The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1894-01-11

IN former article L TeIcrTeu 10
only me elias of destitute people,,
those that may have become such
through their lack of moral courage
to resist temptation, and that may
have formed habits that are not
calculated to improve their condition,
and to help in supporting a family.
| wish now to speak of another class,
the sober, industrious hard working
class, men of good habits economical
in their living; / refer particularly to
the farmer, but will include all honest
industrialists.
Physit ally, tho farmer works
harder and more hours than any other
class of men, and in regard to living
they are the most economical Of any
class OF men, therefore he ought never
TO become dependent upon charity
for support; yet there are many
farmers that are more or less thus
dependent. Why is it 500 As class,
they practice the most rigid economy
in their living and dress; they worl
rom ten to twelve hours day in
the winter, and twelve to sixteen i'll
summer. Now why does not the
farmer prosper. But am told that
they are prosperous; they get better
living, anu have less trOLOle ouin the
IAN III business, or any oIler lass.
Such sta emolt5 are not correct, and
in regard to prosperity, it is positively
false. Can the farmers of this country
be in prosperous condition with a
mortgage indebtedness on their
| farms of $2,O3S,O0OOOO?. (The above
| figures are taken from the census of
| 1S90) Stevens county has its share
in the above mortgage claim. Can
farmers prosper when wheat is selling
at fifteen or twenty cents per bushel
below the actual cost of raising ii?
Yet such is the fact with our last crop.
Can it be said that farmers prosper
when they are compelled to ask aid of
the State, or some such way to get
their seed grain every year7 But it
is said that such men have been
unfortunate, and have lost their crops
by hail. Grant it, but how about the
farmers that escaped the hail but
have lost their farms, and all Their
chattles by that mortgage? lffarming
paid they ought to have raised the
mortgage and s; v,d their property.
i But we are told That the reason the
! farmers do not prosper is on account
of bad management. Very well, we
will admit it, and we fad this q good
rule to apply to other industrie-
Why does the merchant fail in
businesss Why surely, it is bad
management. Why does the banker
fail? It is on account of bad
management, and the same is true of
the manufacturer and of all other
industries; there can be no other good
reason only bad management, and the
farmer manages very badly when he
mortgages his farm and his chattels,
especially his team and his farm
machinery. It is bad management to
mortgage all Of his crop, not even
reserving his bread and seed; it is
bad management to leave farm
machinery in the field where it was
last used until it is wanted the next
year. But will ask if it is bad
management that causes the drying
wind to SO dry the ground that the
grain will not come up in the spring
in season for a good crop? Is it
bad management that destroys the
farmers crops by wind, rainfand hail?
L it bad management that causes the
hot days when the grain is just ready
to ripen, and cause it to shrink, and
to be light in weight? Is it the
farmers fault that he is obliged to sell
his grain below the cost Of raising it?
I cannot see why the farmers should
be accused of bad management any
more than the bankers, the merchant,
or any other vocation. The farmer is
not supposed to be any wiser or better
manager than men of better call:ngs,
The farmer is looked upon as being a
little below other mortals; he is called
the mudsill of society," Sometime III
the future we will turn this mudsill
over and look at the other side.
S. B. SMITH.