Mower County transcript., 1904-11-16
FARMER BEN'S; COLUMN. i

Farmer Ben is awful happy over the
success of Bob LaFollette for Wiscon-
sin governor by over fifty thousand
majority over the funny man. It's a
triumph of good government over the
corporations and railroads who owned |
the legislature, body and boots, but who
could not buy the people. Bob has
fought the whole push ,and the railroads
that hav been havin'sa regular picnic in
avoidin' taxes and righteous restraints
fought him tooth and nail but little
fghtin' Bob won outEjust the same. l
like his victory because it shows that
the rank and file amt to be fooled for
ever. Lots OF schemin' politicians put
a lot of fine promises into their party
platforms to catch the unwary and
they never intend 'em soberly or call
kerlate to try to carry 'em out. They
did this over in Wisconsin but LaFol-
lette insisted that the party platform
was meant in good earnest and when
he tried to operate the reforms promis-
ed the corrupt schemers held up their
hands in horror that such thing
should ever be taken serious and try to
be carried out. But the voters were
not to be caught with such chaff and
they backed up Bob in great shape and
told his opposers to go away back and
set down.
The result on governor of Minnesota
was an awful whack on the preconcelv-
cd notions of lots Of stalwart republi-
cans who stood Loyalty by the straight
ticket nominated from head to foot.
It does look like the people at large
had independent notions of their own
sometimes which nobody could change
and that when they had made up their
minds not to take political dose, you
couldn't stuff it down their throats by
main force. I never. see the beat. l
calkerlate that it has got some kind OF
a Warnin' or teachin' or somethin' for
the G. O. L. which they will do we'll to
heed and in selectin' of candydates in
future they'll be awful careful to pick
winners. Bob Dunn may hav been a
saint for all L could prove to the con-
trary but so long as the common people
at large didn't want him, it's no use
to try such any more. Politicians may
manipulate conventions and nomina-
tions but when the voters get their
backs up they can knock out the best
laid schemes of the schemiest. It's a
pretty good question alwus to ask in
nominatin' candydates to ask whether
they'll be acceptable to the people. If
they amt, down they go like tenpins in
an alley. A big republican legislator
will keep things down pretty we'll and
two years later we'll Civ the whir]
that'll make folks heads swim and
throb.
Down in Chilicothe, Missouri, the
other day a man was divorced and re-
married the same day, only few
minutes elapsin' between his bein' hus
band to one woman and husband to the
next. That's just what the Legitimate
outcome of this easy divorce business
is pointin' to. It's nothin' more or les'
than an easy Mormon arrangement un
der the guise of legal forms. bet i.
that man knew if he got divorced from
his first wife that he could never MARI,
agen, he wouldn't hav been so fast tt
get separated. But he knew that i
was easy to change women and that
where he tiggered. reckon that may
be he had some other woman in his ey'
when he commenced to racket with hi
own really truly wife first so that h.
could pick excuse for maxim fuss ant
then claimin' that he couldn't liv will
her. tell you it amt righteous to ha'
these easy idees of'marriage and if thi
thing keeps on we won't hav any fire
sides and homes and affections after
while. The only way to do is to 81
down hard on the whole divorce bust
ness and cut out absolutely and teeto
tally the chance to let the licentiou
ingrates thro into new matrimonial
pastrlrs if they desert the old meadows
Let folks be nifty careful how the
rush into gettin' married because the
know for certin that it will grip 'er
for life and no rebate.
O o o
If you just want to see the bes
pictur of average offs holder, yo1
ought to come down and look at Fal
mer Ben's hogs. They never are salts
fed, never are willin' that anybody els
should ever get anythin', never let u
in their incessant purpose to keep thei
noses in the political trough, and ar
alwus fggerin' ahead to get more ou
of the dear public and keep the res
from anythin'. It looks like the pei
,,1o sxrnr]dn,t MT nm with this fOrnVe