The Forrest City times., 1888-01-28
10 THE wHEELERs OF ST. FRANCIS
 COUNTY.

l see m the ldSt issue or THE + fOk- REST CITY TIMES that the editor is very much concerned about the welfare of the wheelers, and proceeds, in quite a lengthy article, to tell them how they should manage their own business. Compare the comments of the Gazette with the young Solomon's. The for mer. one of the oldest and most influential papers in the State, and one better qualified to advise than almost any other is satisfied to only suggest in very gentlemanly manner.
 On the other hand hear the beard less youth of Illinois. But Fools step in where angels dare not tread.n thought the wheelers of this county had given him to understand in plain terms that they did not want any of kis advice. If l remember correctly, he followed them to Palestine not ma nv months since, and put in his applica- tion for the agency of this county, and they sat down on him very promptly.
 Now is it not a little inconsistent in him to be calling the agents designing men," soft snaps," etc. Perhaps he is speaking from personal knowledge.
 sam Jones says Tt is the dog that |. hit that hollers," and l reckon he is correct; at least it seems so in this case. He says "The Wheel Enterprise is published for the money there is in it.h He surely did not think we for a moment thought they were publishing it for glory.
 Once again: "The agents are living without labor upon the money of the farmers" Is this not exactly what he i. trying to dop and did you ever hear any one beg harder for the farmers $l.5O than he is doing? This is what is the matter: All are trying to ride the farmer, and when he attempts to meet monopolies and combinations with combinations he is advised by our self-constituted godfather to hold and let us bleed you still. He tells you the ends and aims of the wheelers are good, if you will only let these design ing fellows alone and be very particular indeed to keep out of politics. Ahl here is the rub.
 It is well known never sought the position I hold-was not even present when elected, and have since been re- elected without dissenting vote. Now does it not seem very arrogant in this beardess boy, whose possessions in this county extend to ten-pin alley and Texas pony, and could take DORA ANNETTE under one arm and his grip-sack under tie other and leave, and not affect the revenue of the county very seriously to be talking about rolling in luxury" and to be ''capAble of judging what luxury is. He speaks of discord and strife between town and country. Have you not heard more of tnis from HE FOR REST CITY TIMES than from all other sourcesy So long as these brainless effusions are poured out just So long will they exist.
 He says Our farmers can buy goods at home cheaper than they can buy them through the wheel agency This is false. You all know how cer- tain articles have come down. l can publish the figures before and after taking if necessary. The highest l sold No. Extra Fancy flour the past season, on mortgage, was S5.75. Look at your bills and see if some of you did not pay eight dollars. l have no wish to enter into these discussions or to mako capital out of these figures but some one had better put the muzzle on Mir. V. if you do not want the whole truth told.
 It is costing the wheelers two cents each per annum to pay the State Agents salary, and 1t is costing you nearly one million to pay the mer- chants Agents, |. 6. the drummers, for Ark. are paid about this amount, year ly and in the end you pay 1t. Which IS the cheaper of the two, l leave you to solve the problem, and would advise our young sybarite to revert to his other subject-DoRA ASNErTE-to which he does full justice.
 E. BONNER,
 Agent for St. Francis County Wheel. Our shot has missed it's aim, and we are at loss to know how, the shoe not fitting him, Mir. Bonner has taken upon himself the responsibility of answering an article which appeared in THE TIMES, last week, under the head of Are Wheel Agencies Sue cess?"
 Now, let us see what that article referred to. It commenced with six extracts from six reliable newspapers, edited by six good men, in six differ ent parts of the State, upon the practi- cability of the farmers sending their money to St. Louis to the wheel agency. Is not that trueY Was that not the question you, my reader, under stood to be under discussion? Did we not even go so far AS to call the agents nameS Did we not use the expression Men at the HEAD of these schemes? We don't think there are any of our readers who thought the article referred to Ar. Bonner. We don't see how they could, because the gentleman was never thought of, referred to or mentioned in any way, shape or form while the article was being written. A very broad construction would have to oe put upon our meaning to bring MT. bonner within it. Satisfied that Mir. Bonner is laboring under a wrong impression, and that that impression has been created by ourselves hnintentionally, we do not hesitate to say we are sorry he is laboring under such a misunderstanding, as he is certainly doing himself, as well as us, a wrong
 NOW let us answer as briefly as possible MT. Bonner's appeal to the "heeiers. He calls us 'the beardless youth of Illinois," He hasn't noticed our mustache, but that's no matter).
 Our friend Bonner derives some satis iaetion from the fact that we were porn in Illinois. Exactly what 2 .nis has to do with the question III hand is too deep for our penetration, unless it be to draw line uetween the North and the South and thereby create little prejudice. WE aon | recognize any such line, and the pest people in the country, socially, 1 pohtlcaliy and intellectually, are ''iising hard to blot out that line "hieh once caused blood to flow from