Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-11-06
Farm and sHnaseitald.
= ---- ~ TSTTET =
THE lFARMER.
|.- To- no. !. gf-l4lE E.t~ 20
SOME. CONSIDERATIONS, ON HIS SOCIAL
% fEs pn1fyFfnN - sa-

.-. ~ r.lt- It7E lfabhfSzG.
.-r - .4E - Siz ---- = ~
SOME CONSIDERATIONS. ON HIS SOCIAL
30 u POSITION. F..s
A great deal of misunderstanding
seems to exist as to the exact position
the farmer fills in the political economy
of the world. Annoid adage to the eff
feet that :. ....the farmer pays for all, F" is
quoted as exactly represent
ing his, relatiRe.pasiti0netoa other class
es. 1t is supposed that as he produces
the food Of the world he is the real crea-
tor of the worlds wealth. That all
taxes, as well as all other charges upon
industry of every kind eoaae out ofthe
farmers pocket, and are ultimately a
charge and a tax npen his labor. The
scores Of new publ cations. which have
recently sprung inte existence, seeking
popularity and favor by representing
the farmer as much ill-used individ-
ual and a prey to all sorts of adverse
Combinations and untowsrd contingen-
cies, harp continually upon this idea.
Some otherwise respectable and cred
liable papers, protesting to be devoted
to the farmers interests, also thas at
tempt to delude him; into this absurd
belief. 1t is well that farmers should
not permit themselves to be led astray
by these evil teachings, which can
only. have the effect to bring them into
false positions, and into conflict in
which they will but beat the air Or
struggle with impossibilities.
Iffood were the sole wealth of the
world and there were but two classes,
those who produced food and those
who consumed it, and the latter exist
ed without conferring any benefit upon
the former, or in a. condition of idle
ness solely, there would be some truth
in this idea. Then, indeed, the farmer
would work for all, and his industry
would be taxed for the maintenance of
the rest of the world. But this is very
far from being the case. Food is a
very small portion Of our wealth or OF
our necessaries of life. Ifa farmer or
any other man will figure up the actu.
al cost of his food during year he will
find it very Insignificant proportion
of his yearly expenditures. And when
he comes todiyide the sum of the cost
OF his food into thut part which goes to
the motive farmer and that. which goes
to the foreign one he will find the
former receives but a fourth to a hum
dredth part of each mans total annual
expenditure. That small portion re.
mains to represent the farmers inter
est in the general ecoaomy,-
Let Us consider the farmers own po.
sition in this respect. The cultivatol
of lOeacrcs of land win probably pro
duce therefrom a value of s15 per acre
on the average. Supposing him tc
havea total household of six persons
which is one more. than the average o
families, but fair average for farm ers
he will need to reserve for home con
sumption the following part of hi.
produce, viz: 80 bushels wheat Isl
lbs. of butter, 80 bushels potatoes. T0t
pounds pork, 800 pounds beef, and O
poultry, milk, eggs, vegetables ant
fruit $50 to sf0. worth; on the whol,
about $3.50, worth, or a sixth Of his pro
ducef eAt the end of the year ther
viii be a very small portion of the pre-
ceeds of his crop, if any, left on hant
after paying his bills; at least, such ha
been onr experience. That portion
which has been thus spent has procu
red clothing, tools, groceries. books
papers, carriage era wagon, or lum
ber for bnildiag or fencing, or has beel
paid for wages to hired help, or 70
tbe services of q teacher for his chil
dren, Each ore Of these items of ex
pense is an absolute necessity to him
and Is equivalent ~ the possession Q
30 much wealth. Then we see that tn
farmer himself only produces one-sixtl
of his own actual necessaries, and is de
pendent upon the labeF Of other pre-
ducers for fye-sixths of what make
life endurablero him How is it, then
witirother classes. who spend the lar
ger part of their income for articles 0
luxury, or what may be strictly s,
eaiteds The farmer produces proba
bly, but five per cent OF that which rep
resents their wealth.. The manufactu
rer, miner, maehinist, or shipowner, %
the artisans who work in the trade
connected, nearly or remotely, will
these brances of industry, are engaged
in producing wealth as tangible and a
real as that produced by the farmer
The burdens necessarily laid upon ev
cry mars industry to, maintain ou
social position is as much, a, lax upor
their labor as. upon that of the farmer
They are not exempt from. any burden
under which the farmer com plains, moi
is it laid upon them in any less degree
of severity. qmo1 1sslJ e =. i.,s.r -fas
In what, then, is the social position
of the farmer nadeto differ from thai
any other class of citizens? What are
the special disabilities under which he
labors, and in. what way can. his cir.
cumstances be, improved by any spe.
cial discrimination in his favor? These
are Questions which are forced upon
the consideration of the farmers, and
which they are now engaged in dis
cussing. But II will be in vain that
they endeavorto solve these questions
while they hold the idea that they are
the sole producers ofthe wealth of the
world, or that the public who consume