The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1904-02-11

spectators get together and take off
the price as fast as the feeder puts on
the gain. The feeder: sees the condi-
tion of affairs coming, he is losing his
feed and labor, and he gets discouraged
and his neighbor is getting the same.
dose, and they get scared and ship their,
half fat stock, and it they knew when
their stock was finished they, or their
representative, had the power to de-
mand and get one hundred cents on
dollar for the cost OF producing them, it
would stop these floods of half fat stock
on the market.
You take the condition of the markets
this winter. The packers have hid
away one half of their money and are
doing the same volume OF business on
the other half that ought to be done
with the whole OF it. Right now is
where we ought to have the power to
force the money from it's hiding place.
| The farmer and producer is the man
/ who starts the dollar rolling, and if he
fails to get the dollar all business
ceases to prosper. Banks and business
houses all over the United States com
mence to fail. Look at the condition Of
our business men today q don't mean in
some foreign landO but your own mer-
chant and your own bank that you do
business with every day, and the cause
OF the trouble is because there is band
of legalized highwaymcn holding the
farmers up and taking their products
from them for fifty cents on the dollar.
1t has come to the point right now when.
the farmer and business men that do
business direct with the farmer should
put forth every effort to co-operate
with one another and help to bring the,
ring to justice. Don't think for a.
minute that if the farmers had the con
trolling power Of their products that
they would be so high that the consun-
er would starve, to death. They would
be less in price than they are today, for
with such an organization we can put
the speculator out. lie is the man to-
day who makes the consumers living
high. Ii we had the power today to
force the cost of our products to be
paid our business men would get a
hundred cents on the dollar that the
farmer owes them. That would fill the
country banks with money, times would
be good, and the people happy. Some
people say if the farmers would organ
ize commission firm the packers would
go out in the country and pay higher
prices than our commission firm would
ask for the stock in order to run them
out. Don't think that for minute.
This farmers commission firm is hired
by the farmers organization and draws
salary the same as any state or county
representative, and if the packers want
ed to go out in the country and pay
more for the stock than we were asking.
sell to him. All the better They
would be paying our representative
Instead of the farmers. Our commits
sion firm would act as standing army
When we needed them they would be
there, standing ready to use the gun
and hold the production and prices at
par. Some will say tive haven't got
the capital" Ii we haven't got it,,
who has? The farmer produces the
capital and if he doesn't use it while he
has it in his own hands he eau rest
assured that he never will use it. 1t
has been talked Of building packing
houses in each state and pack our own
stock. This would be a good plan, but
the way is much easier. The pl.nts arc
already built and in the right places
and the right men have hold of them.
But they have got the advantage of us
in our present condition, and what we
must do if we survive, is to get the ad-
vantage of them and keep it. 1t is a
general opinion among our city men
that the farmers don't know any too
much and they are about right We are
a lot of good natured fellows. We let
every class Of people in every profess
sion hold us up and trample us under
their feet and don't say word until we
get home and our wife asks for some
f0 0v,,pf fE<,h 49, lso
more pleasant, then trouble commences.
ing statesmen and best business men
were reared on the farm. That is the
reason they are so familiar with the
workings Of the farm and know how and
} where to skin the farmer. Welnust not
} blame them for getting on the other
side Of the fence. We have no one to
blame but ourselves. When it comes to
facts and figures the farmer as rule,
hasn't got thorough book educat tion,
with head filled full of theories, but
} filled with practical ideas and enough
common horse sense to produce the
wealth of the nation. But he hasn't got
nerve and grit enough to demand his
rights. When he gets on the open
markets of the world he stands waver-
ing in the soft gentle lake breeze that
brings the sweet fragrance of the di-
gested tankage that is being prepared
for the redemption of his soul. While
they are pressing him downward and
outward he at last seeks revenge at the
union station where he is held up by the
legalized authority for his return fare.
Being woke up by few punches in the
short ribs, he finds himself once more in
sight Of the dear old feed lot with
empty corn cribs and hay racks. But
he is very thankful that his bank state
ment only shows thousand dollars
overdraft, and that his life has been
spared; he is permitted to meet with
the loved ones at home once more, a
meeker but wiser man. A. w. DAVIS.
i Pleasanton, Iowa, Feb. s, 1904.
Keeler-Artt.
Mr.. John w. Keelcr and Mrs. Lanpa