Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1907-03-21
Some Thoughts on Thinking.
Slower, Mo March 9th, -


Ed. REpUBLIcAN:-Very few persons
think for themselves. They could, of
course, IL they would, but ii is so easy
to take the thought of another when it
seems to fit, that We have quit using our
reason. The "American Farmer" quot.
ed i'll your last issue, finds the balance of
trade in favor of farmers; in seventeen
years the exports Of grain, &c, have ex-
ceeded the imports by six billion dollars.
Anyone reading this would suppose that
the farmers got this money. / profess
to doubt this, for public records show
that twenty.six million acres of land are
owned by foreign corporations. while the
land grants to railroads, whose stock, in
a great measure, is owned by foreigners,
is 2l5. 900 900 acres. This area is about
that Of nine states. As people do not put
their money in land for the fun of it, we
see that the revenue derived from this
land goes to Europe in grain as pay for
the use OF the land. The two Dutch syn.
dictates, who own 7,5U,OU acres. have
their agent over here, and find it conven-
lent, OF rather profitable. to send grain
in place Of money to the alien owners,
whose capital was invested in this our
try. When we speak Of a balance of
trade, we piean that we get more than we
send, but in this case a blind man ma
see thar a ship load Of grain that goes
off to pay rent, may increase our exports
over imports, and leave us poorer than
We were before. This has been the cause
of the great poverty of Ireland. She ex-
ported cattle and grain, when her people
starved to death by the thousands.
1t is because OF the w. {. r. y 3 com
ing discussion o N opportunity" tina,
this is written. l am not a total abstain.
ance man myself and often, when I &c
to town, will take a drink Of beer, bu,
with Frances Willard. I believe that the
hopelessncss Of his poverty, brought on
by present. conditions. will make q
drunkard; internperance is reflex, It i.
not the cause of poverty.
During the last Turkish war the Eng
lish surgeons found it strange that q
wounded Turk died rather than take tn,
stimulant that might have saved his life
There are no drunkards in Turkey, ye'
the people are extremely poor.
II the tens Of thousands Of persons Ell
gagged in the traffic Of liquor would ceas,
this occupation the inevitable result
would be.s lower standard of living, in
duced by lower wages through competi
ton. 1t is very plain that when thre,
men want one job. the n will get il
who will accept the least pay. This is
natural law, which, mo union can stop
and when population will have 10 multi
piled. what shall l do? According &c
Rev. Nautilus, there can be but one wa,
but, either the prudential check, or tn.
positive check, to population. Thi'
theory has never been refuted, except b,
Henry George in his immortal work
Progress and Poverty" which I would
advise every meplber of the W.. c T. u
10 read.
Man must he redeemed thsongh Justice
and not through Charity, and though !
have sought earnestly all my life fol
Righteousness, it was only through Hen,
~ George, whom I trulv. balieve to have
been "a man sent FROM Cod" saw it.
It is opportunity a man,seds; God gave
It him, man took it away.
- WpsxISGMAE.,