The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-07
FARMER MURPHyy PEssIYISM.
Nation Of Hypocrites Rejects His
ROyereiwn Hemesiy.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuH-S;r. Some
time ago the President appointed a day
for the people of this country to pray for
peace. While they prayed Tor peace they
insisted on the right to sell arms to the
belligerent nations for commercial reasons.
That in no way weakens the opinion
| formerly expressed that more than 30
per cent OF the people of this country
were hypocrites, and to-day l offer no
amendment to that opinion.
There was no international dispute over
their right to pray for peace. Their con-
duct reminds me OF profane man who
was criticised by a member of church.
He said: 81 don't mean any more when
| swear than you do whom you pray"
do not say this to put down the church.
/ am a church member myself
Literary slouches. employed by the
Bureau of Shams and Sophistrles. arc
now telling the public that an era OF
great prosperity Is coming to this country.
The masses are daily fed on staged pros
perity and the star actors are shouting
and shrieking through megaphones, telling
everybody to grasp the prosperity that the
future will bring That is a wonderful
phrase the literary slouches have invented,
Grasp the prosperity" II is fit sue
cessor to the collapsed catchword "effi-
cheney" They ought to have II framed
and hung In every junk shop.
But tho most astounding thing OF all Ia
that while 5000 foreigners are pouring
into the country every day, 'investiga-
lions" are being held under pretence or
trying 10 discover the causes OF unem-
ployment. At banquets professors and
others say tho agricultural schools will
solve the unemployment and food prob
lens. They say nothing about solving
the timber and coal problems.
II II a pity that the people have to
depend on the Views OF bankers. pro-
fessors. commission merchants. settlement
workers and sailors who seldom see land
for Information on agricultural matters.
Take II from a farmer that not more
than one year in ten In the future will
this country produce as much food as II
did In 1912. What are the people OF this
country going to do? Stop immigration,
and set the idle people TO work, or set
aside a day to pray for them. and let
immigration go on? Byron wrote:
what. silent s,ll? and silent all7
All no; the voices Of tho dead
Sound like a distant torrents fail.
And answer. Let one living head,
Hut arise: come. we ooms!'
TITS but tho living who are dumb.
|, as ono living head. have risen 10 de-
mand that immigration be stopped, but
neither the dead nor the living seem to
come TO my aid. They seem to be in the
same boat while I, like Casablancs. stand
on the burning deck. calling on them TO
save the ship OF state,
The literacy test is n malccshift.
delusion and snare Some favor IL be-
cause they think 1t will restrict immigra-
ton just enough to keep the unions in
jobs Others favor II because they think
IL will sidetrAck the immigration issue for
years to come. II Is dishonest and inn
practical and It will never solve the unem-
ployment problem or the food problem. II
ought to be thrown into the dump along
with tariff revision. ballot reform" pro-
gressve politics, socialism, single tax,
CoNcyism and labor legislation
T. l.. MURPHY.
FALL RIVER. Mass. January s.