Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1897-01-28

~ stss sftsr s,aas' yssf, sens ssas
of us scratching in from 100 to 1000
acres to wheat season after season and |
hoping to shit it all right next year,
only to be disappointed time and again.
We started in years ago to raise all the
wheat we possibly could, and get all the
land we possibly could, and freeze out
all the small farmers we possibly could;
and now, when we find that we are still
in the hole we farmers-at least some
of us-do not propose to try any new
method, or permit or encourage anyone
else to try any new method of making
farming profitable; we are afraid some
other fellow will be put in position to
make little money, to improve his
condition. We have been kicking
against fate and scratching in wheat by
the hundred acres so many years that
we have acquired sort of chronic hab-
it that way, and do not want to be
crossed.
township, and his ghost bridges: His
article in opposition to the ditch (NoT,
by the way, the same article he pub
lished in the Beacon-for the latter has
8ome merit and the former had none)-
was received by the editor of the DEM
ocRAr after we had in type the two col
umns concerning the address to the
public and the letter on the success of
irrigation, and we did not deem it right
or Just to discard that matter and make
room for MIR. Belts long article, especi-
ally as his article tended to discourage
a movement which we have been zeal
ousIy supporting. We wrote Mr.. Belt
our reasons for declining to publish his
kick, and suggested to him that we
the Beacon editor-that paper having
taken no position on the irrigation ques
tion ''pro or CON-" if you please. By
next mail we got letter from Mr.. Belt
asking us to hand his manuscript to the
Beacon, which we did. Why he saw
fit to write another article, and to make
the burden of it a criticism of the edi-
tor of the DEMOCRAT for courteously
declining his article, we do not know,
nor do we care.
His bridge bugaboo is mainly the
same in both letters. He speaks of
IL to 90 bridges, when if he had taken
the pains to inform himself he would
have known that the commissioners
contemplated the necessity of but four
bridges. He condemns the investment,
or the encouraging the investment, OF
hundreds of thousands of dollars in
Barton county as though that would be
a calamity to befall US; and because the
county, the taxpayers-and taxpayers
means ALL of us who have property,
personal or reals asked to put uI
about a bridges at a cost of not to ex.
ceed $4,000, when such bridges are need
ed-not before.
We firmly believe that if the irriga
tion ditch is dug, the big lake created
and the other proposed plans carried
out, our good friend Mr.. Belt will rear
his share of the reward in the increased
value of his thousand broad acres, t.
say nothing of the general good that
will accrue to the rest of us. And hs
will not raise much of kick agains
paving his little share of the taxes re
CURED to build few bridges. He viii
rejoice with the rest of US that new
era has dawned upon US, in spite of hi
borrowed troubles and dismal suspici
ons of jobs and trickery. And, if
through his objections. the whole
scheme falls through and we are doom
ed to fall back upon the old system o
hit and-miss wheat raising-w1th th
accent on the missile can still be hap
py in his thousand broad acres and hi
ghost bridges.