Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-01-01
From ssEaramer.''
Ef. RP0i8fer-

E'. Register-
We passed through the summer. the
driest season ever known here, and now
we have another surprise for the oldest
inhabitant. 1t has been icy here be-
fore: so much 80 that it was difficult to
get about; but the gray-beards say that
they have never seen the ground coat
ell with as slick and hard COAT As
now. On the tenth il was very muddy;
but that night it froze rs hard as flint,
and remained 80, when last Sunday it
rain9d, freezing as it fell, and kept that
trick up with the thermometer at about
seven degrees above zero, till the MORN
ing of the 2lth, 50 that now chickens
can hardly get about, and it is laugha-
BILE to see them sprawl and tumble
about. You may judge what it is for
the rest of creation. To-day was bright
and sunny, with the mercury at seven
degrees below zero at sunrise, three de
grees above at neon, and seven degrees
above at sundown; yet but two teams
passed during the whole day, though it
elled crossroad. Nor did l hear gun
to-day, though custom is here to cruel
fy the game OF Christ's birthday. 1t
is Christmas that will long be rennen-
b red.
1 believe this is my first letter since
our election, SO l will give the result
on the ground that it is better late than
never. We had but three officers to
elect county commissioner, assessor
and surveyor; and we had three tickets
in the field-Democratic, Republican
and Greenback. The last named tick
ct hardly made show of votes, and
from the other two tickets the Republi-
can candidates for commissioner and
assessor and the Democratic candidate
for surveyor were elected. The county
is Democratic. but national politics cut
a less figure IN our local elections here
every year. The assessor was formerly
preacher, and this is his third term in
the Office. yet he was strongly support
ed. even by Irish Catholic Democrats
who are always considered the hardest
kind of hard-shelied Democrats in this
neck of woods.
The tidal wave of good times that we
have been threatened with 8, long has
struck US at last, but those who. needed
help most have been injured by it SO
far. Wages have not risen at all, nor
is work more easily found, while every
article of consumption has materially
increased in price, and rents show half
q dollar to the acre rise. In the end
only the rich will be any richer for
such good times. If the National
party would drop
their greenback greenness, and take
an issue between the abolition Of rent,
the sole taxation of land, and
the flat reputation of all debts, they
would sweep the country in a few years
if not at once. Interest and rent are
both wrong, and it they can be legislat-
ed into right, SO can reputation or any
other skull-duggery. A very large ma
jority of the people will learn by Bit
ter experience that under our present
system war and conmotiOn subserve
their interests better than peace and
order, aud they will catch the idea
Shakespeare had when he wrote:
"When the red rose and white rose
barOns are Juggling at each others
threats, yuu may buy land for the
price of sinking makerel."
Southern slavery has gone, Yankee
slavery must go next; and some day
We shall have a democracy that will
be real. There are to-day, among the
great mass of the people, feelings and
that have not yet been ex-
pressed through the columns Of the
press or through the mouths Of politi-
clans, but which will be overwhelming
when they do find expression.
Of crop prospects hereabout little can
be said at present. Wheat is fast a
cake of ice; but all land that was well
dragged. and rolled, made a
fine show before the storm. If ice will
kill the tender fruits, the peach crop is
for one more year.
Mike Dodson could not do justice to
the ''slipperiness" of this region just
now If he were to chew Webster's I'm
abridged In Christmas gunwads.
FARMER.
Winchester, ILL.,. Dec. 25, 1879.