Mower County transcript., 1907-08-28
FARMER BEN'S
COLUMN

Farmer Ben amt speculater ana
amt interested in the slump of prices
in Wall street but if it's true as the pa
pers assert that the Standard Oil Is
poundin' the CUTS out of prices just to
teach the people lesson to keep hands
off of their affairs then l just hope and
wish that they might get double dose
of law and prison. The Rockefeller
crowd ought to wake up and see that
they've ben fairly dealt with and they
We no kick comm. All that Is asked
of 'em is to tote fair and be on an
equality with the rest OF the business
world. The peoples demand is tor a
equal show for all rich or poor, for the
man that owns one oil we'll same as the
man that owns thousand, for the re-
npery that turns out a hundred barrels
of oil same as the one that turns out
ten thousand. All are entitled to the
same rates, same chance, the same
markets. Then on equal competition, let
the best win out. If the Standard folks
think the people are goin' to shut up
lust because they're poundin' prices OF
stocks they've got awful hard surprise
comm. Well just set the government
prosecutors on harder than ever.
O @ .
Poor little Japan is in nifty poor con-
dition to fight for the next twenty
Years. She's got all she can carry at
home. My paper says that in addition
to the Korean rebellion which will
prove so persistent and costly the Japs
at home are in the midst of a big indus
trial panic. Most of the 45,0O0,OOO in
habs are in the most abject poverty all
the time and war taxes that were crush
in before the Russian war has increased
heavily by the war. There has ben
famine piled on all this and banks are
suspendin and the whole business
world is up in big scare. [ tell you
when it comes to borrowin' money to
fight Uncle Sam the other nations will
think twice and certainly Uncle Sam
won't open his pocket book for loan.
So there you are. Maybe the Japs will
be askin' for charity for their poor be-
fore this tumultuous condition is over.
I'm glad of this condition only because
it will help to shut up the mouthy Japs
and will show the world what a lot of
windbags the wild men in Toxic are
who urged the Japs to come over and
attack San Francisco.
My Lunnon paper says that the swell
set over there has been takin' to simple
meals durin' the past season insted OF
long and elaborate menus and hav cut
lot of the rotgut stuff that use to be
the principal thing. They eat lots of
peas and beans and vegetables and less
meat and Taboo the conglomerations
of salads and spiced stuff and high
seasoned pickles and high champagne
and all that bet those Lunneners feel
just like fghtin' cocks all the time on
this diet list. It's the most sensible fad
they've ever struck. It's rite along
Farmer Ben's simple life. I just wish
some of the Austin high bloods would
interduce the same fad. They'd get
lots of the bile off their stomicks and
wouldn't feel logy and lazy and good
for-nothin' all the time. There's nothin'
ike simple diet and clear stomick
for clear head. If simplicity got to
be the rage in cookin' and eatin' it
would be some fun to have company.
Then you could invite 'em to sit down
to corn beef and cabbidge and feel they
were gettin' just as good as was served
no for 'em at home.
One of the sassiety leaders in Chica-
20 says that women ought to discour-
aged in marryin' inferior men for fear
Of bein' called old maids and urges that
women should have faith in their own
powers and develop the best that's IN
'em and they should enter some payin'
occupation rather than be tied up in
domestic infelicity and uncongeniality
and inferiority and abusive authority.
| tell you that woman has head on
her like Daniel Webster. I'd just pat
her on the back if l met her. This
marryin' business is a pretty serious
business. A single life is a hundred
times better than to marry stick of
man that is goin' to make a dogs life
for a woman. I've seen silly girls just
throw away all judgement and sense
and reason and get tied up to nonenti-
ties Just good for wearin' mems clothes
and because they'd got a man to save
'em from old maidism, and they sit
down and curse their hard luck all the
rest of their lives. There's worse things
than bein' old maid and one Of 'em is
to hav to liv with a brute that don't
sympathize with you but treats you like