Arizona sentinel and Yuma weekly examiner., 1914-05-21
By GEO. T. WILCOX

d IU ing winds, sometimes they move in circle overhead; first one will drol out and settle to one side, then an other will fall and lodge against { weed or some other object on th' other side, and so on. Finally III comes a stiff breeze, blowing straight ahead; those feathers do not hesitate all of those that have not become coated with mud, filth or slime, i'm mediately jump in the air and move ir a straight line, just as though each and every one of them knew just where they were going and why.
 The average American voter reminds me very much of these feathers. When there is nothing in particular going on in a political way to attract his at tention, he just Hops around in the breeze; he is not sure as to where he is going to land; he may listen to the tempting song of the ward heeler jump into the air a few feet and land in a cesspool; his flying is over; he will never get any further. Another political feather seen moving back and-forth, with each shifting breeze and then around in circle; he is looking for the party that he thinks has the largest following; he wants to win something, no matter what it amounts to, he cannot think of being classed with an honest minority, he must be with a majority, no matter where it leads to; finally along comes a putrid wind, straight from the foul mouth of a municipal sewer pipe, this feather is caught and carried away with many others-and is never heard of again.
 We have other political feathers thas are useful, they are attached to ar rows of truth, shot from the bow of honesty, straight at the heart of politi- cal corruption; these feathers pay no attention to the direction the wind is blowing; but, when they start on their journey, they guide the arrow of truth straight thru the cross-cur- rens and whirlwinds, hitting the mark every time
 The voters of the two old parties re- mind me of these feathers, which jump in the air, circle around, and fan first on on eside and then on the other; they rest in a cesspool at the last, no matter which way they fall.
 The feather that becomes attached to the arrow of truth, represents the Progressive leader who has an object in life and goes straight for the goal. The feathers which fly away together in straight line, represent the Pro- gressive voter.
 Some of our Progressive voters have been with the old parties so long, that they have been unable, in a short time, to throw off the old habit of jumping in the air, circling around, trying to see where the majority are going to drop.
 My Progressive voter, let me give you a little advice, and before giving this advice, wish to qualify myself.
 I have taken an active interest in politics for twenty-five years. I have held several political positions, and have affiliated with both the old par ties. have never done an under handed trick in all that time, and have been in position to, and have con trolled a county convention and the nominations for office; I have fought men who were seeking for office, and fought them to their faces, because they were crooks, and I told them so; and, what is better, have always won when I did go after them.
 !. Now for the advice: My Progressive friends, most of you joined the Pro gressive party for the reason that you had become disgusted with the cor rupt leadership and insincerity of the
  old parties. Most of you were for merly Republicans; but, back of that. you were Americans. You were very proud of the early achievements of the Republican party, or, rather, ot the men who, while the party was young, guided and directed the large number of good citizens who made up the Republican party. Your father | and my father fought for the princi- | ples advocated by those leaders of the Republican party, which finally resulted in freeing the black slave.
 After Abraham Lincoln, the father of the Republican party, died, the leadership of the party gradually drift ed into the hands of those who cared | for the common people, nor for popular government They became greedy and arrogant In the place of the black slave who had been set free by Abraham Lincoln, they gave us the white slave of the present day.