Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-03-03
ss.s.s-s
:L0oKER-0N IN IOWA:
):

+ L00KER=O ON in IOWA.
! j.
Thornton, March 2.-This spring will
witness the largest exodus of farmers
ever known in Iowa. They go to Mis-
souri,, the Dakotas. Minnesota and quite
q large number to Canada. The reason
Is easy to give. These men have been
offered and sold their farms in Iowa at
high prices, and have bought land in
the above mentioned places, getting
two, three and four times as many acres
as they owned here in Iowa. Norwe-
gians, Swedes, Danes and Germans are
the class leaving us, and every one
knows they rank best among the land
tillers. In one town nearby there are
orders in for thirteen cars representing
as many families, and the inability OF
the railroads to furnish cars as wanted
Is, working much hardship. These men
l.ave everything ready to ship, but day
after day passes and no car arrives. Be-
sides the time is close at hand when
they want to get onto THAR new farms
and commence spring work. And here
and there is a doctor, lawyer or mer-
chant who has also sold out and is also
going to the promised land.
We are losing many good citizens.
but gaining the same number. Where
these men sold out at $50 to SIS an acre
there is as rule a new family coming
from Illinois or still farther east. This
rev man has more money than the one
leaving us, but merchants don't like to.
see their old customers go, and doubt If
the new settlers will spend money as
freely as the ones leaving us. In some
cases these farms have been sold to
fasteners who wanted a safe place to
put their money. and will depend upon
renting their newly acquired farms for
a return on their investment. This is
not liked by any of the business men,
who much prefer to do business with
farmer who lives on his place. But
these things are beyond control, and
all welcome the newcomers and hope
they will make money on their new $50
en- acre farms.
The latest reported interview with
Lafe Young in the st. Louis paper in
which he was made to refer to Mr..
Cummins as a former democrat, and the
bringing Of his free trade ideas into the
republican ranks, has done more ito
get the mad up" of many Of Governor
Cummins' friends than anything here
tofore said or published by the gifted
editor of the Capital. 1t is all very we'll
for ex-senator Funk to preach peace
and brotherly love in the republican
in,Cr nxNn
but certain it is something will be said
this year at the convention which Mr..
Young and other insurgents (not to
say ladrones) will plainly understand.
And if they get a chance Lafe will not
only be left off the committee on reso-
mtions but will get the Geld in
stead of the glad hand from many Tree
trade Cummins republicans When the
good Lord sees fit to raise up in Iowa
democratic host sufficiently large, then
and then only will these chickering's
cease. We've got to fight somebody,
and with no democratic paper In Dies
Moines. hardly one in Iowa, and really
no democratic party in Iowa, IS It any
wonder that man of Mr.. Youngs pug
nacity has to jump on somebody: be-
sides, there are other reasons, as those
on the inside well know.
1t requires no gift Of prophecy to say
two factors are at work in Iowa to les
sen the big republican majority now
rolled up every year. First and fore
most is the whisky question. The
changing OF many dry" prohibition
counties into wet" nlulet law coun-
ties, the consequent increase In the
number of open saloons, this combined
with the notification Of many of the
provisions of the mulct law, to which
add the increasing number of whisky
drug stores. all point to an agitation IN
coming legislatures and demand for
a change in our laws. No matter what
the result is. the republican party be-
ing in power, will "be damned If they
dc and damned If they don't. Any set
of legislators presenting and advocating
a high license law in the next legisla-
ture will have more of q following than
heretofore. Some former prohibitions
lists now would fall into line il a law
was passed giving communities the
power to make it high enough to be
prohibitive. Again, another year of soft
corn, damaged oats and low priced cat
tie will bring to the front the element
that voted for Mr.. Bryan and his free
silver doctrines. They are here yet, and
now are beginning to peep" again.
Hired men on a farm 1T $50 month
and low prices or farm products will
lessen the 100000 republican majority
np Mve-74>,,
II