Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-11-20
1.-THE WOMEN DID IT."
A Kansas Farmer Whose Wife Caused Him
to Open His Eyes.

10 Opou MS Eyes, L
1.-THE Wonen Did a.-JOHN SHERMAN.
was one f them fool farmers - yes. Til |
own il like a man;
There was plenty of us fashioned on tho |
same peculiar plan;
And I've lived OUT here in Kansas more than !
five and twenty years,
A CROWN poor ana poorer, as it certainly /
appears.
seldom read the newspapers; 1 worked too !
hard for taat;
AMI never knew why got lean while other
men got fat
didn't fool with politics; had too much
to do. -
But 1 always voted as shot and as they told
distress.
When 1 ketched my wife a-readin'-now
whatever u;d you que So
A free trade publication, and. to make it
She'd read it regular each night before she
went to bed.
And, do you know, that W fe of mine jest
faced me up and down
That farmers ave to make few moaopo-
lists in town;
always try to get around these warm do
nestle spafs
But when 1 praised pr ,tection and she
laughed and answered. Rats"
strife
To think this free trade stuff should be cor
ruptfn' of my wife:
1 quit ner then and there before her argu-
IN mt was through
AS every good Protect onist makes it a rule
to do
That night We had a camp fire and our
Con- ssman was there;
We gave him John Browns Body" when
he went to take the chair;
1 wore my old blue uniform to spite the
Democrats.
Rut all tho time wondered what my Mary
meant by Rats
Our Congressman was eloquent. he made =
stirrin' speech;
I could almost see the battle smoke and hear
the bullets screech;
And when he babe vote we had shot
atMalvern Hill,
We rose with one accord and cried With one
acclaim I'VE will"
We sang the good old war songs and We ate
q mess o. beans,
And We passed the evenfn' pleasantly, re-
CALM bloody scenes;
And we took o straight out tickets and we
pinned 'em on our hats,
But all the time wondered what my Mary
meant by BATS"
When 1 reached home 1 noticed that my
Mary wore smile,
ahead or bile:
To head her off said: "You'n call me early,
1ther dear,
For to- morrer'l be the liveliest day free
trade will have this year"
Next mornin' jest at sunup, as woke and
rubbed mT eyes,
A u. rim what she meant by "Rat5,"
to my surprise
My clothes, and at. and boots all ranged in
order on the Dor.
And bearin' each card I'd swear new r
saw before.
My flannel shirt displayed this sign: "Taxed
IS per cent?,
My trousers Tax ID 100''-5o this was what
Rats" meant:
My vest said Taxed 10o." ana my shoes
'tTax d 25''
My coat and hat e'201'' with Protection
makes US thrive'
I went to fill the basin and I noticed as
Taxed IS per cent."-Great Scott! the towel
said the same!
The soap was marked at "20:'' as dropped
it on the ,or,
1 CHANGED to see a scu.tle full OF Goals,
chalkeI Pr
l. passed. into the kitchen and it gives me
pain to state
That my wife had on wooden dress stamped
"Only $50
And in shooing out a guinea hen she made a
little d We
Which shovel a pair of stockings with a
card marked ''3h'
The baby in his little bed was lynn fast
asleep;
1 always held the little chap as most IN
common cheap;
But wnen saw them cards on blanket, pill
low. crib and sheet,
| felt a lump rise in my throat; knew that
Twas beat
| No M alter where went Istruck then pess y
| little signs,
The stove. the plates. the knives. the forks
the window ash and blinds,
| The scissors, needles. thread, all bore that
terrible per cent:
| BigCsh, didn't dare to ask what card w.a
| on the rent.
! That was the soberest meal ever ate in all
| life;
| And as left the table in remarkin' to my
| wife
| That was goin' to the polls, she helped me
| with my coat
And said: 4 reckon. John, I needn't tell you
| hosr to vote"
l walked d. wn to my votin' place; it looked
like every yard
| Was full of farmin' i'm elements which bore
| little card,
And seemed to say from pillow to spade,
| fr. m thresher down to axe:
''Good mornin' ohm, and don't forget the
| tariff is tax"
Ivored straight-O. yes, no doubt of that;
| voted straight,
| But lot exactly in the way expected of my
| State:
! And 1 showed the BOYS the little cards pro-
| vided 10y my wife;
| That night our Con gresham took formal
leave of public life.
| was one of them "foo farmers" durin' five
| and twenty years;
| But pve lecrned little common sense, as
| doubtless now appears;
| lou can run and tell Mckinley, and-say-
| -~ don't forget to state
That we've voted out in Kansas, and we've
| voted darned near straight
| Kansas City Star.
| Wreck Near Cheyenne.
| OMAHA, Neb., Nov. 14,-Train No.
| on the Union Pacific due here at 11:45
to-day was wrecked near Cheyenne last
night. No particulars can be learned
here save it is given out at headquarters
| that a number of lives were lost
| A simpIeton's Idea.
| WASHINGTON. Nov. 1.-THE Evening
Critic publishes the statement that the