The Mena weekly star., 1919-04-10
BOOSTER OR KNocKER-wmcH?
(By Joe Lewis.

Who are these boosters and knock CTS we hear so much about? The Lord only knows. The word knocI,er is a relative ierln, and a booster is also as to that matter. Because a man boosts a highway does not necessarily mean that he is booster in every thing else. Some men will boost high ways and knock everything else un- { der the sun.
 This world is in a great mix-up, and it is difficult for us to get a true perspective of things. People are in- clined to talk" more than they are inclined to "do." And this is one of our worst drawbacks. Because there is quite difference between believing in thing and trying to put that be- ! lief into practice. We see this plain , ly in the case of we antis The antis didn't believe in the highway, thru it's i unfair system of taxation, no, and i they were going, at first, to fight it to the limit. And they did, as long as not much money was required, and they could get some one to take the lead and stand all the abuse But when it got to the point to where $200 or $500 was to be raised the whole | fight weakened and now, after all our work. it looks as tho the thing is go- ing to drop.
 Now this situation may tickle some of our highway boosters. But just wait minute before you laugh. Pause here for a minute and mediate upon this. As long as no immediate cash. is to be dug up, and as long as we can extend a debt into the future, we are prompted into boosting a thing i skyhigh, no matter how costly. Again some of our boosters are boosters in name only. Every man who has ever tried to do something for his town knows this to be a fact. There are lots of people who will knock knock CT, but will not donate one penny to booster cause. l know, for since the anti-highway fight has started, and before, as to that matter, 1 have been working at a plan to boost our town. But what do I find? find that some | of these some persons who are so for so much progress and highways, wouldn't contribute one nickle to- wards helping out their town in gen eral. So believe it to be a fact that most all these little towns all up and down the whole Kansas City Southern are all the time wanting some boost ing done, but are willing to pay but | very little money toward it.
 Let us stop paying so much atten- tion to talk. It is weak dope. For it 1 is only when men begin to act that the world takes notice, especially when | there is any action taken against money and wealth. When man bucks money he bucks a god, and this is why so many farmers get cold feet and do like terrapins- crawl within ! themselves.
 Farmers will make a stand alright, but they won't keep it up; it is of a | negative sort. When they meet too much opposition they wilt. Get it? There are but few farmers who can stand criticism. And on this &C., count l came nearer being for a high way than on anything else. High ways will create such stir and make so many changes that us farmers will have to shed our moss covered smocks and brave the world as it is.
 Human life is a little rude if we could but see it correctly. Let me il- lustrate by a recent personal experi- ence. l have from the very start, like most farmers, opposed the Alex ander Road Law-not the highway, mind you-just the law. But the word has gone out that we are knockers. But what makes it worse on my part is that have. as chair man of the antis, fought it more to save the other fellow than myself. For l only own eleven acres of land and can not be hurt very much any way you take it. So I have done all my fighting in the interest of a square deal and the "other fellow" more than anything else. But what do I find {? Almost every farmer to a man is ac- cusing me of spending money fooiishly and of being insincere. Either that, or they say am working for some of- 1 flee. But they are mistaken. I have never spent a dollar of their money foolishly and have kept books showing where every penny has gone to- As to the question of an office seeker. if l wanted one would keep quiet. People who are lying in wait for an office never express themselves very much. They are wise and the public never knows how they stand on pub-
 lie matters until they are elected.
 As to spending money in a fight this is where farmers are foolish They have a tendency to be close, skin
 flints, so to speak. You take the case i where I advertised in the Mena Star about our meetings at Hatfield
 every farmer kicked on it. Throwing
 away money they said. But ven- ture to assert that more interest can
 be stirred up in the county by using one s10 ad than 100 farmers can stir
 up in month without it.
 One reason the farmer opposes ads