Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-06-11
WHAT Is BEHIND THE FARMERS
MOVEMENT

At the recent meeting of the Social
Science Congress in New York, the fol-
lowing abstract.of paper by Mr.. VIII
lard C. Flagg, of Illinois, on 1.-The
Farmers Movement of the West was
read:
In all past ages theagriculturalc class,
ike the other industrial classes, has by
force, fraud, or cunning been prevented
from gaining more than a subsistence
by its labors. The robber baron, the
medieval merchant, the royal tax
gatherer, and the railway monopoly
have thriven; but the men who, in rain
and sun, toiled early and late painfully
and penuriously, have seldom, if at all,
received due reward for their labor.
Agriculture has been a systemOf spoil
alton. The landlord, the transporter,
and the middleman rob the farmer.
The farmer robs the land, and worn
out lands remain to tell the story of
bad husbandry and worse political
economy. And yet, in the great dis
cussion that has arisen concerning
labor and capital, work and wages, IN
these latter days, the men who do most
of the labor and constitute more than
half the race, have, by some strange
inadvertence, been hardly thought of
by our labor-reformers. Hamlet, In
this nineteenth century tragedy of
ours, has been left out, and did not
force himself into notice till 1872, in
the farm laborers' movement in En-
gland, and the farmers movement In
our Western States. As the intelli-
gence, the ability, and the will to as
sociate for the common good become
developed, resistance to oppression be-
gins, and positive efforts are made TO
promote the general welfare. 1t is
notable that the farmers and farm
laborers of the civilized world are
among the last to combine-a result
due not so much to lack of intelligence
as to isolation, suspicion and un-
wieldly numbers. Resistance begins
where oppression is most felt, and
where there is the greatest ability to
resist it.
Resistance will be successful just in
proportion to the wisdom Of the resist
ers. In the South and West the farm
ing interest counts more voters in its
ranks than can be found in all other
classes combined; but is there wisdom
enough among the owners and cultiva-
tors of the soil to act in harmony to-
gether for any good purpose? Time
will show.
How many see the greatest industry
of the United States in the light pre-
scented by Mr.. Flagg? Agriculture
has been a system of spoliation.
The landlord, the transporter and
the middle man rob the farm
er. The farmer robs the land,
and WORKOUT lands remain to tell
the story of bad husbandry and worse
political economy" If this Indictment |
be true, we are little less than nation
Of sOil-robbers; and the farmers upris-
ing is solemn protest against this
land-murdering practice as a national
policy. 1t is not in the power of the |
farmers of one or two States to correct |
this great evil. Like making a new
federal constitution, the needful re-
form demands a two-thirds vote Of |
men who Will stick to their integrity, |
and not steal the raw materials that |
form corn, wheat and cotton out of |
their mother earth.
Clearly this is a great moral ques.
ton, and the deeper we advance in sci
ence and all productive labor, the plain
ly do we discover all through nature
and ourselves the vigorous germs of |
what is right and what is wrong in hui
man action. Before farmers can do
what is wise and proper in their art |
and profession, bad laws must be re-
pealed and more enlightened public
sentiment called into force to sustain
the right and join the farmers move
ment IN resisting wrong-doing. Of
course care should be had not to un-
dertake too much at once, yet to do
is to strengthen every power
that works against the farming interest,
and renders it weaker, poorer and more /
than ever before. Labor
conquers all things, but in this case it
must be the labor of millions wisely
combined