The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-12-04
lcoDyrlent. Isss. y upsoa s,nelalr.
CHAPTER XIV
The Vacation.

he Vacation.
A LII this summer and fall, Dad.
- and Mr. Roscoe had been carry
ing heavy burden--they were help
ing to make over the thinking OF
the American people. A presiden-
tial campaign was under way; and
the oil men, having made so bold as
to select the candidate. now had to
finish the job by persuading the vot-
ers that he was a great and noble
minded statesman. Also they had to
pay part of the expense. which
would come on to fifty million dol
lars, so Bunny learned from the con-
versations at Paradise and at the
Monastery. This was several times
as much as would get recorded.
since the money went through local
and unofficial agencies. 1t came
from the big protected interests, the
corporations, the banks-everyon
that had anything to get out of the
government, or could be squeezed
by politicians; the process was
known as frying out the fat The
oil men, having grabbed the big
prize, were naturally shining mark
for all campaign committees, county
state and national. Dad and Mr.
Roscoe received visits from Jake
Coffey, and from the bosses Of the
state machine, and listened to hair
raising stories about the dangers of
the situation.
1t was necessary to persuade the
American people that the Democrat
ic administration for the past eight
years had been wasteful and cor
rupt, ignorant and fatuous-and that
was easy enough. But also it was
necessary to persuade them that an
administration by Senator Harding
was likely to be better-and that
was not so easy. Naturally. the
chairman of the campaign commit
tee wanted to make it appear as
difficult as possible, for the more
money that passed through their
hands, the larger the amount that
would stick. As the campaign drew
to its close, Bunny had the salts
faction of hearing his father swear
ing outrageously, and wishing he
had taken his sons advice and left
the destinies of his country to the
soap-manufacturer who had put I'D
millions for General Wood.
The senator from Ohio was q
large and stately and solemn-faced
person, and conducted what was
called by the newspapers a front
porch campaign That is to say, he
did not put himself out to travel on
trains and meet people, but re-
ceived Populations Of the Hay and
Feed Dealers of Duluth, or the Nor
ticians of 0ssawotomie. They would
sit in camp-chairs upon his lawn.
and the statesman would appear and
read an imposing discourse, which
had been written by a secretary of
Vernon Roscoe's selection, and Civ
en- out to all the press associations
the day before, so that it could be
distributed over the wires and pub
lished simultaneously on fifty mil
lion front pages. That is a colos-
sal propaganda machine, and the
men who run it have to lose a lot
of sleep. But the majestic candi-
date lost no sleep, he was always
fresh and serene and impassive; he
had been that way throughout his
career, for the able business man
who groomed him and paid his way
had never failed to tell him what
to do.
Bunny now dwelt upon an Olym-
plan height, looking down as a god
upon the affairs of pitiful mortals.
Dad and Mr.. Roscoe let him hear
everything -being sure that com
mon sense would win in the end.
and he would accept their point OF
view. They had "a philosophy which
protected them like suit of chain
mail against all hesitations and
doubts. The affairs OF the country
had to be run by the men who had
money and brains and experience;
and since the mass of the people
had not sense enough to grant the
power freely, the mass of the PEG
pie had to be bamboozled. Slogans"
must be invented, and hammered in
to their heads, by millions, yes, bill
lions of repetitions. 1t was an art,
and experts knew how to do 1t, and
you paid them-but by Jees, the
price made you sweat blood
The tremendous campaign came
to an end, and it was revealed that
16,140,5S5 Americans had been sue.
cessfully bamboozled. Senator
Harding had seven million more
votes than the Democratic candi-
date, the greatest plurality ever
polled in American history So there
were shouting mobs on the streets
and in the expensive restaurants
and clubs where the rich celebrat-
ed, everybody got hilariously drunk.
Yes, even Vernon Roscoe got drunk,
because Annabelle was too drunk TO
stop him. Wee Tracy dehed her doc
far and Dad forgot hiq ragoiutiona