The Marietta journal and courier., 1918-03-29
CARD FROM FIR. FOWLER
Editor Marietta Journal and Cou-


Dear Sir:
At this season l am busily engaged
in preparing for a crop and do not
get into town any more often than is
absolutely necessary. When do
20 and can spare five minutes on a
street corner / learn with astonish-
ment, from some "city man" who
seems to think that he is especially
called for the special work of stand
ing on said corner and enlightening
others, that these city folks have a
monopoly on patriotism and war en-
thusiasm. If this be the case why
blame us.
However far l may be from being
convinced of this, leave absolutely
convinced that all of the worlds hy-
pocracy is not to be found outside
the limits of Marietta.
Let me say that ! believe | am
as patriotic as any man in Marietta
and hope to convince you of the
truth of this statement before | am
through. Likewise | harbor no i'll
toward any man in town. Frequent
ly | have felt disposed and have ac-
tually taken the part of the city man
in arguments for and against him
on many occasions. However l do
not expect my declaration of pa
triotism to stick in the minds of
many of them because / have not as
yet become such an adept at street
corner wind jamming" as many of
my friends in town.
| have for years nsUened to their
advice to we farmers and their lam
hastings about our laziness and tri-
flingness. Much of this is true and
fully merited and | have not entered
a word of protest, but when they go
so far as to assail our patriotism l
feel that it would be a good time
for them to read the seventh chapter
of Matthew, which they will find in
the New Testament. / have never
heard a man in the country around
Marietta say that his town neighbor
had no patriotism. never go to
Marietta without hearing some one
say the county man has none.
/ would like to say in explanation
of the country mans position that he
is equally as well qualified to prac-
tice economy as are the people of
town, many of which are simply bro
theirs of the overall donners of the
country and sometimes much the
LATEST ones of the family. They
seem to have forgotten that they
have brothers and relatives in the
country many of whom are as well
developed intellectually as they are,
and to think that since they left the
country, brains, thrift, enthusiasm,
and patriotism, with a BIG P, have
ceased to exist. | offer this as proof
No. / that such is not the case.
| am writing this not that l care
what any man in Marietta may think
of either my brains or my patriotism
but to warn my Marietta friends that
such loose talk puts them in "bad
odor" and they should certainly care
about this, for out here is where they
get their bread and meat. Harmony
is what we need rather than for the
pot to call the kettle black. ! have
lived in the country practically all
my life. Since the war started l
have almost entirely eaten two meals
a day of bread composed of entirely
of corn meal and one of wheat shorts.
Probably we have consumed twenty
five pounds of flour in the past IL
months. If this is not strenuous
enough for the most eminent hot air
artist in Marietta let him saw so and
will cut the 25 pounds of flour
down to twelve and a half.
Probably my experience along the
line of economy is not unlike most
farmers which ought to be sufficient
to show our city friends why we do
not get so excited over two meals
of corn bread per week and so fire.
quently burden others with narra-
comrades are bravely fighting lets
back them up. And NOW is the
time. Recruiting Offices in every