The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-09-22
The Farmers, Movement
How rhsy Feel In the West Asont ths
New MoVemeht

AANN tHt1 ANtN W A1ouN lho
New MoVement,
So much interest has been created BY
the Farmers movement in the West,
that we give few extracts relative
70 the subject from a speech Of Sec,
Smith at a Farmers' mass meeting in
Illinois. The personal debt Of
OF the United States in 1896, snSa The
Secretary, was $1,000, 100000. Three,
quarters Of that, or about 81, 800, 0O0,.
600 was borne by the agriculturists Of
the United States. When you consider
that this latter sum has to be carried
ut az average rate Of ten per cent. per
annum, is it any wonder that we are
poor? Couple with this another fact,
that the annual increase OF the wealth
OF tho United States for my decade
during the very best period Of our ex-
istence has never exceeded 81 per cent,
that is, the agriculturists are actually
carrying 81 900, 900, 900 ut 10 per cent,
while the products Of industry nowhere,
taking it all through, have exceeded 81
per cent. Is il then my wonder you
arc poor, and that with each year The
whole agricultural population OF the
United States are growing poorer and
poorer, while those who handle the pro.
duets Of our labor orc growing richer
and richer2
Take Commodore Vanderbilt, for ex-
ample, and suppose that 20 years ago
he was worth 5000, 000 and that to.
day he is worth ESQ, 900, 900, how has he
accumulated 900, 900, 900 in 90 years ?
Mark it, he never earned dollar in his
life, and yet he has gotten into his
hands 500, 900, 900 in 20 years. l might
stop right here and not say another
word on the subject, for here is suffi.
cient proof that there is something
WRONG in this business, owing to which
this man has aocumulatedso such. How
did he do it2 Has he rendered an
equivalent in the service he has per.
formed for us in transporting our pro.
ductions to market, or has no not !?
That is the question. II he has not,
then wc have been wronged Of Just SO
much money.
Col. Coleman has shown you what it
costs to get bushcl OF corn or wheat
to market from where he lives in Mis-.
sotlri, and We all know what il costs
kere, and that we pay three.fourths OF
the product OF our labor to get the
other fourth 10 market. II this is so,
who Axes the price upon your labors
Take the plowmen Of this State; all
have their nnnual conventions, They
como together and agree that they will
have Just 30 much for plows during the
year, no matter what we may get for
our products; and for the last two years
they have asked 100 per cent. on the
cost Of production. Thus that comb.
nation makes monopoly Of the pillow
business. No matter what agent or
manufacturer yo,t buy OF you have to
pay tho same per cent There arc my
friends, The pork-packers, from oil the
principal cities in this Union, who last
year met and combined to fix the price
Of pork-you know this as well as I.
st. Louis, Milwaukee, Chicago, Louis
vile, and Cincinnati came together Just
rs they are going to convene next week at
Cincinnati, and fixed the price OF our
pork for the comingyear. Last year they
liked the price upon your pork at 81 q
hundred live weight, and they would
buy all there is in the West at the same
rite. OF course they got it, and II they
had fixed the price at s. they would
have got 1t, only got 1925. Prob.
ably the high price for freight made the
difference in your case. What right
had ihey to do this ?
Increase in taxation is another wrong
which We have brought upon ourselves,
and We might rs well look it squarely
in the face and right it. When / went
on the farm II years ago it took o $40
gold piece to pay the taxes, md now it
takes seven and half OF them, which is
IN advance Of little over 700 per cent.
But what corresponding benefit have l
for that increase OF taxes? Is it not
time for ms TO look into II, and inquire
Of our public servants how it happens
that our taxes increase, and what they
give us in exchange for themP Did you
know they arc multiplying officers and
expenses, and voting away thousands
upon thousands OF dollars with per.
feet disregard OF the interest Of the tax.
payersf I am told that q county not n
hundred miles from here used to be run
for $500 q year, and now it costs 50, 600.
Did you ever stop TO think that it takes
the product Of n whole township tc
feed n judge? Our Circuit Judge eats
up all we earn in township in year.
Is not he n monstrous eater? Is It mol
time we tried to look into this mater
and sec il We could not get some mar
who wonld eat less2 Think OF wha
you are getting for your products, AMI
OF what You are paying for his service
Is there any reason, justice, or right il
all this? / saw man ut our nationa
Congress who said: "When I lef
southwestern Georgia l paid n dollar {
bushel for your prairie corn. l conn
out here and find that you are getting
20 cents bushel for it, and that there
fore somebody got so cents for fetchinl
it to me. You ought TO have half dol
lar for that corn, and ought to get
for 10 cents; aud then the fellows VIII
fetch it to us would get % cents instea,
OF so, and that would equRlize the thing
would rather pay 70 cents than 81
and you never ought to raise bushe
OF corn less than half q dollar" Ant
80 say1. You nevershould sell bushe
short OF half dollar, and you eau hay,
it the moment you soy you will. II you
poor neighbors must sell, furnish then
the money make up purse for them
lend them money on their cribs and en-