Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1873-07-24
FARMERS INTERESTS.
OF COL. JAMES II. BIRCH, JR.
AT CAMERON, Mo.

celebrate is propitious one for the farm
ers TO take into consideration their own in.
.ercs's. involving as they do questions as
comprehensive as the whole systern Of gov.
ernmen', and as broad as the republic it.
self. whether Of currency. of finance, oil
commerce, Of manufactures, or Of trans
! porta'ion. Coming directly to my sub.
ject let me ask. what are ..farmers' inter.
ests ?" This simple query cannot be fair
ly or faithfully answered without first ask
ing and answering what are his response
bihiies, his dasics. bis obligations. and Ais
burdens. Let Us examine in what the
burdens consist. The frs, one is, tha,
the national wealth of the country consists
solely in It's productions. from which are
derived sll the revenues Of the Govern
ment. all the fortunes in the country. and
from which every human being draws his
sus'enance and support. 10 other words.
the whole financial! support Of Government,
OF commerce, Of manufactures. Of spccula-
tions. OF transportation, and Of robbery
have their foundation resting upon the
producing interests Of the country. and
upon their ability to pay aud to continue
to Pay rests not only their solvency but
their very existence. This proposition is
as true rs i, is startling There is neither
national wealth in nor national taxes de-
| rived from our 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 auxil:arics in the production OF
the wealth Of the country. Suppose you
were TO destroy every city in the United
States. every manuiactory in the country
every railway in the land. the great asri-
cultural Sam p>on would soon rebuild them
and as in the ease Of Chicago with still
/ grandcr niagnIhcence On the contrary,
/ were you 10 blot out every farm in the
land, or change our fertile prairies into
ridges as sterile rs the sands Of the sea.
! the great channels aud marts Of commerce
would become rs silent and murmurlcsS a
the streams Of the forests. when tie win
dows of heaven are shut and the skies be-
come rs brass. and their echoes be but
lamentations over the destruction OF glo-
ry which could only be replaced hy the
/ same causcs which gave it its original lac
When house is bull, to rent its owner
intends that j; shall pay a rcnta! equal to
the iutcres, on ITS cost, with the value
of the land added, and 10 which he adds
local and State taxes, with cost Of insur-
ancs an6 repairs. The merchant. in ad-
dition 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 aiding to the
materials used the interest on his capital
invested, the value Of the labor used, in
suraucc, taxes. repairs, and profits. and
If he is in the schedule of protected arti-
clcs. the tariff ,ha, is laid for his benefit.
But the farmer. being the bedrock on
which is founded society, government.
commerce. manufactures. and all kinds of
business. has no one to charge up all these
/ items to. He is forced TO sell in market
for the best price he can get. and at the
same time has but little if anything to say
as to what 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. il forced to take that
price for lis produce which is left after
substract;pg enough to allow all others to
live on. aud thousands to get rich BY
handling.
I The last census reports show that
for June !, 1870, there
| rlOyci in the manufactures in
! the United States, as capital,
the sum OF Sc,lls, EOS, 7s9
That for the wear the value Of
/ material used in manufactures
WAS SS,tSS. 40. 80
Tha, there was paid wages for Ia
bur, 1854, ,3iJ
Now add 10 this 10 per Ct as in
tcTcst on capital used, amount
ins'o 10 I'll. SEQ, $40
And PC Ct, FOR insurance and
taxes, los, ,9lo, ass
Which added makes the gros.
sum OF 1851, ,.4a, 9oC
Now substract this sum, composed ot
matcrisl used. wages for labor, interest on
capital, with insurance aud taxes. from
the value of the manufactured articles
valued at their factories. and amounting
to the sum of 81. 2S2 325. ii2. aud We
have the enormous clear prof, Of $780,.
5S2 5iS. Now here | have allowed eve
~ sum which is properly included in the
cos, Of an article. with 10 per cent. inter.
est on the capital invested. and We have
as net profits over 80 per cent on the en-.
tire amoun, OF capital used. Is there q
farmer here who will rise and say that he
has made 10 per cent. on the amount Of
his capital invested in his farming opera.
tions. or is there one who would not Be
glad TO be insured that much on his bus
mess this year? Now. why is this thus !
Here are two of the largest business avo.
cations in the country. the one no, max.
ing even the ordinary interest value on hi.
capital. and the other making over 80 pei
cent, in addition to the crdirary Interest
value Of his capi,al-the one growing ricl
; and the other poor. There must be som,
controlling reason for all this. entirely out,
, side Of those laws which control such mat
ters when lett free aud uutrammelled. L
|. is fair. therefore. to assume that Thu
. $500. .0c0. 900 Of surplus profits is the ex
&c, measure Of protection received by sh,
manufacturers at the expense Of the pro
dueer, through the operation Of the iarit
Legislation of the country. II is bat right
and proper to denounce the ..back-salar,