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Show TITEOPTICS By Peter Radford. This country Is suffering more from tainted politics than from any other malady at the present time. There is scarcely a campaign speech made, a platform demand written or a measure mea-sure enacted Into law that does not carry the taint of personal gain of some politician or political faction thereof, There is more "blue sky" In campaign cam-paign promises of many politicians running for office than was ever contained con-tained In the prospectuses of the boldest bold-est promoters of chimerical business schemes. There are more secret combinations com-binations formed by politicians in the name of "My Country" than were ever formed under any and all other aliases. There are more political rebates re-bates hidden in the phrase "Be it enacted" en-acted" than were ever concealed under un-der any and all other disguises. The inordinate thirst for political power and unrestrained passion for mastery has caused more distress in this nation than the greed for gold, and it ought to be regulated by law. No business combination ever pursued their competitors as relentlessly or visited more heartless cruelty upon their customers than a political party that seeks to make junk of an industry, in-dustry, or cripple a business for party success, through tariff measures, political po-litical supervision and ofttimes destructive de-structive legislation. Many political platforms are as alluring to the voter as the story of the rainbow with its pot of gold and their consummation about as far-fetched. Self-gain is the first law in politics. There are many jien in office today who, If they could not shake plums off the tree ot American liberty or cut a melon taken from Uncle Sam's commissary, would have less desire to serve the public The country is surfeiting with patriots, patri-ots, who will bare their breast to bullets bul-lets in defense of their country, but there are few men in public life who will bare their breast to voters or run the gauntlet of party disfavor in defense de-fense of agriculture or industry No representative of the people, who will permit personal prejudice to dethrone justice, party success to disfranchise reason or the rancor of a political campaign to influence judgment can render capable service. The preservation of our prosperity depends upon wisdom, courage and honesty in government, and the American Amer-ican voter should seek these attributes attri-butes as implicitly as the Wise Men followed the Star of Bethlehem and they will often be found to rest over the stable; the plow or the staff of the Shepherd. The surest cure for tainted politics and machine rule is fresh air and sunshine and these important im-portant elements are most abundant upon the farm, and when farmers, bankers and merchants are elected to membership in legislative bodies, much of the trouble in government will dis- |