Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 January 1903 — Senator Goodwine’s Baby. [ARTICLE]

Senator Goodwine’s Baby.

At any rate, no one can claim that the fanning Industry is in the hands of a trust. According to the census of 1900 there are nearly six million separate farms in the country, representing nearly as many owners. These farms cover 841,000,000 acres. 415,000,000 of which consist of improved land. More than half of the people of this country live on taring. The produce of American agriculture in 1899, including farm animal? and other products, aggregated nearly five billion dollars. The most valuable crop was Indian corn, $828,000,090; then hay and forage, 1484,000,000; then cotton, $324,000,000; wheat returned $370,000,000, and oats $217,000,000. The animals sold and slaughtered during the year were valued at over $900,000,000, the products* of the dairy gave $472,000,000, while poultry and eggs returned over $281,0u0,000: These are big figures, and demonstrafe the fact that the present prosperity of the American farmer is something worth letting alone. Ex-President Cleveland longs for the day when the Democracy will be in fighting trim again. So far as the Democratic minority in the house of representatives is concerned, the longing is already realized. The gentlemen put up a vigorous quarrel on tfie resolution appropriating $50,000 to pay the expenses of the anthracite strike commission. But following a precedent pretty well established among Democratic leaders, they did all their fighting among themselves.

Senator Good wine's "baby, whisb was one of the favored visitors on the floor of the aeuate yesterday morning for an hour, was the innocent cause, says the -iounral, of some delightful senatorial repartee. The youngster occupied seat bfvantiigg nn tlie pn tarnal desk r whence it viewed the doings of the lawmakers with the round eyed dignity of infancy and conducted i'self with such decorum as to win the admiration of every one in the chamber. A lull came in the proceedings and Senator Lindley secured recognition for a facetious motion to the effect that the rules of the senate concerning the privileges of the floor be waived so far as babies were concernedThere were several seconds to the motion and then the fond father jumped to his feet with an inspiration. “I mov;,” said Senator Goodwine, “that a baby just like it be placed on the desk of every eenptor.” Whereat the members and the galleries laughed and applauded, while Senators Ogborn and Crumpacker, the confirmed bachelors, blushed violently, and Senator Wolcott topped the situation off With. r — * _ “I rise to a point of order, Mr. President. It will be impossible to carry out the motion of the senator from Warren because there’s no other baby like it in the world. He admits it.” All of which goes to show that even senatorial dignity will bend without breaking