, 1873-07-14
REMARKS BY TIE EDITOR OF THE ROCKFORD


Il. "
ADnAuAE Il. SMITH.
REMARKS DY THE EDITOR OF THE ROCKFORD
GAZETTE.
Lam really at a loss to know why l. arriving
on the grounds 90 late, and mother lawyer, ac-
customol to public speaking, nor farmer, ao-
+ quainted with your feelings, am ca1led upon
Not but what would like to DO tho latter. For
three weeks tried to DO farmer, but then
gave 1t up, satisfied 1t Was not my avocatloa, and
that po1hapB was not smart enough for IL. It
always seemed to mo that farmer WAS as near
Independent as man can we'll DO, md tdere is
nothing TINT Buits mo better than Independence.
And yet, after all, tic farmer is dependent {tho'
hots for Ills products. Gonco, whilo want eyory
QUO to have bis rights, deprocate and condemn
tho efforts Of como mon to. mako Ii appear that
overy mhn who is not farmer, ID necoasoTily an
col Of ono great State, and ono great nation, aud
30 intorWoVon arc our interests that no ono class
can long prosper at tho oaponsa Of anothor
without Horiona injury to al. Tho consumer i'd
necessary to the prosperity OF the producer, for
what good would 1t be for farmers to raise their
grain II there were no one to eat 1t but them-
solves?
It is one Of tho best rosults Of civilization that
pursuits are diversified. al cannot bo farmers
aome must bo merchants, 8otno printers, BONO
lawyers, aomo doctors, and 80 on Although, II
ali would be euro Of succoas, they had better
0hocse farming, for Htatiatic8 BhoW that wllilo
nine out of every ton merchants fail, nine out Of
every ton farmers Huccool
It's popular now-a-laya to talk about capital
and really aboah.n It is faot that capitalists
aro to-day controlled almost absolutely by labor.
All trades hare thoir "Unions, and no employer
or workphop, II ho Btepsupon any Of tho rules Of
those Unions. Yon far1mera find It 80 In regard
to hands, and you all know who controls our
kitchens. haye frequently found, q tho end Of
tho year, that have received less for my labor
than have paid to different employees. That ia,
reckoning the rnoaoy invested i'll my business
worth 10 por cont. have realized loBa than
what tho interest would amount to- In addition
to what have paid to certain mon for labor.
And you farmers have too often found your:
solves III tho samo fx, I doubt not. ~ IL
Wo must remember TINT tho most exhauBting
toll iu tho world in brain-work. It is not thoBo
who labor with muscle that nlono do hard work.
Some OF the richest mon in this country are dy=
Jug and havo died Of overwork, as Horace i.
Clark, tho great railroad man, did the other day.
Lot uB honor labor and itB results everywhere.
Notwithstanding III that hns boon said on tho
subject, hold .hnt the farmers Of our adjoining
district did right in shelving Judge Lawrence
and eectiug Judge Craig in Ills plac6. Thero ia
nothing wrong IN demanding TINT Judge should
Of the day. During anto-war umeB, no Judge
could go on the United States Supreme Court
Bench unlosB he wns known to hold that It ne-
groeB had no rights that whitc mon wore bound
allowed to go on that Bonch who was not knoHn
to hold, whatever to might hold on any ot4er
points, that " all mon aro equal undor the law"
30, Tint tho uaift question OF tho day is to
Btay the onward march OF Bant monopoGos, aud
secure cheap transportation, I belieye that no
Judge should DO put on the Bench who IL not
heartily with the people, mud right on this great
question.
I would not pursue any one vndictively. But
would nak YOU early BettlorB tint see around
mo now, il you are not better OF to-day. even
with tho raitroads as at present conducted, than
twenty yoars ago, when you hauled y3ur grain
to Chicago BY team, and sold your lo+a Tor bare-
y enough to pay your expenset, nome again;
seeking q livelihood, and al havo M - common 1n-
There ii danger Of i1-ccosidored action. Look
at tho railroad law PASSED ty our late Loglala-
grain'ls q little lower tic freight to Rockford
from Chicago on alarticlea OF merchandise is
higher. Nov, wh, has to pay for this rise
Why. you farmer, the consumors OF dry goods,
groceries, and odier aFticlos o. merchandise. 10
you arc now r,ally worse or than you wore be-
The quetfons Of the relation Of capital and
labor, aut Of tho regulation Of railroad trans
portatioy, I confoss arc boy0udmy reach. Thpy
aro qut4tionH that have not boen solved by tho
,ablest minda Of tho country, nor Of tho world,
The3nly way soorns for III to search 1t out By
e1,orionco. can only hope TINT you will in
shldying this problem, remember that wo, tho
consumers, ara not the enemies of you, tho pro-
nuke you prosperous, aud feol that unleBs your
toll iB fairly roquitcd, our succoas cannot be OK
pected. And nsBure you TINT in every measure
calculated to advance your interests, you will
hereafter, as always, havo our hoarty support.
Unexpectedly called upon, and not being much
Of a talaer, 7 lave spoAen to you my hopest son.
timonts, and now retro for other speakers,