The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-12-23
VIII.
bid AGE HUMBU'Ss AND THE
GRANGE.
(Continued.)

DID AGE HUMBUt5s AND THE
GRANGE.
(Continued)
All I've heard for months is tariff.
riff, tariff" wherever I've been. The
mister he has preached on II, the pa
RS are filled with IL, and the neighbor-
,od folks are neglectin' their farm work
st TO talk about ~, and federation has
I'd so much about It that I've looked
TO the matter myself. / think Mr.
cKinley helped to git up a bill for this
bvernment that was wuth more'n all the
emocrats have done for half a century.
begun I'm mild kind OF way when !
-oke In upon their talk. and says says
Jasper. you know jest about az much
bout Mr.. McKinlcy's bill as you do about
dollar bill. and you know you've had so
recious few OF them that you couldn't
III whether the picture on II is Martha
Fashington's or Hannah Cooksv"
And then / showed them some city pa
ers that said there wasn't cent of tax
the groceries they were talkin' about.
THAT doesn't make any difference"
ays Jasper I'VE know what we know,
nd there can't nobody cheat US out OF II.
rec trades the only thing for this coun-
ry"
"Jasper," says /. your wife ought to
dyice That's what you need"
"Oh. Mrs. Wilberforce you've no idea,
ays he, "she gives me barrels of advice.
barrels and barrels OF A."
''Well, then" says l. III what she says
oesn't do YOU any good. she'd better turn
on over TO somebody else who can teach
on sosassthing that will. for your kind
talk is an injury TO the community"
Then he scratched his head and said II
hink I've got an idea or two that'll count
or something at the Grange meetin next
week II you don't think they carry much
Weight here tonight"
eff you keep on with such arguments"
|ays i, folksll think you are dement,
ID"
Then turned to the other men present.
Ind says What's the use maxim so
much fuss about subject like this. Amt
experience the best teacher I'm the world?
Didn't Henry Clay say that before 1924
he whole country was poor as a spring
rabbit, and that free trade. which was
then tolerated. was the cause7 You know
he did. and you dasent deny ~ And then
didn't he say that after 1924 the protect
We tariff made the country the most pros
porous in the world? Now. do you sup
pose the folks that know anything are
|agoin' to have free trade agin Just TO
please lot Of ignorant foreigners that
cant read or write. or a lot OF Demo-
Gratis that can read and won't?'
Then Charles Durham spoke up as a
sort of sop to ToIerations feelings and
bays, Mrs. Wilberforce means well, but.
|of course being a woman. she doesn't
understand all OF the ins and outs OF poll
tics as we men folks do. But II she'll
only come down to the Grange next week,
shell most likely hear some valuable
ideas that will help her"
well" says |. maybe the women folks
don't understand about the ms but
they're pretty well posted on the outs.
for up TO this time there hasn't been |
much else among the New England far |
mers hut outgoes and no incomes, and |
now that the farmers wives have got a |
chance 10 git an extra gingham dress |
they'd pretty much all like 20 see their |
husbands use little good sense and let |
well enough alone"
He hitched little under this remark,
for he knew / meant Mrs. Dunham more |
than anybody else. and finally after turn
ing a little red In the race after the others |
had sot 20 GRIMM, he said. We'll, I'm
not goin' TO argue with a woman. But |
come down to the Grange. Mrs. Wilber-
force. and there you can hear both sides
OF the question"
After they went home told Toleration
that / thought he had an excellent op-
portunlty to do the town some good by |
at that Grange meetn' and
off any nonsensical resolutions
that they might try to Introduce. But
he wouldn't say much about it, although |
] had an idea that he intended to be pre-
pared to say something.
Well, when the grange meetin' night
came around, pretty much all OF the men,
bers were present. and after the business
matters were finished the men folks sot TO
talkin' about politics. and hndin' faults
with the present conditions OF things. AZ
ter a time they called on federation 10
say some thing.
I'm glad enough that went 20 the
meetin'. / never heard Toleration talk
go we'll before I'm my life. He was real
common sense like and stood up for
everything that had the best of princi-
piles. When he got through | felt as II
I'd like to hug him. AS a rule he gen.
orally has TO say something that's good
and then go 10 work and apologize be-
cause he's afraid somebody's feeling will
he hurt; but this time he didn't, and was
glad I've got some hopes for him now.
I'm mighty glad" says he. Ito see
by the report that our organization Is so
and hope 1t will continue
right along with the general prosperity
OF the country, for the farmers are en-
titled 20 their share OF the good times. /
see that there are few conflicting opin-
ions about the administration. and finding
fault with the 'lmoerialtstS, and trying
10 throw of the responsibility resting on
us as n nation I'm caring for. educating
and Christanizing the natives OF the ISL
ands that have come into our hands and
n lot OF them standing ready 20 desert
the very best interests OF our country,
While they have been doing this. what
was President Mckinley doin? and what
is President Roosevelt adoin' today? Is
ne a skukln' and hidin'? Not a minutel
when the talk first begun Mr. McKin-
ley Jest reached up and took down the
old saw-buck. creased up the family
saw, filed her teeth with his own hands
20 she'd cut keen, and ever since he's
been a sawin' wood; and there wasn't |
any let up 90 Il nuther. until he was killed
by an assassin. lie sawed jest enough
pine and chestnut 90 make kindlings with,
and then he 1T into the oak, maple and
birch, and about every other kind OF wood