Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1916-02-18
POLITICAL 2.
! .ACITATORs
POLITICIANS WHO CAPITALIZE
STRIFE A MENACE TO
GOVERNMENT.
Neglect Of Agricultural and Industrial
Opportunities a National Crime
BY Peter Radford.

There never was time In the hts
tory of this nation when We needed
statesmen more or agitators less than
at the present moment. The oppor'
tunities now afforded us ON land and
sea demand the best there is in state
craft and the possibilities that are con
fronting us call for national issues
that unite the people, build Industry
and expand trade. The agricultural
and industrial development OF this
nation has suffered severely at the
.hapds of agitators who have sent
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 shiver
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 desirable thing,
a crippled business an achievement or
neglect an accomplishment about
which any representative Of the gov.
ernment has right to boast.
Issues that Breed AeItators Should be
Eliminated.
The political agitator must be elm
mated irom public life before thought
full consideration can be given to o
constructive program In government.
The liquor question is the most pro
life breeding ground for agitators and
whether pro or anti, the hatch la
equally as undesirable This article
is in no sense a discussion Of the IL
quor question but deals solely and by
way of illustration with the political
products of that issue. Other sub
l5ects will be dealt with in the order
of their Importance.
In the history OF our government
the liquor issue has never produced
a constructive statesman worth men
tioning and 1t never will It has sent
more freaks to Congress, Lilliputians
to the Senate and incompetents tc
office than any other political issue
under the sun.
The recent experience of the Eng
lish Parliament which lashed itsel
into a fury over the liquor question
has lesson that 1t La well for th'
farmers of this nation to observe; 10
the subject in some form or other Il
constantly before the public for solu
ton and ofttimes to the exclusion
more important problems to the Amer
lean plowmen.
Too Many Political Drunkards.
Iloyd-George, the Prohibition leade
of Europe who led the prohibition hgh
in England, has declared that he VIII
lnayer again take a drink politicail
and there are many American point
cians-pro and anti--who would renoe
their country service by climblnl
on the water wagon or signing piedg
of political temperance. Too oft@
our legislative halls are turned INT
political bar-rooms and many of tn
| members become intoxicated on liquo
| discussions. We have too many poll
ical drunkards-pro and anti-in ou
public affairs. No one who Is slav
to the political liquor habit is quiz
so capable of dealing with the bus
| ness affairs of government as In
sober and industrious. We have fe'
puhlic men in this day who are stron
enough to resist the temptation {
strong drink politically and when tn
demon Rum once becomes firmly 81
frenched In the mind of a politician
he is less capable of meeting the d
mands for constructive statesmanshi
now confronting this nation.
We have in this country too man
red,nosed politicians-both pro an
4 anti. A candidate with political del
rum tremens, preacher with po!it
cal snakes in his boots and an agitatc
drunk on the LIQUOR question are tn