Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-01-31
Friday, January 81, 1890.

One Of The Democrats local ex-
changes, which believes in the doctrine
of so-caIled protection with all its
heart and soul, and manifests it's faith
by publishing as original the ready
made editorials Of the home market
club, recently contained the following:
"GAUsE OF HARD TIMES"
A large meeting of farmers was
held at Lone Rock, Richland county,
the I'd and Sd Of this month, at which
were discussed the interests of the ag-
riculturers. Supt. Morrison made a
critical examination into the general
complaint of hard times among farm
ers, and reached the conclusion, that
it was to great extent due TO msman-
agcmcnt. He said the proper means
would be found in better methods
which make the acreage come up to
the production which, he said, should
be expected. This would so cheaper
production that profit would yet re-
main 10 the farmer. This problem is
being gradually solved, and men who
raise 400 bushels Of potatoes to the
acre and produce from 200 to 300
pounds of butter in a year from each
COW are not found among the number
who complain Of hard times"
OF course, during the most prosper
Gus times there are to be found fail
ures caused by mismanagement; but
this is true only of individual cases.
And the conclusion of Mr. Morrison
that the present general depression ex-
isting in all branches Of agriculture is
to a great extent due to mismanage-
mcnt in the sense in which that term
is used in the quotation above, is
simply preposterous.
1t is very easy for a man who draws
a comfortable salary of two thousand |
dollars or over from the great state of
OF Wisconsin, to tell farmers that their
failure to do more than make both
ends meet these hard times is owing
10 Acknowledgement. In fact, great
deal easier than to tell how to realize
such sum from the net profits on
agricultural products, even if each COW
should produce from POO to 800 pounds
Of butter, and each acre leo bushels of
protected potatoes worth 90 cents per
busAel.
Mr. Morrison ought to open his eyes
vide enough to see the true condition
of those engaged in agricultural pur-
suits, one of the wjscst living states
men recently said:
The American farmer, although he
cultiyates the most fertile soil i'll the
world, and ought be the most prosper
Gus member of the community, is con
stantly engaged in hard struggle to
scure Il comfortable support for his
family and a moderate education for
his children, and to pay his taxes and
keep out of debt This is all he
can reasonably hope to accomplish; in
a large majority OF cases he fails even
to do this, and sooner or later is COM
PEELED to sell or mortgage his land and
reduce expenditures to the lowest pos
ssible figure"
The American farmer not only cal
tiyatcs the most fertile soil in the
world; but he also employs good
methods and uses the best labor
saving machinery, Another writer
truly says
It is 10 use suggesting that the
farmer and his family should live
more economically and work more
hours, for the truth is that in both
these ways the farm household has
arrived at the place where there can
be no change made in that direction.
Father, mother, sons and daughters, us
rule, have done their whole duty on
the farms Of this country"
Blessed rs he is with natural advan-
tages, the American farmer ought to
prosper, if he We're not hampered by
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