Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 August 1899 — COMMUNICATED. [ARTICLE]

COMMUNICATED.

The Prosperous (? i Farmer. Ed. Democrat: Congressman Crumpacker says he has been visiting the farmers of Jasper and White the past week and he never saw people so jirosperous! There are a few prosperous farmers in these two fine counties. Mr. C. is not calling on, or associating. to any great extent, with the common or poor of any calling, just the prosperous. This gentleman is drawing a salary of 55.000 a year, 20 cents mileage to and from Washington, §125 for toothpicks and stationery, and spends half his time at his own private business. Such as he sees nothing but prosperity, knows none but the prosperous. Let him associate with the common farmers of these two counties for a little while and see how their prosperity compares with his. Does Mr. Crumpacker know that almost one-half the farmers of Jasper county are tenants —farmers who have no homes of their own? Does he know that a goodly number of farms that are cultivated by the owners are under mortgage? The writer is a tenant on a good sized farm. Eight farms join or corner with this one. Four of these eight farms are cultivated by homeless tenants, and five of them are under mortgage. To show how prosperous we are I give a few figures: I had 18 acres of oats which made 580 bushels. Half of this at 20 cents, gave me SSB. I paid for seed, twine, cutting, threshing, seeder, coal, etc., $40.08, which leaves me $17.92 for putting in, shocking, stacking, threshing work, and board. Oh, how prosperous! Last year I sold 1,400 bushels of corn at 30 cents, which gave me $420. This year I hope to sell 2,000 bushels, but they tell me I will liave to take 20 cents, which will give mes4(X). just S2O less than last year and with 600 bushels more corn! Oh, how prosperous! If farm products would advance in proportion to iron, lumber, nails, wire and all else we have to buy at trust prices, our corn would be 45 to 50c, oats 30 to 35, hay $8 to $9, wheat $1.25 to §1.30, but such advances we do not expect. If there ever comes a time when there is an uncommon scarcity of some particular farm product, such as cattle just at the present, oh how such high-salaried officials as Mr. Crumpacker do blow about the prosperous, happy farmer. No wonder so many farmers get disgusted with office-seekers.

FARMER.