The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1891-07-31

In these DAYS the farmer has many
grievances OF which he did not know q
generation ago. The newspapers and
tne stump speakers tell ns OF The farm
rrs' wrongs. aud from time % time huge
alliances are formed 10 SGT them right /
20 back 20 the ola farm In Nav York on
which ! WAS born. the f.rm my father
wnn from the forest and On which he
lived ia freedom ani Independence !:
knowing No master. dreading no OPP
preston tini IN that farm io-dal
tenants who barely make a living. l 90
ever tho farm. see unpruued fruis
trees wasted forest trees. farm impe-
mentS rusting IL the rain ard -nn. tall
inG gates, broken wagons. evidences OF
wasted time aud uuihritty labors.
wonder whether the oppression Of the
iarner j. the fault ~ the times or the
fant OF the man. IL farmer spends 4
day Ia the harvest time ia efforts 10 send
y fool 10 the Legislature or knave to
Congress should he complain IL rhe laws
The tools ana knaves make should add 10
his own taxes Ii he stand al day in the
public square spell bound by tramp
with an accordion. or sill worse. VI he
lounges about on the SAW dust aoor OF a
ssioon. talking The vile -tnn we agree to
call politics. never reading book, never
thinking q thought above the level ofthe
sawdu-t door. need he be surprised III
his opinions do not meet with respect
can well remember the time when the
farmer was busy man. There Is many
farm to-day on which he is still busy.
IL does not take close observer to rec
ognizs these farms. Their owners are in
al 4.
gods are on their side and they need no Il
help from politicians Their butter sells
for money and their oat> are clean. their |
horses are in demand; whatever they
touch il genuine aud prosperous. The l
cattle call the farmer up at dawn. the
clover needs him in the morning; the
spples and potatoes ia the afternoon the
corn must be husked at night. A busy
man the old time farmer was and being
busy he fonnd time for verifying. He
read bound books; he enjoyed the pleas
ures OF travel: be educated bis family Il
he kept intelligent watch on all the af-
fairs Of the day. He did not find time
70 stand IN The station steps. in the mid
die a the afternoon. 10 watch thousand
trains 20 by on thousand consecutive
days. lie carried no handicap load OF;
tobacco aud whisky. tie went 10 the
county seat " ben he had business there. !
lie went with clean clothes. aud came
back with clear conscience. tie had
not time TO spend each seventh day on
The court house square. talking the
dregs OF scandal and politics with men ,
whose highest civic conception Il bal
anced by two-dollar bill. nor had he \
time 10 waste on nostrum vendors or va
grants with accordions.
hear the farmers complaining to-day
Of high taxes. but no duty on iron was q
ever go great as the tax he pays who
leaves bis moving machine unsheltered
In the storm. TIE tax on land Is high,
but he pays higher tax who leaves
his meadows 10 grow up to white
weed and ihistles. The tax for good
roads il high, but q higher toll il paid
by the farmer who goes each week 10 =
town in mud knee deep to his horses.
There Is high tax on personal property,
hut IL ID not so high ss the tax on time
which Is paid by the msn who spends n
his Saturdays lettering about the VILLAGE
streets. All the farmers income arises
rom the wise use OF this time. One
'ixth Of bis time means one-sxth Of bis
ncome. II he mas learned to make use
II his time. All other ills will cure them
elves.-Dsvid Starr Jordan.