Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-05-30
A. DAKOTA FARMERS VIEWS.

Populist Ketchum formerly real
estate Spectator of Boomtown, MINI. J
-"Ah, cd mornin' nabor; hard at it,
/ see. Well, work suits some fellers,
but it never did me, nohow."
Farmer Growsum, (who is plow-
ing)-"Guess yeh don't half teh work,
but yeh dress we'll, and got good
team and buggy there. -"
"Yes, pretty fair. Got 'em on a
land deal just afore Boomtown busted,
and with wink l thought I'd get a
leetle further West. How's times in
this low cality?'
"Bad, nifty bad. Drouth last year ;
gophers ct up most everything year
afore tibet Rufhin thissel's spreadin'
like mad. Got to hussel to get liv-
in here. Gee ronn there, Gray"
"Hard times, eh? You're one of the
men Pm lookin' fur. Calkilate to run
for Congrus this fall, and thought I'd
take n run through this part o. the
State to kinder get acquainted. Looks
like I'm goiu' to get the nomination
all right. If ] do, spose | can count
VI fOuI fOtt'
"Well, | dunno. What mout yer
prinserpils be? So many fellows
roun' now, all wantin to 60 to Con-
grus, man don't know who's who. "
ooh, me? Why Pm fur the only
party that's fur the farmer. The free
silver party, of course. Amt it time
that you, the toilers of our farms, rose
against tho the giant money powers
which like huge octupus-"
"Hol on. I amt seen no jints out
here in Dakoty. It's the thissels, and
drouth thets worryin' me. Octupusses
amt botherin' us roun' here half
as much as gophers. But wat yeh
goin' to do for me if I help SEN you
to CongrusP'
"Do? I'm agoin' to break the
chains tibet the blasted British gold
bugs hes got on every farmer. I'm
goin' to give you free coinage at 16
to |. I'm goin' to put silver up to a
doller'n twenty-nine cents an ounce.
Thet's wat I'm goin' to do"
"Mebbe yeh are. An mebbe yeh
amt. But wat I want ter know is
how that's goin' teh help me? Hist,
darn yeh, Bill, git yer leg over that
tracey l SEQ how goin' to Congrus's
goin to help you wear good close and
drive team without workin'. Whered'
| come in?"
"I'm afraid, my friend, you don't
sec that If silver goes up, wheatll go
up, corn'll go up, everything you
raise II go up. Then you'll be able
to make twice MS much olf'n your farm
rs you do now"
"Will, hey? / amt 80 sure bout
tibet. Tn price of wheat's fixed in
England, where ther's tho blame gold
standard How's free silver goin' to
to change prices there? Anyway, if
prices do go up, won't ! have to pay
jist twict rs much for my sugar, glass,
nails, blankets nm harness?"
"Guess yeh will, but you can pay
yer debts off in silver, and stead of
havin' to give q thousan' bushel of
wheat for five hunord dollars, yeh'll
, only hov to give haf rs many"
"Ehink ! got yer meanin' now.
You're ono of these hore fellors who
want to find some way of gottin' out
of payin' lawful debts, or cuttin' them
down hat. Mebbe if you paid yer
debts 5aclI in Boomtown yeh wouldn't
hayo no team and buggy. Well, Pm
poor, an | work hard. Got to get
these thissels plow'd under and amt
got no moro time to argy. But if Pm
poor I'm honest, and don't want to
send no man to Congrus to pass laws
choatin' mon who's lent money. cd
up there, dern yer pictors."
Then Mr.. Ketchum drove off to look
for greener farmer.