The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1869-09-24

A SPEECH FOR FARMERS TO READ.

WHAT AN OHIO REPUBLICAN THINKS OF
TIE PRESENT TARIFF.
We publish, from the Lancaster IntelE-
gencer of the 9th inst, the following speech,
delivered by Col. Don Piatt, on occasion of
a Harvest Home at Bellefontaine, Ohio, a
short time since, and coincide in opinion
with that paper, that it will be read with
interest, not by the farmers of Pennsylva-
mia alone, but by all classes of our commu-
nifty, farmers and all, who care to inform
themselves upon the subject ofvital impor-
lance of which it treats. Col. Don Piatt
said:
Ladies and Gentlomen:-I comply with
your complimentary demand, although 1
am not advertised as one of the speakers
on this pleasant occasion. l came here
with the fixed determination to assist you
in doing the hardest part of the perfor-
nance, and that is to listen. Laughter
| regret that l was not invited to address
you to-day, by your Committee of Arrange
ments, for am practical farmer myself,
and probably know less upon that subject
than upon any other-and perhaps as little
as the eloquent gentlemen who have pre-.
coded me. More laughter I'd rather you
wouldn't laugh, for that agricultural edu-
cation OF mine has cost me and my credi-
tors deal of money, and I am rather de-
spondent over the slow progress made.
But had been honored with an invita-
ton, would have made an effort to gather
up few statistics that might have instruc-
ted, if not amused you. For hold it the
duty of man when thus honored, to do
his part by appearing on the stand with
something worth uttering, and profitable
or entertaining to hear AS have said,
am not very successful farmer, but have
the consolation of knowing that in this re-
spect we differ very little. You are not
successful farmers, and you have the fact
brought home to you on this happy occa-
sion by the price of wheat. The differ
ence between us is to be found in the fact
that my very ill-luck is my own fault,
while your failure is to be attributed to
other causes than your ignorance or lack
of skill. And now, why is it that your re-
joicings on this memorable occasion are
dampened by the fact that we are called
upon to be merry over q loss.
/ need not tell you that wheat, at one
dollar and ten cents per bushel, does not pay
sufficient to clear the expenses ofits planting,
reaping, threshing and hauling to market.
l need not tell you that, while our hats shoes,
coats, pantaloons, shirts, hoes, harrows,
plows, and, in a word, all that we are
forced to purchase, are doubled, and trip
led in price; wheat, our great staple,
brings less to- day than previous to the war.
There is no explanation in that so glibly
given us, that this is because of the heavy
surplus, which means that the more we
possess the poorer we will be-like the
ownership of the hoop-pole region, to the
north of us, where the more land one owns,
the poorer he is. A friend told me of a
poor-house in that part of the world where
nearly every pauper owned quarter Sec
ton, and the more destitute paupers each
had two. Laughter.
Well, my friends, it is because everything
we are forced to purchase is SO high in
price that our wheat is so low. And there
is problem here l would have liked to
work out, for our mutual satisfaction, had
your committee given me the opportunity.
We take bushel of wheat to the nearest
railroad depot, and sell it for what the
commission merchant assures us is its val
ne; and there we lose sight of it. would
wish to follow that bushel of wheat to its
final destination, and believe that, in so
doing, would solve the problem. Icould,
believe, demonstrate not only that the
value of our staple depends upon the de-
mand abroad, but also upon the purchases
we make abroad. That is, the dealer in
Europe says to us: II will take your
wheat at fair profit to you ifyou in turn
will purchase of me what have to sell"-
This is the law of trade the world over, and
you can not have a market that governs
trade you do not obey the law.