The Mena weekly star., 1916-05-18
Farm Demonstration and some
 Other Things.
ll,, rdifor of The Star

To inc Editor of The Star
 Dear Sir:-As my friend J. II. Fay Tor, had quite lengthy article m The star in which lie criticised the Democratic party and it's acts Tor more than a quarter of century and finally wound up by crltlcIslhe the justices of the peace of Big Fork for their votes in the quorum court last October in the matter of farm demonstration, and as was one ol these justices. I would like space co give an explanation as to why voted for an appropriation for de- monstrator.
 Now all the reason for my acton is that l knew from experience that it was the very best thing for Polk county and it's people.
 Regarding the meeting last fall and the petition, and the man that said that if 90 per cent of the peo- lple would sign the petition against l farm demonstration he would vote for it. I am that man and gladly plead guilty. l was criticised that night for saying it. and l told those present that l could not vote against thing that knew was for the best, and more than that. they knew when they elected me that the de- monstration question had never come up in the quorum court but 1 had voted for it. And also told them that l thought anybody could look at Mr. Bates and tell by his looks that he would be in favor of it too. I also reminded them that l would not have accepted the office except for getting a chance to vote for farm demonstration.
 G. F. Bates wrote the petition in question. and after it was signed it was returned to him. While Mir. Bates was writing the petition he also dropped in a few questions for the petitioners to answer, among them the following:
 How many bulletins have you
 from the experiment station at
 Fayetteville?
 How many from Washington?
 How many farm papers do you
 read?
 When I called on Mir. Bates re- gently to see the petition I found that there were five signers who favored demonstration and eighteen against. which looked pretty bad But when I looked at the questions set opposite the names I saw that the poor little lonely five had in their possession i33 bulletins. 37 from Fayetteville and 97 from Wash ington. and also found that this same little flye read 26 papers, s l farm papers and IS others. And, To and behold, 1 found that the eighteen who were against farm de- monstration did not read single paper and had just one bulletin. this from Fayetteville. and l would give that bee course I found in | Texas twenty years ago to know the subject of that lone bulletin.
 Now l will say right here. before | pass on, that if I ever vote in quorum court again will vote for farm demonstration. and if do not resign before the ith "Wednesday in October it will be just because I want the chance to vote on that lquestion
 As to my voting against tick erad- ication, l did not think it was really necessary. as the legislature had passed the law placing Polk county | in the eradication district. and had olso attached the emergency clause and the same was approved March | 25, 1915, and I had not seen any lruling of the supreme court where the quorum court had right to repeal the acts of the aforesaid leg islature
 | l have never asked Mr. Bates his reason for not presenting that pe- tition, for I knew how I would have felt to have had to read the whole thing with all these other men look ing at me.
 1 Mr Taylor seems to believe in a majority rule. I do too. sometimes especially when the majority has Investigated and understands the lproposition.
 There is one thing. however. I would like to say before ! forget it. l am proud to note that Brother | Taylor is numbered among the five referred to above.
 1 The first vote I ever cast in a school election at Big Fork was in 1901. I cast it for school tax. My brother cast one in like manner at the same | time and one other man voted for | the tax We three were alone All the rest were against us. They argued that day that we did not oet | 90 per cent of our money credited 1 to the district that we paid out in school tax. I knew that this was ! unreasonable.
 As I had led the fight I went to l Uncle Jack Davis, who was county Iclerk at the time and asked him how much we got back He said 95 per cent. He made statement to that i effect. and l took if down to tha Star office and \. w. St John fben editor The Star verified the stale- ment and published it. and I thought l had them then where the wool was short. When I got my paper I made a run for them. and the first