The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1908-07-22
BRYAN AND The FARMERS.

bryan anu j OuIl w. hclu nave isSuCd
a joint appeal to the farmers. urging
them to contribute to the democratic
national campaign fund. 'There
are hundreds and thousands of farm
ers.'' it is set forth, "who are
abundantly able to contribute to the
campaign fund 1t is intimated
further that There are thousands
who could give 500 apiece without
sacrifice, and still more could give
$25. $40 or So. All are invited to
come across with what they can
spare.
The democratic leaders are quite
right in declaring there are hundreds
and thousands of farmers who are
abundantly able to contribute to the
campaign fund. They are right in
declaring that thousands could give
as much as 500 apiece. They would
have been correct in declaring that
there are thousands of farmers who
might make much larger contribu-
tions without any strain on their
finances The farmers as class are
in fine shape financially and every
other way. They have not had
bumper crops every year. but the
average yield and price have been
good. The farmers have paid off the
mortgages that used to bother them.
They have invested some of their pro-
fits in an elaborate layouts of labor
saving machinery. The farmers have
built and paid for big red barns.
After the red barn came the new
house. and the windmill and the
private water system. All paid for.
Then there was piano for the front
room-to amuse the children after
they get back from the normal or
agricultural college. If there isn't
an automobile shed out beside the big
red barn it's because the farmer pre-
fers the sort of speed developed by
three-minute trotters of his own rails
ing. The farmer has a bank account.
too, and when he wants to buy more
land or cattle he has no trouble in
getting accommodations at the bank.
without any talk of mortgage.
Yes. the farmer is in excellent
shape to contribute to a campaign
fund. The specific invitation is, how
ever. that the prosperous farmer
shall turn over slice of his plenty
to the democratic campaign fund
Does the farmer want to do that ?
He surely will want to think it over
a while before drawing his check
payable to Bryan and Kern. Has the
democratic party contributed any
thing to the prosperity which has put
the farmer in shape to spare the
money? Not bit of it. The mort
gage was paid off. the red barn built
the new house constructed, the chill
dren sent away to school and the
piano bought during period of what
he has always heard called republican
prosperity. During the entire period
of agricultural and industrial develop.
ment the good old republican policy
of protection has been at work =;
policy which the democracy always
begs the farmers to tear down.
In the light of results in his owl
case, why should the farmer now fin,
it to his interest to go back on thu
bridge that has carried him over 81
successfully? One looks in vail
through the Bryan and Kern appea
for an adequate argument answerin,
this question. Here is the neares
approach to an argument: Tn
farmer has nothing to gain by privil
eye and favoritism; his hope is i
the application of the doctrine o
equal rights to all and special plivil
eyes to none. He has been the vic
tim of all special legislation. an
has suffered from the control of poll
tics by the great predatory corpora
tions. - That's the best the boy
can do. The farmer has been give
the worst of it under a republica
administration. He has been mac
the victim of special privilege. B,
hold on. How do they explain til
red barn and the new house and tt
piano and the rest" Oh. we'll. tt
farmer would be a whole lot bett,
off than he is if the trusts hadn
preyed on him so.
Facts are facts and theories al
only theories. The facts are that Il
republicans have been running thing
and things generally have prospere
with the rest. The farmer who pa,
out his money for the privilege
seeing whether Bryan's theories pi
out better than these republican fac
e is likely to be found kicking himse
a around the big red barn later.