The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1889-11-08


Addresses AZ "Opcn Letter"
70 President HarriSOn-
Why sre things 80 out
Of joint?
The following o,en letter we reprint
from the Progressive Farmer, published
vt Nj Vernon, Illinois:
Hon. Benjamin Harrison,
Pse-Ident OF the United States.
DEAR SIR:
| take il tor granted that, as chief ex-
ccutlve Of = great nation. ou are snxiou-
To so direct your administration ~ 10 re-
suit in the greatest good for the whole
people, Though SO far removed from
tue humble homes of the great common
people OF the country, ou cannot he un-
mindful Of the tact that. though our
country il rated among The nations or
the earth as prosperous one, there a.
mach poverty and distress among the
mnsses. Many, who few years ago
were in comfortable circumstances. are
now impoverished n debt. aud loaded
down with mortgages, 80 that they flna
II next to impossible to drive rags and
starvation from their families, aud meet
the annual calls OF the interest gSlh"rer
and the tax collector Many are losing
the homes that = life Of toll had pre-
pared. and are taking homeless wive~
aud children out iEto world not ma.
turslly cruel. but made 30 by ''snsn'- in-
humanity To man" Itis difficult tor you
surrounded bv the wealth u = rich ns-
ton, where all with whom you come III
contact are Of tue fortunate upper ten
Thousand who command millions, or are
the recipients OF high salaries, 10 reniizr
that throughout the great Mississippi
Valley, naturally the richest region OH
earth, there are hundreds ani thousands
Of farm lsborers bsggng for work at the
poor pitance Of fifty cents u dsy, and
cannot aiways get IL At that. because their
neighbOrs are ~ much embarrassed ~
themselves. You cannot realize 'he
truth OF this, not because you are
Indifferent to the welfare VI your
people, but becsuse your informstion
comes from sources which never reach
The common level. When committees o'
'linvesiigstion are appointed, they are
themselves constituted OF men Of wealth
because no others reach Congressional
Ilhslis. These men Of wealth W for in
\ formation 10 kindred spirits, perhaps
Ito the very ones whose octopus m0rtga-
} yes are sspping the nttie blood that sii.
lcirculstes ia the farmers veins. These
rgive glowing accounts Of their owl
lprUsperity, secured at the cost OF ma
vltion's life. Your colnuistees sccep
9 elthese ~ "a index 10 the c0ndssion OF tn
country, make grandiloquemt report 4
vlyou. and the mortgage fend cOutiDne
10 reap his harvest 0f weAt avd blood
a But, Mr. President, II you could pa.i
: tnro' this great region - . common citi
zen, mingie with tne farmers sud lrsr'
4 their secret struggles 10 save their home
from mortgage debts forced upon them
could hear the farmer hushaad aud vie
! 10 their private snd mournfil consulta
eltions - % how 20 save tae dear OF,
I tInomis Tor the children. whose tende
y ears yet savc them irOm the iorrUoi
-Iimgs aud anxiety that rob their parent
u lot sleep; II YOU could sit down VIII
2 eltnem 81 their scsuty meal. and zee upni
! their txbies nsuxnt but the pisinest tOo'
= their own hands had produced, sll tia
would comnsud market having gOa'
slto appease the usuref; II you could Sc
i the tired wife and mytLei, after strug
D yIins all day n have lite sustainin.
meals ready tor the unrewsrded tuiier
of tue fields 1t you could see her bcud
Ilng ~ night ever the ragged clothes o
the loved ones crying 10 make this gar
\ nent more comfortable aud that mur'
: 'presen,nbie, IN order, ~ tae expense o
her own comfort. her health, her lite. L
\ save little money tnr usury, II you c0uls
= do aud see these, Mr.. President, yo,
\ you'd form . very different opiuiou o
the condition OF the country.
Aud allow me TO assure ,Ou that tn
" picture Is not = particle Overdrswn -
cannot be. And this state OF affairs L
: not the result Of shiflessuess or ii'eness
slnor OF improper management of the rici
\ soil God has spread out for hi< creatures
! What avails rich soil. industry or good
management, when wheat Roes into th'
hands oi the speculator 1t IS cents, ost
at the same figure or less, POTATOES dow
into the teens, apples crushed into cide
! for want ot q nasKct, be-. cattle besrs
tdriven OF st two cents per pouud, hog
rla little better, but still below the line .
'proft2
III Mr.. President. Il this state Of affair
the result of too great . production! w
are anxious 10 know. Those 70 WHOM
we have long looked for intornlstio,
told us more than year ago when OuI
crops almost entirely failed, thst We had
had times because nothing had been
raised. We supposed that was true, and
went to work with rensw wed energy, Ter
tilted our lands, toIed early and bate
and fought weeds and insects with The
energy of despsir. God smiied on ou'
laborers, aud our corn cribs. our wheat
and osi bins. aud our potato pits were
al titled; our orchard trees hung with
luscious fruit; our pastures became rich
aud our cattle fattened, but, alas there
was no market. Tim0s were - haru ne
ever. foreclosures went on, homes we're
lost, and we were told that times were
hard aud prices low because crops had
been 90 good, that too much had been
raised.
Mr. President. We know. and 80 do
vou. that this distress II not The sesnlt ot
ecarc,ty or abundance OF products.
While our produce u dreg on the
.n..rhef nj "A yures bsl0w the coat of OrO