USA > Iowa > Floyd County > History of Floyd County, Iowa : together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 49
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As all the purposes of a government should be true, so every political party should have a true purpose. But do the present ruling political parties have any purpose at all, consisting of or based upon a principle? Now, I believe that ninety-nine out of every hundred of the members of these parties are such in sin- cerity; but, I ask you, for what purpose does the Democratic party exist to-day ? and for what purpose, what true principle or policy, does the Republican party exist ? As soon as a party ceases to have a great purpose, it should be disbanded; and the leading journals now admit there is no real issue between the two great political parties. Now, it is sometimes dangerous to be with the majority. Henry Clay once said it was better to be with the right than to be President. Before the war the Whig and Democratic parties were
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alike on the slavery question; they had no test of membership in themselves on the great issue that was being forced up by tlie people. There were " Abolitionists " and " Free-Soilers " in both parties, but the pro-slavery influence controlled both. This veteran Free-Soiler sitting here before me felt that he was almost alone in the days of Van Buren and Hale; but one man, with God on his side, is a majority; and ere long we witness, on the dissolution of the two great parties, the sublime tableau of Abraham Lincoln marching to the White House at the head of a healthy political sentiment transplanting the old and rotten policy of slave power.
The issue which this people must now settle is, what shall be the permanent financial system of this great Republic, which, when adopted, shall last as long as its flag shall float, and be as enduring and as stable as the government and the patriotism of the people themselves? I believe the government should be kept as close to the people as possible, and derive its financial policy directly from them. The second great issue is, shall railroad corporations, con- stituting the great engine of civilized progress, be controlled by law, and made to work in harmony with the interests of labor, or shall they be allowed to go on lawless and regardless of legislatures and the ballot box? The third issue is the bonded public debt: shall it be paid off! Shall we pay it off as soon as we are able, or shall we let it run on gathering interest as it runs? Then there are other questions, as the land question, the civil-service question, and others, -- all affecting the life of the great American people.
Now, why should there not be a third party to settle these questions? for the present parties cannot settle them. There is not now, nor can there be, any test of membership in either of these parties on monopoly, for example. There are Voorhees, Ewing and Hendricks, good Democrats and anti-monopolists; and there are Tilden and Bayard, also good Democrats, who are monop- olists. Correspondingly, among Republican leaders are both monop- olists and anti-monopolists. Jay Gould is a Republican. As the pro-slavery element controlled the old parties, so now it is the money power that controls the present parties. The National party is all anti-monopoly, and it is already four times as strong as the Free-Soil party in the days of John P. Hale.
FLOYD COUNTY STOCK AND DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION.
Convention met at the court-house, Dec. 31, 1880, and was called to order by the President, Newman Dutcher. The foregoing
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name of the society was adopted, a committee appointed to draft constitution and by-laws, and the following officers elected: Presi- dent, N. Dutcher; Vice-President, H. Barnes; Secretary, J. A. Becker; Treasurer, Mrs. F. R. Woolley. Adjourned to Jan. 18, 1881.
J. S. Trigg read an able essay before the above convention, from which we take the following extracts:
" I have long been convinced, as I doubt not you are, of the necessity of a change in our system of farming, and wish to do what I can to bring it about. We will agree, I think, that very much of our past and present financial embarrassment arises from our general lack of diversified farming. I assure you I do not stand here and assume to instruct or advise you but only trust I can interest you in what seems to me a better way than the old.
"Labor produces the wealth of this world; this is the great fun- damental principle. But labor is not getting the benefits of the wealth it produces; it is accumulating in the hands of the non- laboring monopolists; and Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of them. See how these laborers live; see how their houses are furnished; see how their tables are spread, and study the cause of the contrast. Lincoln said in his first annual message to Congress, Dec. 3, 1861 : 'There is one point to which I desire to call the attention of Congress, and that is the attempt that is being made to place capital on an equal footing with, if not above, labor, though labor deserves much the higher consideration.'
In giving point to the last observation, Mr. Weaver drew a striking picture of the investment of $50,000 in new land and the like investment in establishing a national bank, illustrating what a terrible advantage the latter has over the former; and then a picture of the investor in the land, while being ground down by the banker, making application to Washington, among the sup- posed followers of Abraham Lincoln, for redress, on the principle that " labor deserves a much higher consideration than capital, " and illustrating how the abused land owner would be treated as in- sane. The speaker also drew many other amusing illustrations, for which we have not space here. He appealed to the " Jack- sonian " Democrats, whose patron hero could not stand one na- tional bank, and yet they could swallow 2,223 national banks and not grunt.
A system of mixed farming, with the dairy as the corner-stone, is no new thing, and in view of the almost universal success that
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attends it, the wonder is that it has not been more generally adopted in Floyd County. The few who have followed this system are the most successful farmers of Iowa to-day. Heretofore wheat has been our chief reliance; to produce it we have sapped, year by year, our very choicest and best land; to harvest and prepare it for market, have bought the most costly and short-lived machinery and employed the highest priced labor. Upon this, at best uncer- tain crop, we have depended almost entirely for cash to pay for the farm, for the machinery, for the hired help and for the living of our families. Now, what are the results? I find, after a careful examination, that the average crop of wheat per acre for the past seven years, in this county, has been eleven bushels; that the aver- age cost of producing the same per bushel has been about seventy- five cents, and that the average price at which the same has been sold has been seventy-six cents. Admitting these figures to be nearly correct, there are good reasons why we have had hard work to hold our own.
Now, I will not multiply evidence. That it is an unreliable and unprofitable crop to raise: climatic changes incident to the develop- ment and improvement of the country; insect pests; markets con- trolled by speculators, have all conspired to convince you that we must quit the business. The next thing is, what shall we do? how use our land and labor? To solve this problem, if possible, is why I invited you here to-day. I offer you, as a substitute for the old and unprofitable system, " the dairy as a basis of mixed farming." The advantages of this system are presented in the following order:
1st. Increased fertility and productiveness of our land.
2d. The concentration of our farm products for transportation to market.
3d. The more uniform distribution of the labors of the farm throughout the year.
4th. Exemption from the necessity of. employing high-priced labor and costly machinery.
5th. The securing to the farmer of a steady and uniform income through all the year.
Asto the first of these, viz., the increased productive power of land under the dairy system, it seems plain that the farmer's acres are his capital ; if, by negligence or through ignorance he de- creases it, he is so much the poorer, It used to be claimed that our rich soil could never be exhausted ; is it true ? Are there not hundreds, I might say thousands, of acres in this county that
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have been well nigh wheated and weeded to death? Acres that, with all the improvements, are not actually worth as much as raw prairie? Acres that nothing but rest and abundance of manure will restore? It is only too true, wheat and weeds have robbed us and made us and our lands poor. The most valuable lands in old England, and in New England, too, are the pasture and mead- ow lands. What splendid crops we raise here when we break up an old pasture : how thrifty, rank, and productive: how clean, how pleasant to care for, and harvest them. Suppose hereafter, we only work half as much land, and let the cows and young stock have the other half ; don't you believe we will raise almost as much, and find a vast deal more pleasure and profit in it ? Let us get rid of the weeds ; they are as bad as a ten per cent. mortgage on the farm, and far more usurious in the matter of interest. Let us keep more sheep ; they are the best weed exterminators in the world, and are annually worth all they cost, to keep for this pur- pose alone, even if no other return was received from them.
With stock on the farm comes rest for the land, and abundant plant food in the shape of manure. Your land will then grow richer and better every year, and so will you. Every car load of grain in bulk shipped away from this county, takes away valuable and vital properties and constituents of our soil, and leaves noth- ing to replace them; but when we ship off a car load of stock, or a car of butter, cheese or wool, the reverse is true; the soil has not been robbed, but enriched. Here is the point : instead of striving to increase our acres and own all the land adjoining us, let us keep two cows where we now keep one, two hogs instead of one, and my word for it, it will not be long till we can cut two tons of hay and raise two bushels of corn where we now do one.
Second. The value of a bushel of wheat in Charles City to-day is determined by what that wheat is worth in Liverpool, less the cost of getting it there. Did you ever think of that? This is also true about cheese, and is destined in a very short time to be true as regards our beef and butter. Now it costs nearly as much to send 100 pounds of wheat to Liverpool as it does to send 100 pounds of butter or cheese. In view of the fact that 100 pounds of wheat is worth, in that market, say to-day, about $2.50, and 100 pounds of butter $35.00, and 100 pounds of cheese $17.00, you will readily perceive the advantages arising from this source. The fact is, we are too far away from market to sell our grain in
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bulk. It takes about three bushels of corn to get one to New York.
A man took a load of timothy seed to market a few days ago, and received as much for it as 700 bushels of corn would have brought in the same market. Corn will not bear transportation even off the farm, for there is the place to use it.
Third .- A more uniform distribution of labor throughout the year. This is not as unimportant a matter as it might at first appear. Under the old system, we alternated between seasons of intense hurry and rush, and those of comparative idleness; working alto- gether too hard through the summer, and resting altogether too much in the winter; in the summer hiring high priced labor to help us, and in winter looking in vain for a job, while we eat up the profits of the summer's labor. Now, with a dairy of cows on the farm, comes pleasant and profitable work the year round. You can then hire your help by the year, and thereby secure a much more reliable class of labor.
Fourth .- Less cost for machinery. The universal testimony is, that the wholesale and injudicious purchase of farm machinery, on credit, has had very much to do with our present and past financial troubles. I do not wish to be understood, however, as opposed to a reasonable use of improved machinery for the farm, much of it is very useful, nay, almost indispensable, and when bonght and paid for, adds much to the pleasure as well as the profit of farm- ing; but don't give any more ten per cent. notes, with privilege of renewal, and trust to wheat to meet your paper. Remember that an entire outfit of machinery for a dairy farm, including mowing machines, horse-rake, hay fork, sulky corn plow, corn planter, sulky stirring plow'and drag, costs less than one of the new style wire binders.
Fifth .- Uniform income. The use of the farmer's credit at the stores to obtain supplies to carry him through the summer, under promise to pay when he sells his wheat, has been an almost uni- versal custom heretofore, and has proven almost as disastrous to the merchant who gives, as the farmer who asks, the favor. A very large share of the business failures in this State are due to the un- reliability of promises to pay after harvest. Why should you not be able to buy and pay as you go, obtain your goods for less money, and have the merchant court your cash trade, instead of your having to beg accommodations of him? You can, and should. Get some cows, sell their milk or cream to the creamery, and every
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thirty days you have a cash income. Why, see how nicely it works; a steady monthly income from the dairy, a nice lot of hogs to sell two or three times a year, a little wool, a few sheep, a few fat steers, some timothy and clover seed, a good Norman or Clydes- dale colt, with fat lambs and weathers for the city butcher, and a few loads of hay to sell from time to time; you see, in this way, if one thing fails, another wins; and you cannot well be left at the mercy of your creditors; for the first thing you know, you will " owe no man anything."
Mr. Trigg then proceeded to give the relative value of the cream- ery butter, as compared with common butter, made in the old way, which he stated to be twice the value. He also described the pro- cess of raising and gathering the cream, operating of the cream- eries, etc., which system has been universally adopted throughout the county, and is proving highly remunerative, both to the farmers and the creamery men.
The second meeting of the association was held on the evening of Jan. 18, when the constitution and by-laws were adopted. The object of the organization was mainly the discussions of questions pertaining directly to a better knowledge of the modern methods of agriculture. At the meeting Feb. 1, the subject for discussion was "The best way to make the dairy profitable." Lecturers, H. Barnes and J. N. Makepeace. The question for the fourth meet- ing, held in Raymond Hall (the court-house, the place of pre- vious meetings having been burned), Feb. 15, was: "The best and most profitable way to dispose of our milk product," by R. W. Humphrey. The next meeting, March 1, "The best way to con- vert our land into dairy farms, and the crops we sow in order to seed to grass," by Jesse McNabb, was ably discussed, others, of course, taking a part in all the discussions. The meeting March 15 was well attended, and the question, " Mixed farming a specialty," was debated pro and con, S. P. Wetherbee speaking in the affirm- ative, H. Barnes in the negative. The meeting of March 29, which proved to be the last, has recorded in the minutes two questions dis- cussed: "Orcharding," and " Foresting or Grove Timber." Mr. Pat- ten, as leader on the former, L. Hartshorn on the latter. Mrs. F. R. Wooley was also recorded for a lecture on "Flowers,' and Mr. Warn on "Small Fruit." Owing to the lateness of the season, it was indefinitely adjourned. Other meetings last year detracted from this, but the secretary expresses an intention of trying to call the members together the coming season. Surely, no better
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association can be formed for the benefit of the farmers in and about St. Charles Township, than one of this nature.
PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY.
Charles City Patrons of Husbandry, No. 280, was organized March 6, 1872, with thirty-one charter members. H. A. Hum- phrey, Master; L. Lane, Overseer; R. W. Humphrey, Lecturer; W. A. McNaughton, Steward; J. Wood, Assistant Steward; J. Ferguson, Secretary; Geo. HI. Whitehead, Treasurer; A. W. Cook, Chaplain; W. E. Waller, Gate Keeper; Mrs. R. W. Hum- phrey, Ceres; Mrs. Amanda Waller, Pomona; Mrs. M. Wilson, Flora; Mrs. A. W. Cook, Lady Assistant Steward. The degrees were conferred by J. P. Taylor, E. Austin, J. Billings.
The meetings ceased in 1877. May 31 is the last record in the secretary's book.
In 1872-'3 'there were subordinate granges at Charles City, H. A. Humphrey, Master; Niles, N. Dutcher, Master; Floyd, Wm. Morse, Master; Rudd, James Swartwood, Master; Nora Springs; Marble Rock, Mr. Gould, Master; Ulster, A. H. Bailey, Master; Rockford, Ed. Billings, Master; Scott, C. H. Oaks, Master. Of the county organization, Newman Dutcher, of Niles, was President.
The Grangers held a large meeting at Nora Springs, Feb. 13, 1874, and were addressed by H. A. Humphrey, of Charles City, and James Swartwood, Esq., of Rudd. Captain Humphrey led off with an interesting speech, defining in clear and concise language, the causes and objects of the order. He said the combination and exactions made by the moneyed powers of the land had forced an uprising of the hard-working masses, that much good had already been accomplished, that prices of farming implements had been greatly reduced, home manufactures encouraged, and that educa- tation, fraternization and agitation would bring about the great reforms for which the great industrial interests are now clamoring.
Mr. Swartwood then took the stand, and spoke eloquently for over an hour. He gave his views in full on the "panic" and the currency questiou.
W. P. Gaylord was then called for, went forward and said that he was not a member of the order of Grangers, but if their object is to benefit the masses, and if that object can be accomplished, then he was a Granger. He said the Grangers denied being a political
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party, but that in his opinion they had politics for breakfast, poli- tics for dinner, politics for supper, and went to bed on politics; and that was just as it should be. They should come right square out from under the cloud and proclaim that they are a political party seeking to control legislation, and if they could not control legislation they might as well disband.
M. H. Nickerson, Esq., of Nora Springs, then addressed the meeting in that forcible manner characteristic of one who, with a mature mind, an active body, and an earnest determination, pecul- iar to himself, believes all he says, and says what he believes.
He was followed by Messrs. Swartwood and Humphrey, who were listened to with attention, till a late hour, when the meeting adjourned, with a renewed confidence in the justice of their cause, and of their ultimate triumph over the wrongs of which they com- plain.
The leading officers of the different granges in the county con- sidered that a county organization would greatly promote the objects of the society, and accordingly a meeting was called for Charles City, March 3, 1874. This meeting was adjourned to Rockford, March 17. At these two meetings their interests were fully discussed, and a county organization adopted, delegates being present from Rockford, Ulster, Reconstruction, Charles City, Nora Springs, Rock Grove and Welcome Granges.
A constitution of twelve articles was adopted, defining the ob- jects of the association and its methods of operation. The name was declared to be the Floyd County Grange Company. The ob- ject was set forth as that of opening and maintaining a full and complete agricultural implement store. The capital stock was fixed at a minimum of $2,000, and a maximum of $10,000, in shares of $10 each. Subscriptions to the stock were to be paid as follows: Twenty-five per cent. of the capital stock when the company should be organized, and the balance subject to an assessment, not to exceed ten per cent. monthly, as it may. be ordered by the directors. The government of the company was vested in trus- tees, directors, and such officers as they might appoint.
A. H. Bailey, William Dean and H. A. Humphrey were ap- pointed a committee to have the articles of incorporation filed properly, and a committee was appointed to solicit subscriptions to the capital stock. The association was then adjourned till June 2, 1874.
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A little organization known as the "Farmers' Union Club" held meetings in Charles City during the winter of 1873-'74, for mutual instruction in their calling.
While the objects of the grange organization were all noble enough, and the means for attaining those objects were of the highest order, yet, as it involved union of effort between near neighbors, many of whom in every communitity are at odds with each other, it very naturally died out. There is nothing more noble than mutual instruction and assistance in agricultural pursuits.
Creamery Convention .- A meeting of the creamery men of Floyd and adjacent counties was held at the Elm Springs Cream - ery, Charles City, Jan. 25, 1882. The following gentlemen were present: C. F. Beelar, Marble Rock; G. and C. H. Badder, Nashua; O. & F. H. McEwen, Rudd; R. I. Jakway, Nora Springs; J. A. Wood, lonia; W. E. Tupper. Osage; D. Sheean, Osage; Charles Howell, Rockford; H. D. White and J. S. Trigg, Charles City. Mr. Trigg was elected Chairman, and Mr. Howell, Secre- tary. The following rules were adopted:
1. Any patron found selling milk from an unhealthy cow or from cows still feverish from calving, will be dropped and the case reported to the civil authorities.
2. Cream from milk showing careless and uncleanly milking, or containing insects or dirt of any kind, will not be accepted.
3. Milk should be kept out of vegetable cellars, and its sur- roundings be kept free from all odors and impurities.
4. No tainted or frozen cream will be received.
5. No collector will, in any case, take any cream except what he himself skims from the cans.
6. Any patron discovered tampering with cream in any fraudu- lent way will be dropped, and subject to punishment by law.
7. Cream from milk standing in low temperature is thin and will not hold out. Such cream will not be taken unless proper reduction be made. The proper temperature for milk to stand in is from 50° to 60° ; and to make honest cream, milk should stand from fourteen to twenty-four hours in summer, and from twenty-four to thirty-six hours in winter before skimming.
8. Ice and snow are detrimental to cream, and when used in milk will not be taken.
9. Two different milkings must not be put into the same can, nor must the milk or can be disturbed after the milk is set.
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HISTORY OF FLOYD COUNTY.
10. The length of time milk must stand before skimming will depend upon the condition of the cream, which will in all cases be determined by the collector, who must be the judge of his own route.
11. It is distinctly understood by all that when the word "inch" is used, it is used as the equivalent of a pound or half a pound of butter, according to size of can; and the cream- eries reserve the right to pay any patron for the number of pounds his cream will make.
12. Patrons are required to notify their creameries at once of any neglect of the collectors, or any failure on their part to con- form to the above rules.
Resolved, That we all hereby agree to refuse to deal with any patron who is dropped by any creamery for fraudulent and dis- honest practices, and for a persistent and willful violation of the above rules.
During the meeting general discussions were had on the best market for butter, sales through commission houses, freights, methods of keeping accounts with patrons and manner and time of payments, best cans for setting milk, butter-milk as food for young pigs, hog cholera and remedies, etc.
Per contra, the dairymen of Floyd Township soon afterward held a meeting and unanimously adopted the following:
WHEREAS, the Charles City Creamery Convention adopted rules and laws tending to monopoly, which we are not bound to respect as regards certain of them herein named; and we have been to great expense in building milk and ice-houses to enable us to man- ufacture a better article of cream and butter; and if necessity re- quires it we are able to manufacture and market our own products; and we take exception to Rule 5; therefore-
Resolved, No collector shall be allowed to skim cream from our cans except in our presence; and, further, he shall not be al- lowed to postpone the time of skimming to the detriment of our cream without paying damage; and that any collector found tam- pering with our cream in any shape shall be dogged off the farm and punished according to law.
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