Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1915-07-08
POLITICIANS WHO CAPITALIZE
STRIFE A MENACE TO
GOVERNMENT.
Neglect Of Agricultural and industrial
Opportunities . National Crime.
ey Peter Radford.

There never was q time In the MS
tory Of this nation when We needet
statesmen more or agitators less thai
ut the present moment. The oppoT
tunities now afforded US on land ant
sea demand the best there is in state
craft and the. possibilities that are con
fronting Us call for national issueI
that unite the people, build industry
and expand trade. The agriculture
and industrial development Of thiI
nation has suffered severely at the
hands Of agitators who have SEM
torpedoes crashing into the port side
Of business and whose neglect Of the
interests Of the farmer makes them
little less than political criminals. We
want no more Of these evil spirits to
predominant in government. Too long
their hysterical cry has sent q shiveI
down the spinal column Of industry
Too long have the political agitators
capitalized strife. pillaged progress
and murdered opportunity. An indus
trial corpse is not a desirable thing,
a crippled business an achievement OF
neglect an accomplishment about
which any representative Of the gov
eminent has right to boast.
Issues that Breed Asitators Should be
Eliminated.
The political agitator must be elm
mated from public life before thought
full consideration can be given to q
constructive program in government.
The liquor question is the most pro-
life breeding ground for agitators and
whether pro or anti, the hatch Ii
equally as undesirable. This article
Is in no sense a discussion Of the H.
Quor question but deals solely and by
way of illustration with the political
products Of that issue. Other sub
jects will be dealt with In the order
Of their Importance.
In the history Of our government
the liquor issue has never produced
q constructive statesman worth men.
tioning and 1t never will. 1t has sent
more freaks to. Congress, Lilliputians
to the Senate and incompetents to
ONCE than any other political issue
under the sun.
The recent experience Of the Eng.
lish Parliament which dashed itself
into fury over the liquor question
has lesson that It is well for the
farmers Of this nation to observe; for
the subject in some form or other Is
constantly before the public for solu.
ton and ofttimes to the exclusion Of
more important problems to the Amer.
lean plowmen.
Too Many Political DrunkardS.
Lloyd-George, the Prohibition leader
of Europe who led the prohibition fight
in England, has declared that he will
never again take a drink politically
and. there are many American politi-
and anti-who would render
their country a service by climbing
on the water wagon or signing pledge
Of political temperance. Too often
our legislative halls are turned into
political bar-rooms and many Of the
become intoxicated on liquor
We have too many pOlit-
lcal drunkards-pro and anti-in our
public affairs. No one who is q slave
to the political liquor habit Is quite
30 capable OF dealing with the bust
ness affairs Of government as the
sober and industrious. We have few
public men in this day who are strong |
enough to resist the temptation Of
strong drink politically and when the
demon Rum once becomes firmly en-
trenched in the mind Of a politician.
he is less capable Of meeting the de.
hands for constructive craftsmanship
low confronting this nation.
We have in this country too many
'ed.nosed pollticlans-both pro and
init. A candidate with political deli
'ium tremens, q preacher with politi.
al snakes In his boots and an agitator
trunk on the liquor question are the
iaddest sights in civilization and they
Ihould all be forced to take the polit-
cal Kelley Cure.
It is far more important in govern
nent to make It easier for those who
oil to eat than to make It more diff
Icult for few topers to drink. There
3 not one person in one hundred Of
Iur rural population that ever touches
liquor but we all eat three times .
ay.