THE FARMER IN POLITICS 137 



e judgment that men otherwise might have 

 exercised in arriving at a political decision. 



Many similar cases might be enumerated, for 

 they are freely found and they lead us to enquire 

 for a cause. Chief among contributing factors 

 was the manner of our political education. 

 From infancy to manhood the home atmosphere 

 was laden with hereditary, partisan influences, 

 generally following the leanings of the male 

 ancestry. In rare cases only did the female 

 members of the household take an active part in 

 politics and thus they lacked positive influence. 

 The predominating sway came from the father 

 of the home. 



Moreover, the literature entering the home, 

 including the party newspaper, was chosen by 

 the same head also. The newspaper fed him 

 with propaganda and he reflected the thought 

 of the newspaper. Thus, during their most 

 impressionable period, our youth were subjected 

 to highly partisan teaching. As they attained 

 manhood they continued with the paper which 

 delivered to them facts, partly told, true 

 perhaps, but not all the truth. These half 

 truths were supplemented with arguments pre- 

 pared by able men, who were not always writing 

 what they believed but what they were paid to 

 write. Stated in other words, men who had 

 capitalized their ability and sold it to the less 



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