Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-06-19
FARMERS ALLIANCE.
POINTED POINTS.

| POtN 80 POIN ..
! Merchants Never Favored the Farmer
Without Expecting to Profit By Its
! Under the ADORE heading some one
has written the following for some local
! paper, and it is forwarded to US to print
and answer: II have been watching
with considerable interest, and have
turned the subject over and over in my
mind, and come to the conclusion that
TO an outsider 1t looks rather queer.
What have to say is in regard to this
Alliance chat the farmers call it, and
have so much 10 say about this spring.
Not being a member of that particular
order, l know nothing of their inside
work, and can only Judge them by out
side observation. The talk that farmers
are going to take the bull by the horns
and run this country, and revolutionize
its business interests, seems like get
ting little ahead of their sphere. OF
course, l do not blame them if they
want to better their situation in
financial way. It will not be denied,
and we need not GO back many years
when merchants and all kinds of busi.
ness were helping and accommodating
the farmers to an unlimited amount of
credit They bought their farms, and
in order to get along, to improve them,
to bring up their families, it was recess
sary to help the farmer, in order that he
could meet his payments and hold his
farm from foreclosure of mortgage.
Many of our merchants were
bracing up the farmers in this
vicinity to amounts in the ag-
gregate from fifteen to twenty thOu-
sand dollars charged on their books.
Now does it look reasonable, for them,
now coming to the point, that their
finance make them feel little more
independent, to ignore these men, who
accommodated them in times gone by?
Certainly not, Now, as understand, this
Alliance is a cash institution. All that
IS bought through this agency is spot
cash. Let man shake $40 or a 500
cash under any of our merchants noses
for bill of goods and see whether he
won't figure his goods, according to
grade and quality, down to cash
basis. Then what is the need of
sending your money off to these Chi
case sharpers whose only views is to |
enlarge their territory for trade by |
invading on the country mer-
chants. Trade with the men who have |
been granting you accommodations.
We hear it prated from one end of the |
country to another that the farmer is
being robbed. Well let us see. Here |
is Mr.. A. He bought his land in the six
ties, paying, probably, according to quail
ity, from IS to SIS per acre. He has inn |
proved It, built nice house, barn and |
all other necessary buildings, has it |
we'll stocked with the best grade ofrcat-
tie, horses and swine. Has all the ma
chinery needed, nice carriage to come
to town or church in, and here comes
the rub, what does he ask an acre for
his farm? Sixty to $40 an acre. Does
he get it? Yes, he has only to say the
word. We could go on and recite
the same of B. and c. Because d.
and E. have not been frugal on
their farms and studied how to make it
4 success, is no fault of the business
man. If any of the farmers hereaboutS
we're to sell out, they could buy out any
Of the merchants here who have been
along these thirty years, and
nave good bank account left. These
ire the poor farmers who are being rob-
BED, yet they are doing we'll enough,
hat they can buy up all the farms ad-
dining them. If the farmers are pro-
lucing more than can be consumed it is
10 fault of the merchant that he does
lot get good round price for his farm
The politician, for effect to
AIRY out his political scheme, knows
hat if he can enlist the farmer on
lis side stands a better chance to get
nto power. They are button-holed to
ote for this or that, with the promise
o legislate some measure whereby their
will be filled TO overflow
ng. Why, sir, in my estimat ton, the
armer is one of the most independent ;
eings on the face of the earth, if he :
as any ability to manage, and should
1T well enough alone"
Our answer is this: 1t always has ,
9emed queer to the outside leeches that
ne farmer should attempt to protect ,
is own interests, but he proposes to
0 it all the same. The mer-
lants never did thing to favor
lie farmer. They sold them goods
4 credit because they thought it was =
-ofitable business; and it was. If the
cal merchants will sell goods as cheap .
! they can be bought elsewhere they =,
i'll get the farmers trade, and there is y
} need of wasting words over the mat =
r. So far as the latter part of the :
ticle is concerned it is all nonsense. =
he farmer at the present time, under =
e present condition of things when =
xes are high, and there is little profit :,
farming, would be better off if his =,
nd were worth only five dollars an "
re instead of seventy. Western Ru- -
|. q
PATRONS OF INDUSTRY, a
mil