The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1920-05-20
etters from the People

II INllOlC l1O11
! Who? Won for the State of Wash
ington well earned reputation as one
of the most sanely progressive states
The forces of reaction? Or every di-
rect appeal to the people? There is
one trouble with us alive have too
close a vision and do not take broad
enough view of our nation. One ex-
Ipects to eliminate all difficulties by a
single tax, another. by a reform OF
the banking system, another by mil
itary force, another by injunction and
subsection Of labor to the will Of the
employer-in fact there are a thous-
and people with thousand single
thoughe remedies. 1t reminds me of
the new manager who took charge of
a manufacturing institution. He made
up his mind he could stop all trouble
of the machinery by changing the size
of one important drive pulley. He
made the change, but it disorganized
the whole works, so he changed anoth-
er to equalize the first improvement
then he discovered third pulley had
to be changed and when he finally got
things right he had new outfit but
it required harmonizing of the en-
tire plant to the first new pulley. We
are prone to one line of thought and
all must hinge on some established
habit. America has many millions
of citizens and We have played party
politics until the habit is so fixed that
we see no way out except through a
third party, and they are springing up
all over the country.
! We have political organizations that
do not assume party line but are
working for political betterment.
There are many improvements neces-
sary for the higher development Of
human life. Politically, partisanship
is rotten to the core. The two old
parties have got so closely associated
that they don't know which is demo-
crat and which republican only as they.
look at the label and they are not
plumb sure then. They can't tell just
now where they are at. For a long
time we could tell one being out and
and the other in, but now neither is
in, likewise neither is out, they are
simply half elephant and half jackass
and both sides are playing the ass to
a frazell. There was time when the
sentiment Of the people was recogniz-
ed and respected. Our senator's and
congress gave heed to petitions and
made concessions but since centraliz-
ed wealth gained control of the gov
eminent stock shares vote and the
people are.about as much considered
as the blacks used to be in Alabama
when hogs and goats were voted to
Offset the newly made but defective
citizen.
Today we have citizens who nave
grown old as party followers, who are
led BY party bosses under parry lines
and who vote with as little Judgment
and understanding of real issues as
did the colored voter fifty years ago.
The old parties have no issue to argue
and no argument to offer. They are
like school girl who lacking point
Of defense stuck out her tongue and
made faces at safe distance. They
don't even initiate new title for
those they differ with politically. They
have heard someone called bolshevik
or socialist or I. w. w. They don't
know what it means but they repeat
it, and then if they are real yellow
towards they will call themselves 100
per cent Americans and start organ
izing mob. This is 1920 politics. !
It really is easy-in fact it is the cas-
lest thing in the world to be demo-
crat or a republican under the pres
ent party management. It requires
neither thought, Judgment, sense or
honesty just follow the leader and
some of the leaders keep so well UNI
der cover that only their private Sec
retaries sic on the starving dogs who
take up the howl for the bone.
There is something like IS per cent |
Of the American people today, howev-
er who are really thinking for them
selves, unfortunately however it is
such a new development that they are !
not getting together as they should. |
AS the rich grow richer and the poor
grow no better off, the feeling Of un-
rest grows stronger, and the people |
have too long known no way of get
ting satisfaction except by the rough |
and tumble route, and there are those
who are gifted with degree of ex-
citing oratory that develops the worst |