The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1922-08-11
GET.RICH.QUICK POLITICS

same way
We 20 crazy as bulls and then go
broke as bears.
We buy on hope and sell on fear,
instead of trading on knowledge and
Sood judgment. We first go long
ON Democrats and then go short on
Republicans without really knowing
ANYTHING about either, except what
the promoters set forth in their pros
peetuses,
The Spectator in stocks or in pol
tiles always loses in the end, because
he lacks knowledge and patience; be-
cause he trades on votes and tips, be-
cause he is swayed by emotions in
stead of facts; because he believes
get-rich-quick prospectuses and plat
forms without investigation: and be-
cause he is more impressed by big va
que promises than by small soli6 pos
sibilities.
The political sucker and the bucket
SlOp uOOD dlS ''u SA-sN~ SNSNtNo-
The front of the Wallingford. the
beautiful flow of language of the
demagogue convince the come-on. No
matter how often he is trimmed he
goes back for more. The bait may
have to be varied, but the game re-
mains the same. Ii the sucker has
been stung in political oil be viii bite
on political radio.
You can show one type of man a
thousand RussiaS and he will clamor
for chance to buy more Communism
or crowd the counter to add TO his
line of Socialism.
A theorist always fights hardest
in the face of facts disproying his
theories. You can show another type
of sucker the ledgers of the last war
with red ink on every page and g.
gainst every item. and he will start
in to pyramid his holdings OF fear and
hate, because the militarists tell him
that war VIII surely come back. He
is persuaded that Government Own
ership is a good buy. because though
our experiments in it have proved
busters, Private Ownership is bring
ing in gushers in q nearby field.
The average voter has faith in the
political philosophers stone, the ex-
traction of gold from sea water and
perpetual notion He is firm be-
lever in political crystal gazing, ouija
boards, table rappinSs and deviation.
He wants get-rich- quick results. so he
accepts get-rich-Quick politics re-
CARELESS of facts, fundamental prin-
ciples and human possibilities. He
krcws nothing of what makes the
ticker tick and the machine run.
We need investment education in
politics, just as much as in finance.
We need thrift in Iegislation-the
knowledge that sound law is one
that promises six ahd not sixty per
cent advantage to the voter. We need
TO know that hundred per cent stocks
and politics are in the same class and
that the politician who promises too
much is keeping bucket shop. Vot-
ers never get one hundred per cent
out Of politics. But the crooks do
when the voters invest their peliti-
cal capital with them.
The possible returns to the voter
from legislation are small, but they
are safe and steady In addition,
honest and busineSs-iike men in poll
tics-the kind of hard-headed men
with whom We like to keep our bank
accounts-wilI cut a melon for the
voter periodically in the shape of
lower taxes. And every voter, in
one way or another. pays his full
share of all the taxes levied.
Many men and women declare they
have no interest ia politics. No one
ever says he has ne interest in the
size Of his income. But the size of
every income is revised downward by
politics and politicians Thousands
are answering advertisements pro-
claiming that by spare time study
anyone can fit himself for a better
paying job. A spare-time study of
politics will not only add to your in
come but to your SeIf-respect. As
the ads put it, You can be your own
boss!"-your own political boss. A
few hours weekIy-the time spent in
a game of bridge or devoted to the
sporting page or to reading If Winter
Comes-will put ySu in possession of
the information that will enable you
to intelligently act in politics.
Zeal and good intentions are not
enough. They must be informed with
knowledge to enable you to get pos
session Of the political machinery.
and with common sense if you are to
diagnose and defeat get-rich-quick
legislation. You must learn to read
the political type if you are to be
anything but a sucker in politics.