The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1924-08-07
EDITORIAL
THE STRAW MAN
(By A. R Gardner)

MTASHINGTON'S prize political
w straw man is Radicalism. Each
four years he is given a new stuffins
of insides and put up as an awful
exhibit to the voting public.
This straw man belongs, be right
of manufacture, to a certain group
Of politicians who have taken squat
ters' rights on the states political
domain. They think, or pretend to
think, the state politically belongs to
them and they rely upon the straw
man to keep off all trespassers.
Four years ago these politicians
sought to make the voters believe.
and succeeded, that the state was in
danger of being swept to the bow
vows by a great wave of radicalism.
They sent up the cry, "We can't win
with Hartley, and sought to save the
state with Hart. Today the same old
straw man is up, the same cry, is
on the political winds, and new saw
iour of the state has appeared.
The fact is, these political SQUAT
tiers never have feared, nor do they
now fear, that the state will delivr
into the hands of the radicals, half SO
much as that the governmental ma,
chinery Of the state will be delivered
from their control. In fact, they are
the real creators, and not the SUBJ
duers of radicalism.
- for one refuse to believe that
radicalism has been or is rampant
in this state. / have lived most of
my life in the farming districts of
the state and I know the Washing
ton farmer is not a radical. Nor
am / convinced that the hard-work-
ing, law-abiding, homecoming, fam
ily-rearing laboring man is any more
Of radical than is the farmer. Such
radical tendencies as either may have
developed, have been due largely to
the lack Of dominant, outstanding,
fair-dealing political leadership; due
to the fact that the farmer and the
laboring man have been relinquished
to the demagogue and agitator who
has magnified their ills, preyed upon
their prejudices, and kindled and in
famed their hatreds. They will fol-
low true leadership just as quickly
as false, but they haven't had the OPP
portunity. They will respond as
readily to an appeal to their intel
ligence as to their emotions and they
will still their clamor for special
privilege in the acceptance of fair
treatment.
If radicalism does constitute real
menace, why side-step it? What IN
heavens name can the advocates of
conservatism or sane progressivism
hope to gain by putting weak men in
to office and temporizing and COM
promising with the foes Of represen-
tative self government? If it is to
be fight in this state between the
forces of Americanism and the forces
of communism, sovietism, or any 9TH
er ism the sooner the battle-fronts
are definitely formed along these
lines, the sooner the fight is begun,
the sooner it will be won. And it
can never be won under leadership
that offends lightly and hits softly.
The purest political bunk ever ped
died in this state is, "We can't win
with Hartley" He has vigorously
denounced the demagogue and the
agitator. He has denied the pledge
taker and the special privilege-seek-
er. He has refused to be dominated
by or dictated to by any clique, fac
ton or organization. He has claimed
at all times the right, if elected, to
be governor in fact as well as In
name. These are his shortcomings.
If we can't win with "a man like tnis'
let's know the facts. If radicailsm
is the issue let's go to bat on the IS
sue. If the menace is here let's go
forward to meet it and stop backing
up before it.
We can win with Hartley and this
is the year that we are going to WIN
with Hartley.
MISS GAGE RETURNS