Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1873-04-18
POLITICAL DUTIES OF FARM
ERS.

1t has been held that the agriculture,
press should have nothing to do with poll
tics, and even that farmers themselves should
entirely keep alool from politics. While
the first position may be delensble, so far as
entering the arena of partzan politics and
| advocating measures from party platform
are concerned, the second position is utterly
absurd and iudefensible.
One Of the reasons why corruption is 40
rife in every department Of our government
is that our farmers, who comprise more than
half the voting population Of the country,
have heretofore been too willing to leave pol.
ltics to mere party hacks Many have left
the district caucus to be manipulated by the
village lawyer, the doctor, the merchant, or
the mere party hanger-on, and, the slate be.
ing made up, have voted the ticket. The re.
suit has been that the political machinery
has been left to be manipulated by protested
politicians whose patriotism too often is
measured by the shekels it will bring them.
The WESTERN RURAL believes that the
various interests Of the country may be best
represented in legislation by those engaged in
these several pursuits. If any interest be
not represented in the government, it must of
course be because those who should repre-.
sent this interest delegate their powers to
others. 1t is for this reason, and no other,
that the agricultural interests in both our
State and National Assemblies have been
constantly under the control Of those whose
sympathies with agriculture are at least of a
secondary nature.
W. hoyo ln,,o lol A.. -
should through more thorough organiza.
tion be drawn closer together, both socially
and politically. For a long time it seemed
that this could not be accomplished, on &C.
count Of the farmers being so widely sepa-
rated from each other Much time, labor
and money were required to be spent to per.
feet an organization that should measurably
be able to cope with the questions at issue
This has now been accomplished to a fair
degree through the Oranges and farmers
clubs. To make these more efficient, howey-
or far asunder the organizations may be To-
oally, they must work together when the
great questions that agitate the country come
up.
Take for instance the present great ques.
tion that is agitating the farmers of the
West, Transportation. In treating this
subject the agricultural masses must act as
unit, and insist through the influence they
possess, that the Legislators of the states
shall pass and enforce such laws as shall be
just aud equitable If this power be firmly
but temperately brought to bear upon legis-
lators and other public officers they may be
brought to see their way more clearly In
default of this, the direct voting power must
be exercised to put farmers, and farmers on
ly, in their place There are in every legis-
latiye district farmers whose education and
ability fit them to deal with questions en-
bracing both political and social economy.
If electors pass over such men in their own
profession, and continue to delegate their
power TO other classes, they can have no
cause to complain if their interests be not
attended to. We should all come down to
the principle that offices must seek men, not
men office To accomplish this, farmers
must enter the political arena, and by hon.
est, independent action clear political affairs
OF the corrupt influences which, in the last |
few years particularly, have been shown to
peryade the great parties of the country,
aud the government itself Each party is
constantly seeking supremacy, and no pro-
ccedings are too dirty to compass that end
subornaton and bribery would seem to have !