Mexico weekly ledger., 1895-08-01
Highest Of all in Leayening Power-Latest U. S. Govt Report
RskiRg
ABSOLUTELY PURE
Optimistic ~Pessimistic.
To the Editor of the Ledger.

To the Editor of the Ledger.
WORCESTER, Mo-, July 26, 1885,
"One more good rain," said the
western Kansas farmer from the top
of his root in the middle OF the flood,
''and the broom corn crop is assured
How beautiful if n can view all
events through optimistic glasses.
Had the old fellow whose wife COM
mitted suicide by hanging herself on
an apple tree been provided with a
pair he would not have exclaimed
when a neighbor tried to console him,
eyes, just to think, she shook off two
bushels of green apples that would
have been worth a dollar and a half a
bushel when they got ripe"
These "specs" enable a man to take
things philosophically. When he goes
home and finds his wife gone with a
handsomer man, instead Of yanking
out his foretop and acting in an other
wise unseemly manner, he'll sing the
long metre doxology. The Mormon,
when fifteen or sixteen of his mothers
in-law call on him in a body, instead
of coming anathemas, would hug him
self in a frenzy of delight and roll on
the floor and laugh.
Hog cholera, lumpy jaw, pleuro-
pneumonia, storms, floods, chinch
bugs, later beetles, San Jose scale,
city cousins and the multitudinous ar
ray of diseases and pests that destroy,
feed and prey upon his substance-the
fruits of his almost c~easeless toil-he'd
look upon as a blessing, because they
prevent him from producing IN over
plus, and thereby lowering the price.
If his crops fail then he's in luck
again, for he can rest, when otherwise
he'd be at work gathering them.
When he raises a short crop he has
nothing to sell. If a full crop, then he
doesn't get much for it. In either
case he isn't bothered buying pocket
books and boarding his wealth.
Yes, according to the optimist, who
usually lives in the city, the farmer is
doing extremely well. He has his
trousers rolled up to the junction and
is wading knee deep in wealth-fairly
wallowing in afiuence. He lives in a
palace. His wife, arrayed in purple
and fine linen, has a great retinue OF
servants. His table groaning under
it's load of luxuries bends down like q
swayback horse going to mill with 9
grist.
He writes of the ''independent''
farmer, but who 81 dependent as hef
He is subject to the idiosyncrasies o.
providence, and if the Fates are pro-
pitious and he raises a good crop 1t il
subject to the law of supply and de.
mand, and the prices likely to be very
unremunerative. Look at the present
oat crop, "by jacks" He finally got il
cut, but he isn't sure that he'll get il
threshed. The price is 10 cents 9
bushel. At that rate, deducting ex-
penses, how long will it take to pay
off the mortgage? Or how many
bushels must one sell to pay the $3.50
per acre rent.
The butcher, the baker, the candle
stick maker all have a fixed price for
their wares. The lawyer, the physi-
clan and the mechanic all set a price
for their services or labor, but the
farmer must sell his in the form OF
farm products on the open market.
He must take what he's offered OF
"tote' his truck back home. When he
buys he must give what is asked or do
without. The money invested in
horses, tools, etc., will eventually be
a total loss, while the business man
turns his over many times a year,
True, as is said, many of the latter
break up, but it is equally true that II
they worked early and late, were az
frugal and economical and scrimped
themselves Al many farmers must dc
and be, they wouldn't 60 to the wall
He also writes of the sweet smelling
new mown hay. oh, how 1 have
bOu4Cblk4Cn WASuCA L q boLiO " kuCbS
fellows In a NOV full of hay to the
roof, tramping it down or q hot day
They wouldn't want to "smoll" any
more hay for awhile. No, not il the
court knows itself. The candidate
comes out to buttonhole the husband
man; the good er-worked wife
yearly kills herself running down ant
numbering the last remaining spring
chicken that he, of the immaculate
shirt front, may have a square meal
After the babies are kissed anS
praised and told that they "look jus
like mama or papa" the great maj
pays the weary woman in thanks
These she can't eat or put in he
pocket, but didn't she have "glory'
| enough for one day?
After awhile the farmer and hi
helpmeet go to town where they NEE
| the candidate. Does he fall upoI
their necks and weep for Joy? Doe
he invite them home to the banquet
Not much, Mary Ann! They can e
to a cheap restaurant or feast on the
| dry husks of anticipation.
When the merchant or other bust
ness men "happen" along to buy a ID
cent rooster or a dollar pig the farmer
is expected to give him his dinner
But he may buy q thousand dollar
worth of his whilom friend and all the
free grub he gets he a put in hi
eye.
And yet ome city dudes seem tt
imagine they belong to a superior
race OF species, that they r q specia
creation, while the "horny handed
sons of toll are only q sob lott pro
miscuously dumped upon the earth
Why, in his opinion, II the latte
would get into the pot Of Hoiey Pole,
Winkey Wang, King of the Gambia
Islands, they wouldn't even make
decent gravy.
OF course, not all farmers ar,
fthard up.n Those who made q luck,
strike when land was cheap or VIII
had rich fathers or married o girl VIII,
had, are, or ought to be doing prett,
J well. But how many In a hundred ar
| not paying high interest or rent witt
low priced farm products? Now W,
don't blame anyone for this state o
things, but simply write to remoy,
any false impression that may exist
We may feel better after having re
lieved ourself. We couldn't writ.
each one Q letter, therefore address