Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-05-29

OF his time splitting out his broker
teeth. Then the agents of the gian
began, in their smoothest and bland
est manner, to suggest reforms. The,
began to talk about the transportation
= Equestion. They were even willing t,
discuss the eight-hour day. They grew
pathetic about the condition of the
black man in the southern part of tn,
island. The band played "Johi
Browns body lies moulGering in tn,
; ground" f" and all of the old-time pref
udices of the Farmer aud his sons were
appealed 10; but it wouldn't do. The
passion and prejudices of the old maj
and his sons toward their brethren o.
the south had died when adversity
had come to all alike. The old gentle.
man said that he believed that the
whole difficulty had commenced at the
ferries; that freedom of ferriage was
the first thing to be considered; and
there was universal murmur of as
sent on the part of his sons.
One of the slckest of the Giants
agents arose and began to talk about
the general prosperity of the island
tabout the wealth of its cities, the
amount of it's products-by implication
identifying the prosperity of the Farm
er's sons with that of the sons of the
Giant. The Farmer said he was re-
minded of story he once heard of a
robber who wished to get some favor
from his neighdors. So, to show them
Of what importance he mad been to the
community, and what prosperity he
had brought them, he opened his
grounds and the doors of his castle,
that they might come and see for them
selves what great things he had done
But, when they came, one poor woman
found her COW in his pasture; IA peasant
found his cart-hOrse IN his stall; mer-
chant found some of his pictures on the
walls, ,and his carpets on the floor OF the
castle and all these things had been
taken without compensation. In fact,
nearly every thing about the grounds
and the castle had belonged to some
one of them, and of which they had
been robbed. OF course, the Giant and
his men were prosperous-what was to
hinder them, when they bought every
thing for sale on the island, and would
permit no one to sell elsewhere? He
| could take what he wanted at his own
price. That was what they were there
to remedy.
'There had been an era of ovtr-pro-
duction, it was true" was replied-but
he never got farther than the word
over-production. At that word, every
man in the room was on his feet.
TOO much corn, wheat, beef and
pork on this island? Hear the manW
exclaimed u tall, gaunt miner from the
eastern part of the island-"too much
to eat, is there, and me SO thin from
want of food that the skin of my belly
is literally sticking to my backbone,
and my wife and children have never
good meal? Don't tell me there is
too much to eat on the island, when /
work as hard as l can, and can hardly
get sufficient to keep life in me and
mine!'
"Too many sboes!" shouted bare
footed fellow" II work hard every
day; IwaDt to find the place where
there are shoes to throw away!'
TOO many clothes"" howled one of
the Farmers sons, who looked like a
scare crow.
"Too many stoves!" yelled one of the
boys from the western part of the
island; "why, my wife has to cook in
an old skillet over the en- bers Of corn
tire!u
1t was evident there wasn't too much
of anything on the island for most of
them seemed in want. So the party
who had suggested the idea of "over
subsided as completely as
if a feather-bed had been thrown over
him. The only "over-production" the
Farmer knew of was the Giants mort
cages.
Another began to talk glibly about
the home Market" but this made the
Did man so tired that it nearly broke
lis back, he had heard it so often; but 1
as the language was respectful, he was
accorded patient hearing. He went
IN to show by statistics that ninety
i've per cent. of the products raised on
he island were consumed in the home
market, and it was assumed that this {
nome market was solely the creation .
If the Giant.
After he got through, the old Farm
n arose. "Your idea is," said he,
that if we open the ferries to the .
world, people will go else where and {
1uy what + raise cheaper than / can {
afford to sell it?'
Eyes, that is about the size Of it,n s
was the reply.
"How does it happen, Then, "said the
Farmer, "that so much of the wheat {
and corn and pork / raise is every year {
sold on the other side of the river? The {
,upplv flows to meet the demand don't
t? Besides, the people on this island /
must have meat, and bread, and other r
,hings that | raise, to live upon. You |
nave hitherto been telling me thai the