Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1873-07-24
FARMERS INTERESTS.
SPEECH Or col. JAMES II. BIRCH, JR.,
AT CAMERON, NO.

Indies and Genaen,~r. The day We
celebrate is prOpitiOus one for the farm
ers TO take into consideration their own in
terests. involving as they do questions as
comprehensive as the whole system Of gov
ernment, and as broad as the republic il.
self. whether Of currency. of finance, OF
commerce, Of manufactures, or Of trans
porta,ion. Coming directly to my sub.
ject let me ask. What are farmers inter-
ests 7" This simple query cannot be fair
~ or faithfully answered without frst ask
ing and answering Whist are his RESPONSE
biii,ies. his duties. his obligations. and his
burdens. Lot US examine in what the
burdens consist. The first one is, that
the national wealth Of the country consists
solely in its productions. from which are
derived .ll the revenues Of the Govern
ment, all th. fortunes in the country. and
from which every human being draws his
sustcnancc and support. In other words.
the whole financial support Of Government.
Of commerce. Of manufactures. Of specula-
ti"ns. of transportation, and Of robbery
have their foundation resting upon the
producing interests Of the country, and
upon their ability 10 Pay and to continue
to pay rests not only their solvency but
their very existence. This proposition is
as true as it is startling. There is neither
national wealth in nor national taxes de-
rived from cur lands. our houses. our rail-
roads. or our cities. and only so far as they
aid in the development Of the country are
they even auxiliaries in the production of
the wealth Of the country. Suppose you
were to destroy every city in the United
S'atcs. every manufactory in the country,
every railway in the land. the great agri-
cultural Sampson would soon rebuild them.
and as in the case of Chicago with still
grnnder magnificcncc On the contrary,
were you TO blot ont every farm in the
land, or change our fertile prairics into
ridges as sterile ns the sand. of the sea.
the great channels and marts Of commerce
would become rs silent and murmurless rs
the streams Of the forests. when tie win
dows of heaven are shut and the skies be-
come nS brass" aud their echoes be but
lamentations over the destruction of a gl0-
"HISh N'uli puIN tc ItI'Idttu ny tue
same causes which gave it its origina! life.
When house is built to rent its owner
intends that it shall pay a rental equal to
the in,crcs, on its cost. with the value
Of the land added, and to which he adds
local and State taxes. with cost Of insur-
nnc. and repairs. The merchant. in ad-
dtion to the cost Of his goods. adds rent.
cost of doing business. insurance. taxes,
and profit. The manufacturer makes up
the cost Of his articles by adding to the
materials used the interest on his capital
invested, the value of the labor used. in
surance. taxes, repairs, and profits, aud
it he is in the schedule Of protected arti-
clcs. the tariff that is laid for his benefit.
But the farmer. boiug the bcd-r rock on
which is founded society, government.
commerce, manufactures. and nil kinds Of
business. has no one TO charge up all these
item, to. lie is forced to sell in market
for the best price he can get. and ut the
same time has but little if anything to say
as TO wha, it shall be. In addition to his
own taxes. he pays the taxes on every
thing else. and coming every day in COM
petition with himself is forced to take that
price for his produce which is left after
subs,racting enough to allow all others to
live on. and thousands to get rich BY
handling.