The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1890-04-09
Suffering i'm Dakota,

For states that are rs rich in natural
fertility as the sun shines on and pos
sessed of such high degree of enter
prise and industry as the DakOtas, there
is strangeness about the everlasting
reports which the newspapers through
out the country circulate concerning the
restitution among their people. No
doubt there is some suffering. There
is that in almost every newly settled
country. 1t is the natural result of the
limited means of many of the settlers,
the lack of agricultural experience with
some and of adverse natural conditions,
like frost or drouth. 1t is idle To dis
pute that there are people in the Dako-
tas who have been cramped this winter
perhaps for food for themselves or if
not that for food for their stock. But
considering all things there has been a
great deal more noise about the matter
than is necessary. All the noise has
not been honestly made, either, if re-
ports are true. In recent issue we
published what we took To be descrip-
ton of certain methods of spreading
reports of distress in certain sections
and of securing relief which would not
bear inspection. If we get the correct
idea in the case referred to an organi-
cation has been formed, which sold its
stock III two dollars per share, and sent
out agents To collect supplies. When
they came they were To be distributed
among the shareholders according to
the amount of stock each held. Among
these shareholders, it was said, were
men who were not in want at all
Now if this was just what our cores
Mt
tiles in such section should roast the
guilty parties until they scream. For
the people of the section of a state, that
has its misfortunes exaggerated, to un-
necessarily swell the volume of evil re-
port for selfish purposes, and to make
people suspicious, thus preventing in
some degree aid from coming To those
who are actually in need of aid, is to
place themselves not only rs traitors to
the best interests of their state, but as
traitors To humanity.
There has been feeling, too, i'm some
sections that the agents, self-appointed
or otherwise, who have been solicit
ing aid for Dakota sufferers are not
just the men who should be intrusted
with such work. The man who stands
between the benevolent, and suffering
humanity should be man of high bust.
ness standing; one universally known
in the community in which he operates
Any other kind of a man will not com
mand confidence; and it is altogether
possible for a man other than one of
very high standing and excellent judg-
ment to do the Dakotas vast harm
The plea for aid for fhe sufferers i'm the
Dakotas should always be made with
judgment and with no selfish ends in
view. But comparatively few of the
people are in need of aid. If, there
fore, "A man goes forth to get all he can
out of the public, his story will likely
be SO exaggerated as to convey the idea
that the whole people are starving, and
thus he will do the section an immense
harm. The Western Rural deeply sym.
pathizes with every family in those re-
gions that needs the comforts of life.
and has always been ready to contribute
its share to their relief, but it insists for
the good name of the Dakotas that the
work of collecting and distributing aid
shall be Systematically done, and that
nothing more be collected than is ap-
necessary. Western Rural.