Norwich bulletin., 1922-02-03
THE STIR OVER THE AGRICULTURAL BLOC"

4
as much significance to my rural mind
as the undeniable fact that, between
them, they've set our dear friends OF
New York city to worrying. In fact, II
one may credit what he reads, they've
got not only the metropolitan million
aires but also the metropolitan editors
and the metropolitan politicians all
fused up g 4
The editors, who want people to think
that they ride ahead Of the procession
and prognostieate. are quite as perplex-
ed as The satellites who wabbls around
It. or the scavengers who follow be-
hind It to pick up chsnee garbage IN the
form Of Offices. etc.
Does st mean breaking up Of ths ole
parties? Does It mean the rising OF q
new party7 Does It mean an avalanche
! Of radicalisTn2 Does It mean "agrarian-
ism?" Or is It simply temporary spasm
| Of insurgency? They can't seem to be
sure what 1t is or what It presages.
I tell you they're worried. And they
can't help showing It.. Anything which
| suggests possibility Of the great beast
of public having taken the bits into its
teeth scares them into Aunt Fanny's
"conniption fits
They can't imagine 5ust what's COM
ing. They can't make out whistler the
SndQOWy uRure WHICH TiseS over the
western and southwestern horizon Is a
real ogre with teeth or a mere harmless
/ bogie: whether the new sound which
dominates the western breeze is only an
extra big tin whistle or the veritable
trump of Armageddon. They don't know
whether to turn tail and run, or bout
face and enlist with the new movement
whether to re-elevate the ancient and
, somewhat moth-eaten banners Of ortilo
dox politics. or keep them out Of Sigh
till they clearly see the colors OF the new
movement.
: Their predicauent rs not had. how
, ever. as that Of the camp-followers an
: observation-disclosures who don't know
/. whether to keep on tagging the dunn
: carts which have hitherto drooied on
l sufficient official pap. or TO ieggo an
!, hurry hot-foot 'cross-lots 20 catch on be
hind the new band-wagon. Their soul
are simply torn half In two by the IN
certainty. If they cut loose on a falls
alarm. then. when things resume thei
orderly course. they'll be out In the col
with small chance TO re-occury the;
warm chairs around the cheerful stow
Of official patronage. On the other ham
II the alarm Is real one. they'll lose a
hope Of getting into the front seats
they don't start right away or sooner.
It's no wonder that all these peoDl
are worried. And one can't help hndin
G certain degree OF perhaps malicior
amusement IN the spectacle OF their b.
wilderment.
Moreover II MAKES an outsider srnf
a little contemptuousiy TO observe no
thunder-struck with establishment the
all seem TO be. They act Just az n u
storm had broken from clear sky, witt
u out warning.
There used to he an old fahIe ahout
bow who cried 'fWoifi Wolfr" when thel
was no wolf. and got the nearby farm
] ers who had hurried to hts rescue
disgusted that finally. when a real wo
came. they simply LAUGHED at the vi
TINS calls for help, and kept right {
hoeins corn.
I don't recall how many times TIL
funny boy fooled the farmers. But Il
interesting fact about the fable is tina
n no matter how often he did. there can
" a last time when the reaf wolf showed I
J. and had his wolfish way. unhindered
20 sympathetic rescuing farmers.
IN PERHAPS there's n suggestion In I'll
old story for US farmers Of 1922. Whet
CT this new "agrarian"-I think that
l. the word the highbrows use-wheth
this new "agrarian" movement IL a re
a EXPLOSION or Just a fash-in-the-pan,
don't see where We need TO worry. 1t
hard to see how things could be n.u
worse for US than they now are. For I
same reason that It IS difficult TO spoil
bad egg. The job has been done on
and thoroughly. II doesn't need dol
over again. and II cannot be done ov
again. It's what those same hlghbror
call "fait accomDn."
Il But why any Of the political wiseaer
should pretend TO be surprised over t
black thunderhead which is looming
in the west cant comprehend. F
Id more than a generation things agric-
i'll tural have been going from bad
worse. For more than e generation
have been called upon to meet constai
ly increasing difficulties and constant
iessening opportunities, and the We