Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-04-10
in taking what we now consider infe
rior places In society-is not SO Tar
away.


That landlcrdisM and tenant farming
are increasing with surprising rapidity
In the United States is one OF the most
Important facts developed out Of the
census reports issuing from Washing
ton. According to a statement Of L. G.
Powers, chief statistician of the agri-
cultural division of the census, it APP
pears that for at least twenty
years the percentage of farms OPP
Grated by tenants has increased heay-
except the extreme West. For the
whole country this percentage has in
creased in the last ten years nearly
twice as fast as the per cent Of popu-
lation of the nation, four times that
of the purely agricultural population
and twice that of the farms operated
by their owners. Mr.. Powers sug-
gests that this unprecedented increase
does not show a degradation of the
rural population, but an uplifting, from
the fact that it must be largely com.
posed of negroes in the Southern
States and of farm hands or farmers
sons who have become tenant farmers.
1t is declared, however. by many who
are watching the tendency, that large
numbers of those who have indeed ris.
en- out Of these ranks to become tenants
would have become farm owners In
stead under other conditions, as did the
young men of generation ago. To
whatever extent this army Of tenant
farmers has been recruited from the
ranks of those who had been but wage
earners, 1t Is a matter for satisfaction.
To the extent that it includes those
who have sunk from ownership OF
might have become owners 1t is not
good. 1t is impossible to separate
these classes until the full reports OF
the census IRE issued. Out of the well.
known conditions in the middle West
however, with these preliminary fig
ures at hand, 1t is possible to discover
some interesting material for specula.
ton. Many farmers are moving into
the towns, selling their farms outright
or renting to tenants. In the latter in
stances each farm is forced to become
the support of two families, which Ii
apt to prove heavy burden on any
property calculated for one family
Capitalists recognize that farms pur>
chased and rented to tenants are
among the best investments, principal
and income being peculiarly safe. 9th
er capitalists who wish to invest In
farm loans are finding, in many in
stances, that, their money Is a drug or
the market. The farmers who owl
land are SO prosperous that they do moi
need loans; those who are tenants have
no security upon which to borrow. Mer
chants in the smaller towns are now
complaining that their trade is suffer.
ing by the increase of tenant farmers.
The latter are not as prompt in paying
bills, they cannot afford to buy as
much, and they do not improve their
places with the same energy and mod
ern agricultural methods and machin.
cry as do the ones who own thei1
farms. Tenant farmers have not the
interest in preserving the farm prop
erty that the owner has when he is the
resident. Nor, indeed, is the tenant sc
interested to protect the permanent
fertility of the soil by the most care
full farming methods. 1t is recognized
that either in city or country the best
performance of the duties of citizen
ship comes from those who own theil
homes. With that fact in mind, nj
Zone can fail to regret the immens,
growth Of tenant farming Indicated b.
the census.