The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1893-04-27
THE CHEERFUL FARMER.
EDITOR Sun

LOAIOh Dun
lam 9 strong believer in progression,
and believe in this progressive age
that it is every mans duty to read,
study and think; to get all the infor-
nation he can to enable him to keep
abreast with the progress of the pres
ent time. / believe we are largely in
debted to the free press of this coun-
try as an educator of the people. In
this progressive age, man is continu-
ally originating new thoughts, new
ideas; and, yet we are dependent upon
the utterances of other people as a
starting point, or foundation of our
ideas. Therefore, / think we should
use much caution in accepting the
ideas of others, and also in present
ing our ideas to them. We should
study to see the effect it will have on
the public. Will it be benefit or an
injury to the people7 l differ in
opinion, on some subjects, from a
large number of people, but there are
some thinking men that agree with
me.
One of these subjects is the distri-
button of seed grain, or the loaning
of money by the state to those that
need help to buy seed grain. The
intention of the law is good, but in
its application it is very bad. Those
that are the most needy cannot get
any grain, as the money to pay this
debt is to be raised by levying tax
on real estate. Those living on
rented farms have no real estate tax
to pay, and they are the most needy,
because they have no personal prop
erty to sell; and in many instances
they have no way to get seed, while
the man that owns land has stock to
sell, or property that he can give as
security, and is thus enabled to get
his seed. 1t is thus proven that the
seed grain law is benefit to those
that are able and can help themselves,
while it Expresses those that are
needy and cannot help themselves.
I do not think that this was the de-
sign of the makers of the law, but
such is the effect in it's application.
But there are other reasons why I
am opposed to this law. It is estab-
hshing a principle that is detrimental
to the advancement and the best in
terests of the American people. That
principal is, allowing ourselves to be
dependent upon someone else, in
stead of depending upon ourselves,
or upon OIL own eSources for living
allowing ourselves to be dependent
instead of independent. This be-
coming dependent upon others, by
borrowing their money, has become a
mania in this country, and it is work
ing ruin to large class of the Amer
lean people.
But am asked: els it not better
to get money of the state at per cent.
and have three years to pay il, than
it is for farmers to pay 81 bushel
for wheat and 10 per cent. interest"
My first answer to that question is,
The farmer who sells wheat at 81
bushel and charges 10 per cent. in
terest, is taking advantage or another
mans necessity. Such men do not
live by the golden rule: do unto
others as you would have Others do
unto YOU" A change of circum-
stances would cause such men to
pause and consider.
Second. The low rate of in
terest charged by the state was
great temptation. If the rate of
interest had been 10 per cent. how
many would have thought they
needed help from the state7
Will there be any less grain raised
in Stevens county than there would
have been if the farmers had received
aid from the state?. No. Farmers
will depend upon their own resources,
and get their grain and seed their
land just the same as if they had re-
ceived aid from the state, and within
five years many of those that asked
state aid, will say what many thinking
men now say-that it is benefit to the
farmers of this county that the
county commissioners refused to aid
them.
This rut of depending upon others
is getting too deep. Let us get out
of it. like to see a man that can
paddle his own canoe. I am unable
to see why man that raised several
hundred or a thousand bushels Of
wheat last season, should need aid
from the state to get their seed grain
this year. S. B. SMITH.