The Columbus journal., 1908-10-21
GENERAL PROSPERITY.

GENERAL PROSPERITY.
What . wonderfully big army Of
men, women and children General
Prosperity is commanding this year
and what wonderful complaints many
of the army are making against i'm.
aginary ills. The writer stood for two
hours on the principal streets Of Kan
sas City Tuesday night, aud saw what
he sees in Atchison every day; we'll
fed. veil clothed, happy faced people
of all ages. Gu to Efingham, Nor.
tonvile, DeKalb. Downs place
where the people are gathered for some
special reason-and you see the same
sight, the wonderful army Of General
Prosperity. Sixteen years ago this
fall Kansas farmers hadsplendid crops
of all kinds. In western Kansas the
best wheat brought 35 to 40 cents q
bushel, while corn sold for Is cents q
bushel. Now wheat is selling around
q dollar . bushel, while corn raisers
absolutely refuse to contract their crop
at so cents . bushel.
Seventeen years ago, in Ohio and
Pennsylvania, the day farm laborer
who received a dollar a day for his
work was doing extra veil. The
writer knows of . big, strong man,
who contracted to make rails at Is
cents . hundred. He cut down his
own trees. chopped them up in rail
lengths and split out the rails all for
Is cents . hundred and it took an ex-
ira good rail splitter to make = humid
red rails day. Sixteen years ago an
Atchison man worked all summer On
q farm at SLIPS . month, and he
made an average farm hand. Seven
teen years ago this fall he taught
school for two months at $40 q month
and four months in the winter at $40
month.
Following the panic of 1898 the
writer knew of . mortgage which was
on 1000 head of horses and
colts at Rocky Ford, Colo, simply be-
the owner could not raise enough
money to pay the interest. In 1896
western Kansas land, which could be
bought for $50 and $1,000 quarter Sec
ton, has been selling in the last few
years for from s! 900 to s., 1000 quar-
ter section. The writer could have
bought dozens of quarter sections in
Western county at $50 per quarter,
but like the fellows who were selling,
he didn't have enough extra cash to
pay for an acre.
In 1887 the bank deposits of Kan
'as amounted to So, 100000 In 1908
The deposits are $50, OOO, 900, and, by
The time the 1908 corn crop is market.
I'd. they will increase another 81, OOO,-
BOO.
You cannot hire men to work in
Kansas. Atchison planning mills are
Ill wanting more men. The contrac-
'ors on Atchison's new high school
building cannot find stone masons. |
Farmers are allowing hundreds of
bushels to fall to the ground because
'pple pickers cannot be secured, and
he demand for corn-huskers in a few
weeks will drown all other demands.
Still, the country is being abused.
People are dissatisfied. Politicians
re bowling about the trusts and the
money power, which are throttling the
'ation. Railroads are being abused,
ret they have submitted to q 2-cent
passenger fare. How much better
ave the trusts Jared than Kansas
armers. Is it not fact that the sue.
ess of the United States consists in
;eeping her working men busy and at
God wages? Raise the average work
ngman's wages from 81 to 50 day,
nd the extra dollar will Immediately
'e put in circulation. He and his
amily will wear better clothes, will
at a better grade of meat and more of
!, will attend the theater, and other
laces of amusement oftener, and will
onate more freely to charity. Re-
uce his wages and the groceryman,
be butcher, the dry goods and cloth
,g man, the amusement man and
harity institutions will suffer.
There is nothing in Bryan's war
ogan. "Shall the people ruler
ltchison Globe.
A SORRY TIME FOR BRYAN. .