Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-07-06
POLITICAL DEMAGoGUEs AND
CORRUPTION

tortion Of truth for oratorical effect
Is incalculable. 1t excites a wave
OF ridicule that submerges the
ostensible purpose. A case in point
10 Senator Neely's paraphrase of
the bombast of Bloody Brides"
in the West once on time. Evident
ly this man Nicely thinks the dear
people are no wiser respecting poll
teal hot air than they were a quar-
ter Of q century ago.
In one breath he denounces the
primary campaign in Pennsylvania,
in which three to four million dol
lars were spent in a population of
around nine millions, and in the
next gasp he declares for the prim-
airy law. spouting: "The common
people will swiH them horses by the
bride rein in streams of blood
before they will permit corruption
lists to lead this country back to the
old system"
The corruptionists the common
people have most to fear are those
who corrupt the mind. That sort Of
corruptionist Senator Nicely seeks to
be-
The situation in Pennsylvania Is
bad enough, when seen in the right
light. 1t is not corrupt for a candi-
date to pay postage on propaganda,
which he mails out to those whose
votes he is seeking. It comes
mighty near being corrupt when
a Senator seeks to have the tax
payers pay for circulating his
propaganda through the Congress-
ional Record, as Nicely is having
done.
There doubtless was corruption in
the Pennsylvania primary. 1t should
be denounced. Nicely is in a posi-
ton to know in what that corrup-
ton consisted and 1t is his manifest
duty to tell us. Instead he froths
at the mouth such gross accusations
and rotund exaggerations that he
appears ridiculous In the eyes Of
them more with his demagoguery
that would seek to use a political
scandal as a personal step ladder,
than the scandal itself shocks.
Nicely declares the primary is all
right and at the same time that
under its beneflcence the campaign
has exceeded anything in political
history for bribery. graft, infamy
and perfidy. And then he proceeds
to wade on his political steed in
streams OF blood.
What more conclusive proof than
this Is needed to show that law,
even a primary law does not make
US honest? To show that "bunk''
In nauseating?
We need to have our indignation
over corrupt primaries directed to
some constructive relief. To expect
such relief from this fellow Nicely
would be as futile as looking to
Beelzebub for refrigeration, and that
may be done only on a very cold
day.
We have in this country tremen-
dous resources. Those resources
are in peril under demagoguery,
half baked methods of Government,
Missionaries unable to do anything
with their visions except to make Of
themselves public nuisance. 1t is
not surprising that the control of
-
them, Is willing to contribute to
what may honestly be considered
as insurance. But even such an
honest purpose may prove in effect
corrupting influence, not infre-
quently does. If there were way
to convince business that the public
simply wishes fair play, which 1t
really does, and this Of great impor-
lance, that 1t is sufficiently informed
to recognize what fair play is
there's the rul much of this COR
ruption could be done away with.
More, these leaders Of business
could be enlisted to help us get fair
play. Indeed, under the discourage
ments Of the demagogue they have
In many instances given construc-
tive effort to that end. However
selfish they may be, however much
they may need watching, they are
for the most part intelligent and
possess constructive ability. This
may not be truthfully said Of the
political demagogues. The latter
serve to incite corruption, never to