The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-10-03
"FoES OF the FARMERS. I"
Something Everybody Should
... Read !!
PROF. PERRY'S ADDRESS AT THE
NEBRASKA STATE FAIR.
An Admirable Discussion OF
Pertinent Topics.
Such as Taxes, Tariffs, Finance, Etc.
INFORMATION FROM AN IMPARTIAL
AND COMPETENT TEACHER.
Who Has Studied These Subjects for Many
Years.

self west of the Missouri river. From the
banks of the Connecticut on which | was
born, and the banks of the Hoosac on
which | reside, to the west bank OF the
Missouri on which we are now congregated,
stretches long line; but it all lies in one
country under one national government,
and, so far from circunlscribing this, Is
rather like single pillow. furrow drawn IN
in one dir oction only just in the middle OF
vast field Though so far from home,
| am still at home; and the cordial vel
come extended to me by your citizens,
some of whom are old aquaintances, puts
me entirely at my ease. The impressions
that have gained here, the establishment
that have felt here, the promises have
seen here of future knowledge and wealth
and power, will be best reported % at an
other time and before a more eastcarn au
dience.
WHY CAME.
| have come a long journey at your invi-
tation and at your expense to speak to you
as farmers and as citizens, Unless you
had thought that as a political economist
| might have something to say that would
prove Of Importance to you, you would not
have taken the action YOU have taken and
unless had supposed that had some
thing to say worth your while to hear and
to ponder, | should not have responded
to your call In truth, have something
to say and have come hither on purpose to
say it. | bespeak for it your care and
candor. bespeak your patience and your
confidence may say some things that
will seem to you strange. some things that
may seem to you false, some things that
may be contrary to your previous opinions
and convictions but | shall say nothing
that do not profoundly believe to be true,
nothing that am not willing to take com |
plete responsibility for here and every !
where, nothing so far as you are concerned
that does not seem to me to be practical
and profitable and pressing. | speak to
you as farmers especially, but also as cit
zens and men. 1t is good thing to be a
cultivator of the soil in such noble region
as this is; it is a better thing to be clh-
zen of the State and of the nation and it
is the best thing Of all to stand as a receiv-
ing and responding member of it 10 the
mutual relations and sympathles and obi
cations of society of men and women,
MY TOPIC.
My topic at this time. as already an
nounced, is THE FOES OF TIE FARMERS.
do not mean the natural and provlden
tial foes of the farmers, such as the grass
hopper, the weevi, and the drought;
mean those forms Of public policy and 20
ihcal organization that are especially pre-
judicial to the farmers of this country as
such, namely, Paper Money, Protective
Tariffs, and Party Spirit These three
things are also preiudicial to all classes Of
the people, but upon none do they lie
with so deadly weight as upon the far
mers. | shall give you the reasons for this
as proceed. | do not believe that the
real interests of one class are antagonistic
to the real interests of other classes.
believe that all legitimate interests are in
harmony; that what is best for the far
mers of this country is also best for the
manufactures of this country; and that
what is best for the whole people as pro
ducers and consumers is also best for the
state and national governments as the
gatherers OF taxes would not set class
over against class, because in large view
the interests of both are identical
but the farmers are by far the
largest class of people in the
United States, and it is legitimate to in
quire what it is that makes against them,
what 1t is that retards their prosperity,
and whatit is that prevents them from
exercising controlling influence over the
public policy of the United States.
WHAT FARMERS ARE ENTITLED TO.
turn to the national census ofIS7O, and
find that almost six millions of the PEG.
pie are directly engaged in agricultural Ia
bors, that is to say. speaking exactly, of all
the persons in the United States reported
as having occupations. 47.36 per centum.
almost one-balf oi the whole. are agricul
turlsts; only 2l.G5 per centum are man
ufacturers and miners just Plat per
ceDtum render professional and uersonal
services; while only g. 81 per ceutun, are
engaged III trade and transportation II
Is very nearly accurate to say. that nf an
the peol lie of the United States Who b,ya
anything to do, one-teuth ar, traders and
transporters; two-tenths are manuinctnr
ers and miners: another two tenths render
professional and personal services. While
.fre-tenths are farmers The farmers are
thus considerably more than twice as nu-
nerous as any other class, and almost as nu-
merous as all the other classes put togeth-
er, AS the families of farmers are prob
ably more numerous on the average than
the families OF other classes it is safe TO
say that more than one halt the forty mil
hons OF people who to-day inhabit this land
derive their susteDance directly out of the
cultivated soil. Under these circumstances
one would expect that the farmers would
certainly influence greatly, if not complete
Iy control, the policy of these states and Of
this nation.
THEIR ACTUAL INFLUENCE.
But, as a matter Of fact, we find that