The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1890-10-03
HERE is EVIDENCE.
LII Baker Would Attend to His
Farm and let Politics
Alone,
He Would Have No Excuse to Mis-
represent the Condition of
the Farmers.
That Farming Pays Is ConcIuslvely
Shown by Figures.

The Winona Republican of Saturday
contains communication dated at Ma
pleton, Blue Earth county, from the
pen of gentleman who. while travel
ing through the county, is keenly OBJ
servant of the condition of business, as
well as policies, and of the condition of
farmers as well as live stock. No man
has done more to prove the farmers of
Minnesota an impecunious good-for-
nothing set than Jim Baker, who,
through his articles in the Pioneer Press,
has published to the world that people
engaged in agriculture here are mort
gage-ridden, poverty. stricken and tax
eaten to the verge of pauperism, when
in truth and in fact there ID not a more.
independent, thrifty class of people liv-
ing, all things considered, than the fru-
gal, industrious and progressive farm
er. Hundreds of instances could be,
given to show where single crop more
than paid for the land from of which
it was raised, together with the cost of
labor in producing and marketing it.
But it is not necessary. A tour through
Southern Minnesota by one at all OBJ
servant will convince him that farming
does pay and that handsomely, and it Is
only pity that those who have read
Baker on the desperate condition of
the farming community" cannot make
I personal visit through this country to
see what manner of man the pessimist
is who has been writing such a libel,
and now seeks seat in Congress to fur.
Their humiliate and degrade the occupa-
ton and condition of the farmer. The
Republicans correspondent says:
Nearly all the farmers of this section
are prosperous, far more prosperous
| than the average merchant. Among the
more notable achievements | will men
| ton the case of {. E. Whitney, young
farmer of this neighhorhood, who pur-
| chased 100 acres of wild land last spring
on contract, not paying any cash, at
| s., 600. Mr.. Whitney put the 160 acres
along with 10 acres of an so already in
| bis possession, into fax, and tie IT'S
acres have yielded him little upwards
of So, 600. 1t will be seen that the 100
acres of wild land yielded Mr.. Whitney
Ia little over $3.50, or $3.50 more than
the land cost him six months agol His
| only investment was his labor and the
/ seed. What merchant, what manufac-
turer, can make an equally good show
ing, considering the amount invested.
| Last spring Chss. Kruger, OF this vi
entity. bought farm for $4,000, paying
down s., 900. He has realized at mar
ket price-wheat, $3.50; oats, $40; corn,
$3.50; flax, 1913, not to mention barley,
| hogs, poultry, eggs, butter and vegeta-
| bles. In other words, one crop will
pay his mortgage if he applies ton the
same.
Six years ago Gust Rlchert came here
| from Germany with only $780, BY work
Ing on the section, tilling small plot of
ground in this village, and investing the.
surplus proceeds last spring in f. "
acres, already rented by another party,
| he has now realized on the sale of the
same 81, 100, which with his share of the
crop will increase his wealth to 81 400.
How is that for day laborer in six
years?
| Aud all this and scores OF smaller ca
ses occurred within few miles IF the
home of Gen. j. II. Baker, the apostle
of pessimism In spite of much time
devoted to everything but farming and
| his frequent absence from home, | have
been informed that Gen. Baker has
done very we'll this year. If q merchant
or manufacturer DEVOTED as much of his
time to matters foreign to his profession
as does the general, he would have fall
ed long ago.
Politics in Blue Earth county is deei-
dedly mixed. There are Republicans
who have been Endorsed and Democrats
who have been Endorsed by the Farm
ers Alliance and Prohibitionsts. A
good friend to the farmers. Senator
Pope, has been cast overheard to make
room for that prince of politicians, May
or Pau. But that is nothing new. The
Farmers Alliance has nominated Mr..
Owen, good man, for Governor, not
with the view of electing him, but for
the purpose of drawing sufficient num-
/ Der of Republican votes from Merriam,
the best Governor the State has ever
had, thereby electing your own Tom
| Wilson, the attorney of the Vanderbilt
| system of railroad monopoly in Mime
sofa. And yet does the Alliance pro-
| fess to be opposed TO monopolies. The
| Democratic members of the Farmers
Alliance will, .'av coorse," vote for
Judge Wilson. The Republican men,
bers of the Farmers Alliance are ex-
pected to be the suckers" viii they
| be?