Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-03-06

facts are that we can find farmer
who actually believe the merchant
a regular horsethief. Not that al
people feel this way, and there ar
no reasons why any one should fee
80. This reason want to give 70,
| a little later.
Many farmers were formerly mer
chants and some of them went bustet
while at it. Many merchants wer'
at one time farmers, so VIII,
should there be any feeling betwee1
the two classes. The sooner mer
chants and farmers get together anc
work together. the better both class
es will be. Many of you work to
gether as members Of the church
and why should you have differences
as business men. Why should you
not have confidence in each other
Ii you have not confidence in the
merchant he is not good enough tc
serve as a deacon in the church
right away. If any retail merchant
is so confounded dishonest that he
is not worthy of your respect. he
ought to resign his position in the
church.
Say, tell me this, why should you
distrust the statement Of a merchant?
Amt you willing to give the other
fellow credit for being just as honest
as you are? Don't you think that
other people have a right to ask you
to believe their statements when
they make them and don't you ex-
pect the same courtesy from them?
Say, don't you get up at any time
and tell people you are all good and
alright and that other people are
sneaks. I tell you what, people, I
have found this-there are horse
thieves in all classes of society and
there are good men in all classes of
society
Outside of the man who tills the
soll, L don't know of any one on
whom the community is so depend
ent as. upon the retail merchant.
Now look here, you can move every
doctor in Manchester to independence
(nothing personal meant in the
choice of town. and you could get
along just as we'll. You could move
every lawyer in town to Indepen-
fence end you can get along alright,
put you move every merchant in
town to Independence and you will
see how soon your farms will de-
preciate in value. What is it that
makes farm land worth a good price.
Land here is worth on an average
about 800 an acre, but go into
Dakota and 1 can show you land
that is just as good as you will find
around here and it can be bought
for SIS an acre. What makes the
diiference? There are fewer towns
there, hence fewer stores, further
from market SO you can readily see
that the price of land depends large
y upon whether you are near or
lar from a good town and this ac-
,epted the merchant and the farmer
ought to work together.
Do you know what / would advise
Ill the merchants in this community
% do? Ask the farmers to come in
md attend their meetings, be one of
hem, and / would say to the farmers
you return the compliment to the
merchants. Ask him to join your
Institute and help you. You can
lelp each other. 1 believe in that
lind Of feeling and think it will be
great thing for both parties con-
,erned when that time comes. And
believe the time is coming, too,
when this will take place. The time
will come when you will find the
merchants right here in your lnsti-
ute taking part. A merchant in
own like this ought to understand
arming. He ought to know pretty
lear as much about farming as you
10, and I don't know of any reason
Why you should not understand the
merchants business pretty we'll. On
he other hand, the time will come
When you farmers will be sitting in
he retail merchants meeting and
aking part in them. 1 am not
luite sure but what the time will
'ome when the farmer will know
he price of goods just the same as
loes the merchant. What is there
o hurt? There is a legitimate pro-
it and an illegitimate profit.
Now, about tho first Of last Novem-
,er | had the pleasure Of talking to
he merchants of this town, right
lere in this room. When they had
two Of them came to me
md said that l should not talk so
plainly and criticise the merchants so
.igidly. 1 said to them l did not
,are who it hit, that if it was not the
ruth it would not hurt them and if
t was the truth they needed it. The
lime is coming when honesty will
be demanded and the time is coming
when the man who lies will be
branded as a liar. Just at this time
we are quite fortunate that we have
! man at the head of our Govern
ment who stands for Honesty. Why
is it that the democrats are hoping
we will have another chance to vote
for Roosevelt? Because he goes
hand in hand with honesty. When
ever we have a man like this at the
head of our affairs we ought to keep
him there. 1 was down in Arkansas
not long ago attending a merchants
and l told them some of
these things in pretty plain language.
One fellow attending the convention
said he guessed he deserved all he
got but he believed that could tell
the farmer some things that would
do them good also.
There are in our country today a
o1o,, &c ~ a,l1.l ..lt- J.: