Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-08-17

prosperous, why do boys go to the
city," Well. must say my prosperity
is only exceeded by your philosophy
Aren't you ashamed? Is prosperity
measured by the number engaged in an
industry? Must a man and wife. al
ready having three children have more
in order to be prosperous?
Must hens in order to lay well have
more hens laying around them? Must
farmer have dozen near neighbors
in order to be prosperous Farmers in
oxford County would be prosperous if
there wasn't more than two as long as
they got comfortable living and en-
joyed some increase of wealth and
by the way. property does not mean
that VIC should all be worth million,
and rs Jar as letting farms grow up to
pines. that is condition governed
largely by natural law. Many a hill
side farm with soil only an inch deep is
utterly incapable of producing crops
profitable. They are dry and rocky, but
pines grow rapidly and pine forests
are substantial pastures. The tariff
has done wonderful things but it can't
change a hilltop farm to one of light
loamy soil that is so productive and
profitable in our valleys. Does the
editor marvel at this?
Then the editor wants to know about
why the boy leaves the farm. Well. I
believe the editor knows. The reasons
are obvious. We all can't be farmers.
Some want to be lawyers. some editors.
some doctors. some bookkeepers. etc.
The farmer boy trys to educate him.
self for a more pleasant occupation.
Some fail and stay at home. others
succeed and-"let the old place grow
UP to pine The city has been at
tractive to boys under protective
tariff. Some boys didn't have a good
farm to stay on and there are other
reasons good and sufficient. But III
wager that, average it up. the boys
who staid on the good farms are col
lectively as prosperous as those who
left them.
Lastly, the editor wants to know
how the tariff benefits Rumford. He
might name the large industries of
that town and the rates by which they
arc benefited and again sarcastically
adds, DO you suppose he CAM"
First. the tariff. creative. as it is.
created Rumford. The raw resources
were here by nature. The duty on
paper made it possible to make the
paper industry here successful. The
industry would not have been here but
for the duty imposed on import paper.
Hence Rumford with it's three large
paper mills was created. 10000 peo-
pie found prosperity therefrom. Now.
Mr.. Editor. if YOU won't admit this.
You have to admit that the tariff did
not hinder these 10000 people from
prosperity. In just IS years over 1900
tenements were built in Rumford Land
that was not worth 10c. an acre after
the timber was taken off. became
valued $4,000 for a lot 40 by 100 #. and
the private individual got his slice as
we'll as the Power Co. men who were
poor eighteen years ago to-day arc
well-to-dO if not quite wealthy. That
is what has been done under protec-
ton. The most of it being done in
the last II years under the Dingley
exorbitant rate on paper of IS per ton.
Swasey fought to maintain it.; in the
Payne bill 1T was cut to $3.75. Demo-
Gratis and insurgents would have cut
it to $500 per ton, and yet your Demo-
cratic frOth blowers will go during this
campaign and tell the people of Rum
ford that free trade is what they want.
But Mr.. Editor-and you can put
this IN the blacklist type you have in
YOUR office-I dare Daniel McGillicuddy
to go to Rumford and speak to the
10000 people there and tell them that
if elected to congress he will vote, ii
he gets chance, for free paper or at
least fight to reduce it to $500 per ton
duty. I'm going to predict-He won't
mention it. He's not COURAGEOUS
enough. He'll talk about pork instead
and don't dare mention that, when
he talks to the farmers-they like to
get $500 for a pig four weeks old. and
he knows it. Finally, my dear sir, I
want to add that the 10000 people re-
siding in Rumford and vicinity amidst
the amazing high prices. high taxes,
low wages. rum and riot that McGilli-
cuddy lays to the Protective tariff and
the Sturgis commission. find no need of
a poor house; and the jail isn't as full
as 1t might be. Null it over as Tom
Lawson says. and turn your pages to a
broader view of life and it's problem
seek the truth and the truth shall set
you free"
Yours For Prosperity,
Oxford "Standpatter''
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