20 MODERN BLACKSMITHING 



tariff and free trade whims, their gold or silver craze. 

 Mechanics have their one ideal way of doing their 

 work. I know horse-shoers that have such faith in 

 bar shoes that they believe it will cure everything from 

 contraction to heaves. Others have such a faith in 

 toe weight that they will guarantee that in a horse 

 shod this way the front quarters will run so fast that 

 they must put wheels under the hind feet to enable 

 them to keep up with the front feet; and in a three- 

 mile race the front quarters will reach the stables in 

 time to feed on a peck of oats before the hind quarters 

 catch up. 



In some States there is a union craze. All that 

 these schemes will do is to prepare the legislatures for 

 the legislation that will some day be asked of them. 

 Unions have been organized and the objections are 

 the same. I object to all these schemes because they 

 fall short of their purpose. 



Two years ago the horse-shoers of Minnesota asked 

 the legislature to give them a license law. I wrote to 

 a prominent member of the house of representatives 

 and asked him to put his influence against the meas- 

 ure. He did so, with the result that the bill was 

 killed so far as the counties and smaller towns were 

 concerned. Such a law will only provide for an extra 

 tax on the poor smiths and horse-shoers, and his 

 chances of making a living will not be bettered, 

 because no one will be shut out, no matter how 

 incompetent, 



