The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1936-07-30
Dear Editor:

dear Editor:
| Well the barrier is down, both
Aiockeys have qualified and beer
3 keighed in and everything is sci
but xti1e track is heavy and the
,Hreatest race in the history of oul
country is going to be run in the
mud. -r..,E
I sat and listened to Roosevelt's
acceptance speech and thrilled al
! he intelligence and reserved re.
1Source of the man. Not at anything
lin particular, but that he could fine
anything to say after continually
talking about nothing for four long
IyearS.
In speaking of the depression, he
said,s"I am with you to the end.
enlist for the duration of the war.
If that is true and he accomplished
lit, Judging from the success he has
encountered so far, he may not be
the best president we ever had, but
he will be far the Oldest when he
does retire to private life.
He reminded me of an old man
who used to work for my grand
father. He was working for his
board and not getting much done,
so the old man told him he would
have to quit because he wasn't earn
ing eniugh to pay for what he was
eating. But the old man was hon
est if he was not ambitious. He said
If you think owe you anything, ]
can't quit, but will stay and work it
out.
And then the great day arrived
when the Republican nominee ap-
peared before his loyal supporters
and cohorts and gave voice to the
great things he had in store for the
American people if and when he
was elected President. He talked
| for Twenty-Five minutes about what
great man he was then one min
|'ute about what he wanted to do for
the poor down-trodden farmer, but
my radio acted up just then and I
didn't hear just what it was. But
that didn't make me very mad be-
cause I have heard it a hundred
times and it has never been done
yet.
But I received another thrill at
his novel arrangement about big
business what ever that iS). He
went on to tell about the crimes
they mad committed and how sorry
they were about it-so penitent in
fact that they were willing to make
amends, but must be allowed to do
it in their own way and time and
must not be harrassed by govern
mental interference.
Reminds me of time went into
the police court in Spokane when I
was kid. The room was crowded
and the interest was intense. The
man on trial was a pick pocket Of
international reknown and many
people were there just to see him.
The judge, the lawyers and the jury
was there assembled at great cost
to the taxpayers, but their service
was not required. The criminal
| pleaded guilty and threw himself
upon the mercy of the court. The
judge swelled up as only political
henchman can, and in a clear, loud
voice pronounced sentence: "Ten
dollars fine" "But," objected the
prisoner, i've only got eight dol
lars, your honor"
Now here was q predicament that
had not been foreseen. The prison.
er was guilty, sentence had been
pronounced and must be collected to
maintain the dignity Of the court
land also the cost to buy cigars)
But to put the man in Jail for a few
days would not pay. So the judge
whispered to the baliff, Turn him
loose in the c rowd until he gets the
other two then let him go. And now
about the Townsendites. These poor
old people who are sending good
money after bad in trying in their
plaintive way to collect some of the
Just debts the county owes them
for making it what it is, have
nothing but sympathy. One told me
the other day 1T was Wall Street
money that was trying to bust up
their party" Perhaps this is true,
but there isn't dollar in Wall
Street that didn't at one time right
fully belong to some man or wo-
man who new belongs to the Town
send club. eff we couldn't keep it
when we had it, how are we going
to get it back?" If they had taken
as much interest in politics when
they were young and before every
thing of value was gobbled up
things might have been different
Remember when rough rider Teddy
went up and down the length of
our land preaching conservation
admonishing us to retain some OF
our natural resources for future
generations and our wageless old
age. But we howled him down and
said let the trusts have the resources
SO they give us a two fifty "a day
job?"
And now that brings us down to
the Constitution. That wonderful
document of which we hear SC
much and of which we know sc
little. Shall or shall not it be
amended and how and for what
purpose and when?