, 1873-02-17
THE FARMING INTERESTS AND THE MIDDLE.
MEN.

GRAND pnArR1E1 Ill.
~ the Editor Of The Chicago Tribune:
Sir: Juat at this time, the Turning intoreRta
Of tho country are being pretty generally dis
cuaaod. The products Of tho farm are Justly
regarded aa fundamental to al other products.
Whatever materially Affects the quantity. quail
tty, or value Of those products, is Of intoreat to
ovory member OF aooiety, and to evory depart
ment Of trade. Indeed, as society is organized
In. our country, there Is wonderful fnter~le-
pendonco between its different intereBts, and no
ono Of them can suffer alone. AT the
present time, the agrioulturist is the oatensble
sufferer from tho low price Of produce. But Ia
he tho only real suHrdror7
Tho fact Of tho case is about this: At least
onc-ha1f Of tho capital that ia nov locked up in
tho surplus products Of tho country has boon ad-
vanced, in ono form and nnothor, to the pro-
ducera by the much-abuaod middle-mon, These
@ eannae a 10 neang s1 gSn Il he sha Surplus aaa @
ducts Of the country, now held by tho farmer,
aro made available. There is no probability
whatever that thero will bo any considorablo
advance In tho value of these products nt
there are, many millions OF dollars worth Of
these commodities now being held In tho hands
Of farmers for riHe, and TINT at the oxponso,
and to tho great embarrassment, Of the mlddlo-
mon,
Il ia well to discuss tho question Of froighta I,
it is fitting that farrnors should organize their
scattered foreca nnd make ouch combinations aa
will enable them to efrootualy protect thom-
selves against oppressive monopolles:: Tho
number, intelligence, and woalth OF farmors
should give them d moro controlling influence
in the 1ogiBlation Of tho country.
But neither organization nor combination can
give them the relief they now need. No com.
bination can be effected that will add one cent
to the value Of their products now Ia boud. NO
material reduction can DO effected In the cost Of
articles that must DO purchased, until they are
prepared to chaugo tho terms on which they
have heretofore sought to do business with the
midd}e-mnn. There il no substantial relief for
tho farmor, tue midd1e-man, or the country,
until tho surplus products now in tho hands OF
tho p1oausess are sol and thS proceeds age
the country, and to make future purchases.
Whom tho producer ahall have paid on his IN
debtednege to the middlo-man, and ehall have
tho cash In hnnd to make his future purchases,
ho will find no difficulty in purchasing Whatever
articles he may want at reasonable prices.
He can then rightly demand, and he will get, q
hand On the delivery of the goods.
Tho 1niddle-man, however, wlllatill be . neees'
sity. Ho Is m element in aooiety that cannot be
dispensed WITH You may possibly do away with
tho man, but the 1rork that he performs must
still be done by somo ono. It may In disguise be
blended with productive labor. It may be per.
formed by the consumer, ut much inconvonienco
and at greatly inoroased expense. But tho work
OF tho middle-man must b done. The simple
question Is, Who shall do it,-the producer, The
cobaumeE, or o class OF men devoted exclusively
to that kind of tcorkf This ia 8 point on which
something may be snad hereafter. =,
MDD1E-ArAN.