Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1906-03-08
A FARMERS VOICE
w. ID. Hall Has Something to Say
Is Proud Of Ills Calling.
And Talks About Some Things lie
Does not Like-Gives Few
Hot shots
Editor Belding Banner,

Dear Sir:-l have read a number Of
articles in your valuable paper with a
great deal of interest and yet with Ger
tain degree of critsism and disgust. OF
late there has been several articles in the
Banner that their main object seems to
be to make the farmer feel that he should
spend his last dollar with his home mer-
chant and if he did not he was commit
ting some crime or misdemeanor
Now, first | want to say that am as
proud to be called farmer as any mer-
chant, manufacturer, preacher. school
man. or any other person that you may
mention. and afterward add their occupa-
ton, profession or title, such as Congress
man William Alden Smith of Michigan, or
President Roosevelt.
As time will not permit will not at
tempt to take up all the different articles
| have read but will conf'ne my remarks
to the one in your issue of Feb. %.
named. Do not be a Sucker, and the one
in the last issue called the Farmers Com
bne.
First will say that have always
been quite hand to buy my effects OF
the boys (as call them. for the merchants
and business men of Belding are worthy
young mem that am best acquainted
with. that being the case | have founo
myself in Belding for the bulk Of my be-
longngs, such as | would purchase from
store or dealer. have heard my father
say that where there was smoke there
must be sumo fire, the article named
Don't be Sucker, and good many 9TH
ers Of the same train Of thought. has led
me to think that the merchants or news
paper men were getting afraid that the
farmer was some day going to WELD the
staff of power which lays wi hin their
hands. To be plain spoken (which ]
hardly ever ann would say that the mer-
chant that can not meet the competition
Of trade without resort ng to such methods
of securing trade or not making an effort
TO keep it from his local paper is bigger
sucker than the farmer that exercises the |
right and privilege that he or any mer-
chant has to buy their goods wherever
they choose and can buy the cheapest. |
whether it is in Beldng or Of some de-
partment store in the city, Don't be a
Sucker says buy of your home merchants
and he will pay the money back to you for |
your farm produce, why Mr.. Editor by |
looking over the receipts Of my farm find |
that the merchant only buys about 6 2-5 |
per cent Of my products the rest going 10 |
middle men or shipped, going to other
cities that are not asking me 10 buy ore |
dollars worth of goods from them in re-
turn, why should buy rs per cent Of nv |
goods in Belding. can imagine Fish & !
Smith Of the Model Market buying hogs of |
me at &c per pound when they Can ship |
them in from Grand Rapids for sc. yes
Fish is that kind.
II seems to me that as feel just now !
could write all night but ! want to give |
you one Of my foolish ideas on the subject |
Of the farm combine. In your last issue, |
Mr.. Lapham il some one had told you
forty years ago that today we would talk
with each other hundreds Of miles apart
or that we would ride from Beding TO
Grand Rapids on an electric car, you
would have said that fellow IS crazy. !
you will also say that am crazy when |
tell you that if we can have few more
men Ike Theodore Roosevelt and William |
Alden Smith at tte head Of this nation, |
they will not only be look ng I o see which |
way the American farmer is going to vote
but will be watching to see what they are
asking for their products { BY the way
the first time ! ever shook hands with that
genial Congressman of ours was in my
potato fled when ! was digging my crop
and | wondered then which he was looking |
after my potatoes or my vote, but il |
meet him now he shakes just the same as
though he needs my vote Now Mr.. Edi-
tor ! do not wish to be understood that |
expect tosee that time myself. but # ! can
teach my son TO work for that end. not to
Re oppressive but to demand the right
that belongs to the American farmer, or if
could do anything myself that my best
Judge ment told me was right along those
lines should certainly do it. Now | thank
you for YOUR time that it has taken to read
this and think have voiced the senti-
ment Of many farmers and if you should
see fit to print it YOU are at liberty to do
so. Yours truly.
w. D. HALL.