The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-06-25


we shall lose ourselves.
Consider the farmers handicap.
Here today, l, as a city manufacturer,
can borrow all the money want at
~ per cent. But as a farmer | should
have to pay not less than 8. Those as
sertions are not guess work. Here is a
telegram from New York offering me
money at the rate l have quoted, and
the day got it received letters from
two rural Missouri banks offering me
6 per cent interest on time deposits.
THAT is what the farmer is suffer
ing from-an excessive rate Of inter
est. The money produced on the farm
goes to the big cities and never comes
back except in driblets at ruinous pre-
miums. American agriculture is being
killed by the most stupid type of alb
sentee landlordism in the world. Be
ing killed, assert, slowly, but surely.
Look at the last census. See the rich
agricultural counties of Missouri that
have lost population in that decennial
period. Look at your own county,
you Cape Girardeauansat the boys and
girls that have gone to the cities, and
how the man who owns his farm is
slowly disappearing, while the num-
bers of tenant farmers steadily in
creases. This country has got to have
farmer ownership of farms.
"The farmer isn't looking for the
best of it, but he's dying under the
worst of it."
Colonel Gardner then sketched TINE
process of the Missouri State Lane
banks operation. He was listened t.
attentively throughout, and Inis vigor
Gus points were repeatedly applaudeC
by the audience.
The picnic was the largest ever Civ.
en- by the German-Amehican Alliance
and the entertainments features were
the best. The Sehuchert Concert Band
played from noon until evening, ex-
cept when the addresses were being
made. The musicians were surrounded
by hlge CROWD during the rendition
of each selection.
Charles Blattner, president of the
Alliance, was the first speaker. His
address dealt with the purposes of the
organization, and then launched into q
discussion of the condition in Europe
Mr.. Blattner denounced England and
her allies for precipitating the war on
Germany and Austria, and declared
that it was a conspiracy to destroy
two Of the greatest nations on the
globa
Mr.. Blattner's speech made a dis
tinct hit, and the great crowd cheered
him frequently. He expressed the hope
that there would be no break between
the United States and Germany, and
declared that if this country would
cease its shipment of ammunition to
the Allies, the war would end within
three months.
Harry w. Bridges, Cape Girardeau's
representative in the Legislature, pre-
sented each of the speakers who fol-
lowed Mr.. Blattner with short witty
intr0ductions.
Senator Charles P. Hawkins of Ken
nett, who spoke first, expatiated on
the virtues of Dunklin County. He
lauded the German-American, and said
his only objection to him was the fact
that he was too good. 81 defend ma
jority of the men charged with crime
in my county" said Senator Hawkins,
"and when l find the name of a Ger
man-American on the list of prospec-
tive jurors, l scratch it from the list,
because l know the German-American
stands for law and order"
Senator Hawkins stated after his
address that he probably would make
the race for Governor next year.
Almon Ing, Butler County's Repre-
sentative in the State Legislature, and
candidate for the Republican nomi-
nation for Attorney General, followed
Senator Hawkins. He charged that the
State officials were guilty of an al
most criminal waste of money and de-
clared that one political party was no
more economical than the other.
"Some of the laws that are placed
on the statute books" shouted Mr.. Ing,
care a disgrace to the State. The ex-
travagance practiced in Jefferson City
is as shame. 1t is time for the peo-
pie to open their eyes and see what is
going on. The States money belongs
to the people, because it comes from
the people, and when it is misused, it
means that the people, and not the
State, must bear the burden"
M. A. Bright of this city died yes
terday morning at Pennington, where
he has been receiving treatment in a