Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-09-05
The Popular Movement of the Farmers

middle Atlantic States have beer
looking anxiously to the great North
west to awake to a sense of her owl
true interests, conscious that until thai
time shall arrive the country will eX
perience no substantial relief nor be re,
stored to healthy political action. Two
years ago the first movement was made
by what were then known as the rev.
enue reformers, who made public ef
fort to affect their objects, but the e.
vents which fastened themselves upon
the late Presidential election complete.
ly blighted that movement. 1t failed
and failed chiefly because its advocates
were unable to rid themselves from
prejudices and shrunk from a compre.
hensive enunciation of and acceptance
of the time-honored principles which
dominated in the government during
the most prosperous periods Of the
country in the past, and which are in
exact accord with the objects the re-
formers sought to accomplish. At this
time the continuing and increasing
pressure of public grievances leads td
another effort, and somewhat embold-
ened by necessity, the formation of far
mers' leagues or oranges has resulted,
accompanied all the while by vague
dread of some political contamination.
Until that dread shall have been dis
sipated there is small probability that
relief will follow.
Special legislation in favor of class
interests and monopolies, exhorbitant
tariffs which build up wealthy manu-
facturers and grind down the agricul-
tural population, laws swelling the
gains Of those already pampered to re-
pletion, and the profits of widely ram
flied institutions protractedly main
tanning deprecated currency long af-
ter the Temporary exigency which ex-
cused it has passed away, are the chief
grievances from which the people not
only of the West but all the agricul-
tural districts of the country are en-
ldeaVoring to escape. In doing this they
cannot but inquire the source of the
levil and the elements Of power which
iI9for twelve years past have steadily up
h5id esacn and al u t.15if "a
abuses. Some spontaneous and cordial
fusion Of the masses Of the West with
those of the Atlantic States who have
common objects with them must take
place in order that the highway of a
sound prosperity may be again trodden
by the American people.
It is for the population of the West
ern States to work out this problem.
which perhaps passion and prejudice
have heretofore interposed between eff
fective action and patriotic duty. No
appeal or reasoning which can be ad-
dressed to them from without can be
expected to produce any decided infu-
ence upon their course of action. But
it is worth while for us here in Mary
land and in other States similarly stu
ated to consider we'll and to watch
closely the struggles Of the Western
people like blind giant wasting his
strength upon the air when the aid of
clear vision would enable him at once
to destroy his tormentors.
We have no concern with dead is
sues; we accept the death of the dead.
but we assert the life of living and in
destructible truths. We extend cor
dial sympathy to the farmers of the
country in their proclaimed struggle
for the restoration Of their great inter-
est to its rightful position. There is
danger, however, that the oranges may
run into the extreme Of attributing the
depression too largely to one cause
that is the railroads. Doubtless many
of the roads enjoy such powers and pri-
vileges by their character as only in
competent and corrupt legislators
would at this day grant. These are to
be met and dealt with nationally, the
railroads being of the first importance
to the farmers themselves. The null
tiplication of roads should be encour-
aged, so as to beget competition, and
combinations of lines in the interests
Of monopoly prohibited by legislation.
Thus may the solution of the question
of transportation be aided at least, and
equitable rates enforced. But besides
this one of the railroads, there are 9TH
er insidious and dangerous expressions
as tariff monopolies and bank mon
opolies-which, under the vain pre-
text of paternal and fostering care on
the part of government, pretext born
of the spirit of Capitalization and nur-
tured with tyrannous practices, are
sucking the life-blood of agriculture
and Of labor. Our people feel the
sting and we see sources of it's poison.
The agricultural interests are depress-
ed to the lowest point Of endurance
the lands lie waste, many of them, and
many more Of them are in the grasp of
the usurer and money changer, for
whom the nominal proprietors Of the
soil are really laboring at Temporary
sufferance. What the farmer has to
sell he sells under restrictions, and
burdened with onerous cost of trans
portation. What he has to buy he
buys loaded down with taxes, imposi-
tions and protective duties piled up
with every form of ingenuity.
The very tools with which he pro-
duces the food of mankind come load