Mower County transcript., 1906-01-24
FARMER Ben S COLUMN


= My, but didn't the insurgent, refrac-
tory republicans in the horse of repre-
sentatives get swatted hard Nv ednes--s dlnl s-s
day when the fight for justice for the
Filipinos was on, The sugar and to-
bacco trusts who want the earth and
also have it fenced IN tried their big
gest to stand off the wishes OF thel
people and put in their best licks and
lobby and boodle to defeat the bill but
when it came to vote it. was a jnghand-
led affair, 258 to II in favor Of admit !
tim the products Of the ,Filipinos free
of duty into this country except sugar,
tobacco and rice and the tariff on these
is reduced to 25 per cent OF the Dingley
rates. This isn't bad and it ought ito
pass the senators a whoopin'.~ The
fact of the matter is that when we took
the Filipinos out of the cruel hands of
Spain we stood sort of godfather to 'em
to help 'em up and put ''em on their
feet educationally, politically, finan:
cially, commercially, morally, interna-
tionaiIy, agriculturally, and in all ways
do the square thing by em. They are
a part of this nation same as q ward of
Uncle Sam. We won't let any other
nation tinker with 'em and we've got
to do it ourselves. It's DO more fair to
tax Filipino products comin' in to this
country, than to tax those comm from
Porto Rico, Hawaii or Texas.
If some of the Austin townies would
keep better tab on their roamin' boys it
would make life for us farmers more
tolerable. There amt a day passes but
gang, of idlers come down and go
shootin' and roamin' round promiscu-
Gus witout any idee Of rights or safety
or others comfort. All summer long
our sheep and cattle are scared to death
by 'em, our fences are opened Cp and
all winter a man takes his life in his
hands goin' out in his own woods for
fear of these promiscuonsl shooters.
We put up signs to keep off and the
wanderin' boys shoot 'em down. They are
as slick as a fox about bein' caught and
when you catch 'em they are as innocent
as baby. But all the samee they're
nuisance to lots of US farmers roamin'
round our premises, trampin' down
crops in summer and scarin' our crit
ters and I'm nifty certain shootln' lots
of live things that IS unlawful and prl-
vate property all the year round. l
never could see any visible means OF
support fora whole regiment of these
wanderers. They DON'T seem to go to
school and they certainly can't hav any
regular employment. 1t looks like
they was comm up to be a SGT OF idlers
and shifts that would make trouble
later and show up in our courts and
state prisons. My old copybook motto
still holds true, Satan finds some mis-
chief still for idle hands to do.
O O o
was good deal interested in that
article from Mr.. Rusticus in my last
paper. He hits it right when he lays
out how easy it would be for a thous-
aud farmers to each spend hour or
two once in while ON the roads by his
place and keep things in first class
shape summer and winter. 1t looks
like a big job to keep a good road from
nv old farm to Rose Creek or Lyle or
Austin and it lis for one man but If
each farmer would fix his own roadway
it is all done and done proper. It's a
lazy habit lots Of us get into of doin'
up chores in the mornin and then
snugglin' down by the fire the rest OF
the day, This is the way we grow laz'
Ter. After each snow storm, each far- ar
mer could easily hitch up his team %; and N !:
break roads by his own place and shov-
ell a little if it is needed. 1t wouldn't be
often that anything but drivin the
team along a few times would be need ne q,
ed. And I tell you Mr.. Rustlcus's s't
head is level when he shows up the
weed question along the road. When !.
ever you find a weed patch or grove
along side look for deep drifts and and
flounderin' and tipover places. Its a.
good deal easier to keep the weeds and
grass and brush on the roadsides down WI
than to be freezin' on slow impassable
roads in the heavy SHOWS. a:.ss. s. = s5s
as> o y. o. gf$e !. " a 3555. 5.3bJ
la Some Of the unrighteous congress
men are also whinin' becaus the rail
roads are obeyin' the laws and cuttin's III &
offstheir passes. These congress snlae1n1E n g Z
get ten cents mile mileage paid 'em
as part Of their perquisites out of OF
Uncle SANS treasury and if they use use
the passes ought to turn this ralke-oJf alz,s Of
back into the treasury becaus unused /
and IKE they don't use 'em but pay their