FOOL KILLER PART SEVENTY-THREE: JULY 1914

Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the many facets of Fool Killer lore. FOR PART ONE, INCLUDING THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT IN THE 1850s, CLICK HERE.

PART 73 – Some of the Fool Killer’s targets on both sides of the aisle in the July of 1914 edition of James Larkin Pearson’s version of the folk figure.

*** Former Republican President Theodore Roosevelt for the media blitz accompanying his hunting trip to South America. Pearson and his Fool Killer liked Theodore as president but he was tired of the media circus surrounding every move of Roosevelt’s post-presidency life.

*** The federal government, for allowing starvation inside the U.S. while sending out millions to feed people overseas.

*** Tycoon John D. Rockefeller, Jr. for trying to distract from his slaughter of miners and their women and children in Ludlow back in April by teaching Sunday School and doing charitable work to help prostitutes find another way of life. The jokes that were made about the kind of “work” that Rockefeller was doing with the Red Light Ladies should be obvious.

*** Treasury Secretary William McAdoo, who had pushed for the reintroduction of the Income Tax the previous year. Pearson, though a self-confessed socialist, did not meet the 2026 definition of socialism because he opposed income taxes as a blow against the working class and not the wealthy.

*** Democrat President Woodrow Wilson, whom he blamed for destroying the U.S. economy.

*** The lowering of tariffs, which he blamed for hurting the U.S. economy.

*** The jingoists pushing for a second war with Mexico.

*** President Wilson, for ending his weekly get-togethers with the press because they were asking uncomfortable questions.

Some of the Fool Killer’s pithier remarks this time around:

“Executive ability is the science of earning your bread by the sweat of other people’s brows.”

“There is money value in every vice.”

(On the approaching mid-term elections) “The time is rolling around for the politicians to ‘point with pride’ or ‘view with alarm’ as the case may be.” 

As I always say, it’s fascinating to read this old publication and its odd mix of viewpoints – even the ones you disagree with.

FOR MY LOOK AT JOE MAGARAC, THE STEEL MILL VERSION OF JOHN HENRY AND PAUL BUNYAN, CLICK HERE