Mower County transcript., 1903-12-09
FARMER BEN'S COLUMN.

gusted to see how the congress is bossed
round and dictated to by a lot Of
Millionaire eastern manufacturers and
monopolists who already hav the earth
and now want it fenced up. tell you
we can afford to be liberal with our de-
tendencies like Cuba and the Filipines.
The stuff they raise We can't and don't
raise in enough quantities to keep us
supplied and after lettin' in all their
productions we still must buy lots out
side. Take sugar We can let in free
every pound raised in Cuba aud the
Filpines and then hav to buy shiploads
of Germany and other aliens. can't
see how it's goin' to effect us only
favorably to be half white and extend
the glad hand and open door to Cuba
and Hawaii and the Filipinos. We
need their hemp and sugar and spices
and such stuff and can just as we'll get
'em there as to go to foreigners for 'em.
My paper says that senator Foraker is
favorin' a substantial reduction in
Filipino tariffs and l just want to
pat him on the back and tell him to
hold out faithful to the end and he'll
receive his reward. There amt any
danger of rasin' a big tariff racket if
these simple reliefs are givin and our
new naybors and wards will love us and
respect us so they will stick tight to us
forever more. Just Civ 'em half a
chance by favorin' 'em in our markets
and gee 'em started on the high road to
prosperity and they will never think Of
revoltin' from our benticent rule. They
amt fools and if they get better livin'
and better times under Uncle Sam as
manager they'll settle down to be A
No. citizens of this great Nation.
The proposition to Civ every old
soldier over IS years old who served in
the war of the rebellion over ninety
days flat pension of $l2 a month if
asked for by him and to Civ every
soldiers widow the same allowance on
the same terms strikes Farmer Ben in
the right spot. 1t amt sposed that the
we'll to do veterans will all ask for it
when they don't need it, but tell you
there amt one of the old boys that
should ever be allowed to go hungry
and cold in their old age just thro the
monkeyin' of some pension technicali
ties which they won't conform to and
which they hav too much honor to
truckle to. l tell you some of the most
worthy cases among the comrades are
where there is so much grit and pride
that they won't knuckle and take
pension as pittance from Uncle Sam
same as if they were beggars looking
for a handout. The pension is right
of every needy old soldier and not a
charity or a gratuity. Some general
law like the one proposed would just
take this whole business and put it on
a righteous principle and the veterans
would then feel that they were gettin'
strictly what belonged to 'em and not
feel like dog that had bone thrown
to it. It makes me tired and unright-
eously mad and indignant to hear some
of the little squirts that weren't thought
of or heard of durin' the war talk as if
the soldiers had abundant pay for all
their coffee coolin' expeditions. tell
you this government can never repay
the veterans for what they did. Spose
that the rebels had victoried where
would this country be now? Probably
Europe would own and browbeat half
the territory on the western continent.
What a differ there is in folks you
meet. Some of 'em act like they had
vinegar for breakfast and it just curdl-
ed the milk of human kindness in 'em.
They are grouty and gruff and cross
and crusty and act like they was bears.
Then you run up against folks that are
i kind spoken and pleasant and aifable
and agreeable and their presence is like
the rays of the warm sunshine comm
in your south winder at ten below zero
and cheerin' you up and maxim life
brighter. reckon it amt no waste of
time or timber to act the agreeable at
all times. Z ou don't hav to ape Lord
Chesterfield in extremes in order to be
kind and gentlemanly. I just wish I
was some women when their husbands
come home cross and grutf from the
shop and store and kick the dog and
amt got kind word for the children
but Just act the hog and the wolf and
the hirsute combined. 10 think that
when they enter the house the feelin'
,.of happiness and comfort goes out the
door and there's nothing but frosty
air and condition. 1t amt the way [
like folks and there ain't any sense in
ever gettin' down 50 low. It's just as
easy to cultivate the kind habits and
. ]. X n