THE CONDITION OF THE WESTERN FARMER 



AS ILLUSTRATED BY THE' 



ECONOMIC HISTORY OF A NEBRASKA 

 TOWNSHIP. 



L__INTRODUCTION. 



The study on which this paper is based was suggested by 

 the desire of the writer to obtain some actual knowledge of 

 the true economic condition of the farmers in the western 

 states. The farmers' movement, culminating in its attempt to 

 change the policy of the government in many important par- 

 ticulars, had for its raison d'etre the depressed financial con- 

 dition of the agricultural classes. Against this position, the 

 other political parties urged that the financial depression 

 affected all classes alike, and that in no way did farmers have 

 greater difficulty in attaining prosperity than persons in other 

 lines of activity. Realizing the worthlessness of the isolated 

 examples cited for proof, as well by one side as by the other, 

 the author undertook the present investigation. 



Two ways lie open to one desiring to find an answer to such 

 a question as that set before us. Either many and varied 

 statistics for the whole region under consideration may be 

 collected and examined, or a study in miniature may be made 

 of some little district which can fairly lay claim to being 

 typical of the whole region. For the first method, the pres- 

 ent United States census furnishes masses of figures, the use 

 of which is of great value. Nevertheless there are certain 

 grave difficulties connected with this method, not the least 

 of which is the continual danger of wide-reaching misinter- 

 pretation, growing out of some little fault or error at the 

 start. The study of a small district, on the other hand, while 



