Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 November 1898 — PROSPERITY IN THE NORTHWEST. [ARTICLE]

PROSPERITY IN THE NORTHWEST.

A commercial traveler whose business takes him through the great “prosperity region” of the northwest thus writes the American Artisan and Hardware Record, a trade publication of pronounced protective proclivities published at Chicago, of the condition of business throughout that region: At no time since the panic of 1893 have I heard so much complaint from business men and travelers as to poor business or a lack of animation in business circles as for the past five or six weeks. Those who have never generally registered any complaints, but have always been conservative in speaking of business depression have been quite outspoken upon these points. While we have a profusion of politics, a state campaign being on, it cannot be attributed to that as a cause, for never in my life have I been through a campaign, national or state, when there was so much lethargy in politics. Along the road, in business houses and everywhere you go unless by chance you should come upon a small group of office holders, office seekers or campaigners, one hears very little and sees much less indicating that a canvas for state, county and city officers was in progress. One may see an occasional banner announcing headquarters of some party faction, occasionally see some one wearing a party or candidate button, but publicly one hears but little and may travel all day and not hear a word of discussion, at least this has been my experience. A few’ days ago I rode a number of miles in the same coach with the Republican nominee for governor of Minnesota and he was left largely to his lone-self. No one seemed to pay him any particular attention nor were there greetings or demonstrations at stations, yet it was he w’as on board. Newspapers have not seethed with campaign rot and have generally spoken of the canvas as one of apathy, hence politics cannot be assigned as a cause for stagnation in trade. Some other reason must be assigned and the one generally chosen is the low price of wheat. Undoubtedly farmers have striven to hold their product for better prices. That they have done so, so far as possible, has probably accounted for the keeping of wheat within fifty per cent of the price of 18M. While by so doing a betterprice scale has been maintained trade has suffered from slower collections and a less volume of ready cash for immediate trade. Unless the farmers let go their grain or something arises to advance prices the fall and winter trade will be longer drawn out than usual. The actual consumption is about the same one year with another only varying as population increases, as increased monies led to increased extravagances in living, indulgences in travel or peasure. Nominal incomes mean nominal living expenditures. For several years we as a government and as a people have been working i tow’ard normal conditions, which w r e have about reached, and he who figures or shall figure for any marked or radical changes from those conditions soon is simply reckoning without a basic factor. The country has not been and is not going to the dogs, but the administering of false stimulants, the attempt to create false values by combines, to boost prices beyond warranted points and conditions will only redound in disaster. Labor must have its full reward, the producer must get value for his expended energy and strength, likewise the manufacturer should have a fair equitable return for his capital, labor and skill. Extravagant expenditures in management and conduct (if any) should first receive curtailment. Every and all factors must bear their just and proportionate share of the burdens of government. The duties of one factor should not be shifted to the shoulders of any other factor, and since labor is the producer of all ot.her factors it needs the most careful thought and protection to see abuses do not come to it. Equal taxation must become more general enj no one, particularly the large corporations, should be permitted to scale down their valuations in order to escape a just proportionate taxation. With the burdens equally distributed, among and upon our people, we should become the happiest and most independent people under the sun. Advertisers should bear in mind that The Democrat has a larger • Nuintion among the farmers jinn any paper published in Jasper county. 1

“Uncle” Mac’s patriotism, •‘The sweetsingers of Israel” and “sheepskin band” campaign cost the republicans a good round sum. A subscription paper was “passed around” and some sixty odd dollars raised to pay for this part of the show. We understand that every candidate on the republican county ticket was assessed SIOO for the county campaign fund, in addition to the large amount received from the state committee, all of which was used and it was necessary to go about a few days ago and raise more money to settle other bills contracted during the campaign. Not one penny was received by the democrats from the state committee, and the total amount paid into their campaign fund by all the candidates was less than SIOO, every dollar of which was used legitimately.

Although about four hundred republicans voted the democratic county ticket on Tuesday of last week, yet the party increased its majority on the state ticket over its big majority of two years ago. This shows that to be a good republican a man does not always have to stand by the county ticket. Many voters are learning that national politics and local politics are not always necessarily one and the same thing. The republicans will never again dare go before the voters of this county with a ticket containing the names of the commissioners and surveyor, they elected last week. ’