The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-12-07

THE IDAHO
know, that 1t Is needed q hundred
times worse for women and children
for providing. ordinary necessities,
and that, 1t saddens mems lives to
see the Inequalities which they wit
ness, and we know that they see
only in part.
Cart Before the Horse
DR.. Bryan says that good schools
will draw population. We are glad
he is now making acknowledgement
of what thoughtful people have been
saying these many years, that we
are supporting school system for
people who are still in other states.
1t will be time enough to provide
for them when they get here and
take up residence. At presnt, most
of the school districts are staggering
under the load of taxes to house and
educate those that are already on
the census roll and present. We
are attempting to do in one genera
ton what has been done in the
older states in century. "
Regarding this matter of attract
ing population, we want to describe
one type that it brings. The editor
Of this paper went out and inter
viewed 1913 farmers at their homes
last summer, and discussed with
them all matters they chose to talk
about. We believe we understand
their attitude towards education and
taxes, and DR.. Bryan has not yet ex-
pressed their views in speaking OF
what Idaho people want. Here is an
extreme case, but it represents a
type:
A Horrible Example go
The editor approached the house,
good little cottage in a grove, and
found that the man was away work.
ing and the woman and children
were engaged in washday work. She
said they were hard up. They had
had bad luck and she explained
what it was. She had been sick.
Before that he had been sick. At
times they had all been sick. They
were renting last year and they did
not make enough to pay their rent.
Didn't pay it. They worked for
wages the year before and did not
make expenses. They moved. The
year before that they put up hay on
shares on Salmon river and the
stockmen's cattle ate it all up in the
stack. They did not have it fenced.
The year before that they would
have made it, but the potatoes froze
in the pit. They had a good crop
and the price was good, but they
had bad luck and the potatoes froze.
The year before that they put up
hay on Raft river and it got burned
up-somebody dropped a cigarette.
Along with all these events he broke
his leg and she broke an arm. Yes
they had been ION the county"
some county every winter. They
didn't like the country. Utah was
better So was Nevada. They had
got so they hated Idaho. Why?
Well, why shouldn't they? Every
thing had been against them?
While she was talking, the editor
was observing. AS he had ap-
preached the kitchen door there was
fan-shaped area Uttered with
waste from the kitchen, where it
had been pitched out, the door, and
this was all swimmy with soapy
water now and the mud was tracked
into the house, and the floor was
filthy. Part of the breakfast dishes
were unwashed and drying on the
table. Part of them were in the
dishpan of very dirty water. The
table was dirty, the stove was dirty,
all of their clothes were dirty,
everything in the room was in dis
order and dirty, and the clothes in
the wash were being wrung out OF
water that was filthy land all colors
of goods, but really white ones were
simmering in dirty water on the
stove. Those wrung out of the dirty
water were being takef out to hang
on the line. If the dishes were not
washed any better than the clothes,
they would carry enough stale food
to sicken them at the next meal.
She talked on and on in triumph
relating their hard luck series.
Finally the editor broke in with,
what are you going to do? What
are your plans or wishes for the
future? When will you get started
right?" ~
She replied, well, we want to
get out of this darned state. We
think we will go to Salt Lake and
rent little five or ten acre farm
just out Of the city. A person can
get a place cheap there-rent it you
know-and have a paved road right
in front of the door, on the tele-
phone line, on the rural mail route,
good market for what you raise,
you can send the children to the city
schools and have them taken to
school and back in the school
wagons, 'en everything, and you
don't have to pay anything for it,
The Editors Analysis
At this point in the recital the
editor rose and exclaimed: "I've got
your number! The key to your
career is that you have always been
trying to see how little you could
give and how much you could get.
You have carried it to the limit in
everything you do-covered your
M