The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1920-10-26
HOME FROM KICKERSVILLE
BY Jacob Mussell

think of the fisherman coming home
without fish. He wears a tired,
cheap, Disguised look. We met some
of them, who went to Kickersville ON
the train with whoop and harrah,
coming home afoot with their tail
feathers all dropping. The climate in
kickersville is very unhealthy.
The song they sang on the train
didn't wear. When the whole town
does nothing but throw mud, this dries
on the outside of the folks and makes
sickening stencil in the nostrils of
all the better class who were deceived
about the conditions in Kickersville.
Those who live in that town have a
very contagious disease called mental
bellyache. When this becomes chronic
it is we'll nigh incurable. Their vision
is all twisted and everything looks
upside down. Even if you were to
bring them home here they would
never be contented for they would
continually be trying to turn all right
things upside down. .....
| All the people do in that town is
to kick and throw mud. As the name
implies, that's the business of the
town. The newspapers, schools and
all, what they call instruction, tends
to make worse kickers and mud
singers out of the people. The only
songs they sing in Kickersville are
like the Chinese melodies, they all
have peculiar, weird, doleful, un-
canny wall. Nevertheless, there are
some good points about it all, the peo-
pie of that country don't live long,
the size Of their hats decrease and
their ears grow immense.
During our 40 years in this state
we have heard little groups of people
singing the songs of Kickersville.
They sometimes change the words
but never the tune You might run
the whole song. tune and all through
the clothes-wringer, the cider press
or stamp mill and you would never
get enough courage out of it to wind
up your hope or quicken a good de-
sire. l don't question but that many
of the common folks are strictly hon
est; but honesty doesn't help you
much when your vision is all twisted.
You heard this old song over So
years ago, 1.-THE two old parties are
so corrupt and politics so rotten that
we must have a new party, the Peo-
pies party, (Populists). Nothing is
being done for the people" The
!; chorus was this, Everything is on the
j, down-grade, the government is going
all to pieces" The Socialists used the
, same tune only varied the words
little and used the very same chorus
And now behold = few Spectator,
from North Dakota have got in among
r the farmers of Idaho with their Kick
r ersville song, and a good many fair
| minded people have been side-tracke'
and rushed off to Kickersville. Tn
author if this article has just beef
talking with some of them who hav
o got back home already. We kneV
they would get back in line whel
they had time to think little. Tn
Populists couldn't hold them long i
Kickersville. So our good homes
farmers have heard how the Non
2 partisans were trying to get the labo
union folks to vote with them an
some of the farmers said mo-" Las
year when the farmers of Idaho wer
working IL and IA hours day t
make things go, the union laborite
were striking for six-hour da.
Every time they have struck in tf
past they have hit the farmers; b
cause the farmers are the producer
and the laborites are the real col
:. sumers.
- Even the l. w. w. element and tt
:: bomb throwers all want to vote tn
: ticket. And the farmers are wakiu
up with one foot in the air and Il
:. words, mo, never" coming straig
:. from the, heart. !.
~ Now, for these North Dakota foil
to come in here telling our farme
10 that they ought to have some Law
-, for the benefit Of the farmers, I
u though we had money, and telling tn
no our government is going to the ba
IL l have listened to = set Of calami
all howlers for over 40 years runn''
es down this government and telling pc
pie that we are all on the down gra
ed till I've come to the conclusion tn
he this disease called mental beliyac
I'd ought to be quarantined. l, for OF
ill have no welcome for a man fro
North Dakota or any other place
ats come to Idaho kicking. kiekers,
W nut il mildly. are not desirable CT
i"- zens."
h.