The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1926-12-24
The SpOkesman's Secretary
Being the Letters of to Nom
By UPTON SINCLAIR

it would go right over my head but
now Pm going to learn all about it.
It seems that the way money is vast
ed is that the government takes Il
for taxes and pays it to a lot of of
flee holders that sits with their feet
on the top of their desks. So the
Spokesman is going to stop the taxes
and let the rich people keep their
money then He says they will start
factories to make things and there
will be plenty of wages for the work
ing people and everybody will be
happy. l never would of thought of
it myself but / seen it right away
and how stupid / was when l felt
mean about people that had a lot of
money and spent it on what l thought
was foolishness like monkey dinners
and shampain baths and such. l see
now that no matter how foolish it is
it all makes work for working peo-
pie and so it is all economy like the
Spokesman wants it to be.
l asked Mr.. Edgerton if that was
one of the ideas he had taught to
the Spokesman ut he said no he
hadn't needed to do it because when
you are in the business of running
for offices it is thing you come to
understand for yourself no matter
how dumb you may be that you have
got to take care of the rich people
because they have to put up their
money for campaign funds for you
so that you can pay wages for work
ingmen that makes red fire and sky
rockets and campaign banners and
professions and other things that ed
ucates the voters about not taxing
the rich.
And Mr.. EdgertOn says that the
Spokesman went out and hired the
, biggest banker in the whole country
to help Him teach the people about
this policy of His. And l said gee
how could He of got up nerve to
pay such a big man what He would
of had to pay? But Mr.. Edgerton
explained that He didn't have to pay
the big banker nothing extra because
the banker had been paying pretty
close to a million dollars in taxes ev-
cry year himself and naturally it
was worth something to him to get
a chanst to dump a load like that off
of his own shoulders. And that is
easy to see too and begin to see
it wouldn't be so hard to run a gov
eminent as thought it would be be-
cause everybody would be looking to
get something and so they would all
be ready to work for the government
cheap And Mr. Edgerton says that
is just how it goes because a lot of
them worked for the government all
through the war for a dollar a year
and they was the most expensive men
the government ever had let inside
the ropes. And Mr.. Edgerton says
that the way l understand every
thing shows that l have a natural
talent for political life.
He told me the name of this big
banker that has been hired to take
the taxes off of himself. l remem-
Der it was Lemon or Melon or some
thing else to eat. Mr.. Edgerton said
l could remember it easy by the way
they cut him every day in Wall
Street and l said 81 don't see why
they should cut him when he is do
ing their work for them as we'll as
/ for himself" And Mr. Edgerton
thought that was very funny so l see
there was some catch in it so l talk
ed about something else as quick as
l could.
But Mr.. Edgerton says l can be
very useful to him if l will and he
showed me how. He says that he
has been to college and has read a
lot of high-brow things and that has
spoiled him some for the job he has
to do. He says he wants to keep
close to the heart of the plain peO-
pie to know how they feel and think
and can tell him. had a wonder
full spiel fixed up, and how was the
daughter of an old Virginia family
that had been ruined in the civil war;
but when heard what he said l de-
cided l had better forget my spiel so
confessed that my Pop was a gas
house worker in Camden, New Jersey
and he said that was fine that was
exactly what he wanted. And so !
told him the real truth about my
name being Name and so you can
1OA SGb WAldb WAObC yOu III GIlC DC-
ginning of this letter which was
wrote yesterday but 1 will send it to
you all the same because it is wrote
and you can see how l have growed
under the influence of Mr.. Edgerton.
And he says to me, "What do you
think about the international situa-
tion?" And gee l was scared Gus OF
my wits l wanted to say, "Ask me
something easy! But 1 am going to
learn to play my part among these
higher-ups and so 1 says, "I haven t
4 thought so much about it of late. -
And he says, cit is changing so fast,
you have got to think all of the
time"
And there l sat racling my wooden
brains to think of anything / had ev-
er heard Pop say. And at last ]
thought of something and so looked
real wise and l says, at seems to
me the American people has got 81
used to having a good time they take
it for granted. So the use of the in
ternational situation is to show them
what real troubles is and make them
grateful for their favors." And Mr.
Edgerton looks at me and his eyes
lights up and he says. That's it ex
actly! That's the text for my to.
morrow mornings interview"
And then of course 1 was very
much excited and says, "You NEAR
the Spokesman amt never said thai