Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 October 1899 — COMMUNICATED. [ARTICLE]

COMMUNICATED.

' About “Orover and Clover.” Ed. Democrat:— A few weeks ago I wrote a communication to your paper which I have jnst learned has been giving the neighboring press some little"'concern. I did not think to disturb any one, in . fact, being just a common tenant farmer, I never once thought that anything I could write would find its way so far from home as Fowler and Lafayette. The Fowler republican takes my 2,000 bushels of corn and figures me S6OO for it —$200 more than I was at the time of writing promised for it —and also $220 more, the Republican says, than it would have brought under “Grover and clover.” Under “Grover and clover” I sold corn in Rensselaer for 50 cents per bushel. My 2,000 bushels of corn at that price would this year bring me SI,OOO, or S4OO more than the price the Republican has figured. Under “Grpver and clover” I sold hay at from $7 to $9, and I saw hogs sell for $6 per cwt. Under “Grover and clover” horses were the highest ever known —under McKinley the lowest. Under “Grover and clover” Jasper county had the greatest land boom in its history. Under “Grover and clover” I saw every house in Rensselaer occupied and people for lack of room tenting on the commons. Under McKinley to-day, 73 houses of your town are vacant. Under “Grover and clover” Rensselaer property found ready sale at one-third more than it will bring today. Under “Grover and clover” and the Wilson tariff, trusts —the blighting curse of the ago —were not half so active as they are now. Under “Grover and clover” our country waged no needless cruel foreign war. Under “Grover and clover” there were no scandals, no dirt, no rotten beef or boss Hanna’s.

Things better than “Grover and clover” our country has enjoyed, and things worse, much worse, we have had to endure under republican rule. In my day the worst business depression the people have seen was under republican rule. Back near the close of the ’7o’s, when republicans had absolute and undisturbed control, the wheels of trade were almost completely stopped. I saw thousands and thousands of honest workmen turned into begging tramps. Riots, bloodshed and death were common, government troops alone held the peace in all ourgreat cities. Nothing like it had ever before been seen in this county and nothing half soffbad has since befallen us. And all had been under republican rule for 16 years. No democratic administration was in sight to scare—all '* was republican and trouble. I did not tnen nor do I now attribute all the trouble of those bad times to republican mismanagement. Of course the governing party was much to blame, but not wholly. There are times when conditions and combinations of circumstances are such that misfortunes will for a time befall the people and none can wholly prevent it. The Republican promises the farmers great things if McKinley can only reign a little longer. The day of great promises by political parties to farmers has about passed. There are two things all intelligent farmers have quit—planting in the moon and banking on republican promises. Do away with the trusts, give us equal opportunities with all other callings, and we will, without murmering, bear our share of whatever ill befalls our land. Farmer.