Mower County transcript., 1907-12-25
FARMER BEN'S "
COLUMN

4. COLUMN
My paper says that out in Nevada
where there was the biggest kind of
mimi boom last summer and before at
Goldfeld and other places the boom is
off and things are deader than mack
erel and men who were worth thousands
Of dollars while ago are now borrow
in to pay their board bills. Its the
same old story of the rocket. There's
no doubt they found gold out there in
spots and lots of it but for every dollar
actually mined wild caters took a
thousand from gullible public, invest
in in rotten stock that want worth
more than the paper they was printed
on. Talk about hard times, here's part
of the trouble. Folks that amt salts
fled to 60 along safe and steady get the
speculatin' mania aud they don't seem
to hav any gumption or judgment left
but just wade III and get hooked on any
rank rotten offer the rascally swindlers
may put up to 'em. Folks that know
that all the money that is wanted can
be hired on good security at six per
cent will grab at swindlin' mimi
schemes promisin' hundred per cent
returns. The billions of such profits
are just wind and the fools that drop
their money on 'em are just payin' for
the extravaganza of the sharpers that
work 'em.
Why don't salary grabber Tawney
lift his leetle finger on something that
the people need and want? I've ben
harpin' for years about issuin' small
currency to send in letters safe, but you
might as we'll whistle to brass monk"
ey fur as gettin' any relief. The COM
mon every day people want to send
small amounts. If you hav to fuss
and pay three cents for 60 cent money
order it's swindle and bother and if
you send stamps it sticky muss. We
used to have plenty Of this small cur
rency in war times and it came nifty
handy. We had it in five, ten, fifteen,
twenty-five and fifty demons and we
could send any small amount we wish
ed. Here's somethin' chat would ac-
commodate more folks every day than
sbuildin' a canal and it wouldn't cost
Sh1t'a t,ite. If we didn't hav a lot of
idiots down in congress just featherin'
their own nest and not carin' cuss for
what the people needed, we'd be better
off and get somethin'. But what do
the salary grabbers care? They sit
back in their three million dollar pal
ace in Washington and loaf and hav a
good time and then get home once in
two years to work their gulluble constits
Speakin' of congressman alWus makes
me feel like cussin' The way the rep
resentatiYes down at w ash ington just
work for themselves and agenst the
people and the way they spend money
extravagantly on themselves is eau
ton. Just think of congressman
who had nothin' but his gall few
years ago standin' in with the lumber
trust and the powder trust and the
other big trusts and gettin' such enorm-
GUS brjbes from em that in few years
they get a ratin' OF ownin' a quarter of
million dollars. Just think of this
salary grab when Tawney and lot of
others voted to add half to their al
ready princely salaries maxim 'em
$500 insted of $1,000 a year for less
than half years work. Why, tggerin'
that they work half the year in
Washington which they don't this
would make $3.50 week the congress.
man draws clean besides getting extras
on the side. Think of a farmer or a
lawyer or any other trade maxim $3.50
a week. Why, lots of these congress
men could't earn dollar and half on
the section. But when they get to
Washington they get absolutely reck
less of the peoples money and spend it
like water and just look out for their
own selfish selves.
. q @
When 1 move if ever do, I'm strong
ly inclined to go to Oklahoma where
they've gotta progressive constitution
ahd where modern idees predom. Down
there you Can get strict prohibition
and all sorts of up to date reforms. 1
see that now they've introduced the
plan of guaranteein' the deposits in all
their state banks, so if trouble with any
of 'em comes the depositor will be sure
and safe to recover every nickel he got |
deposited. 1t amt such awful prob
to do this either, just a small tax on
each bank that don't amount to any
thing to each bank but it's saved up by
the state and in case Of fall down tho !
state luOkS after eVerV denOsitOr and |