily possess
believing the tricksters. the man with
the axe To grind. the mean, selfish
man who pats you with one hand and
robs you with the other. Heaven
knows. l don't want To make you "A
pessimist 20 any greater extent than
you are. but l want you 10 use your
Intelligence In learning the difference
between your real friend and the
chap who fools you only for his own
selfish ends.
The difficulty lies largely In the cact
that the sort fooling you Is smooth.
plausible. smiling. genial Il L. his
stock IN trade. He tells YOU Of his
profound interest In your welfare. his
slceplcss nights and mental travail i'm
studying out your problems. and nav
ing minted them out of his brain
agony. he comes Ia offer them as
your salvation! lie makes you beau
tiful speech. fairly dripping with hon
ey and golden promises. All ncces-
sary for your complete and absolute
emancipation Is To h.frn. heed. act.
And you listen heed. act. and find
indeed that Il is a wonderful scheme
for the man who presented il. but
worse than nothing to you and your
well-being
My dear brother when will you put
the boot To this type of scouudrcl
Legislative halls are filled with them
the kind who use you for his own
purposes and forgets you az soon as
the returns are counted. How long
oh Lord, how long. will YOU continue
to thus blindly boost that rasCal's
game?