The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-02-03

party to the contract which binds him to
his labor, and he knows that the price
thereafter cannot be altered at the ca
price of is owner. But farmers prices
are constantly changing at the option Of
the buyer, aud we as constantly follow
him in the prices, of what he has to sell.
When the butter buyer offers so much,
that settles it. The hard working farm.
er complains that he is not adequately
paid for his sore hands and aching mus.
cles. 1t might be some consolation il we
thus benefited the toiing consumer, but
he will never establish the price any more
than we. We invite another party to do
this-thc very party who has his fortune
to make out of the difference between
what he pays and what we pay him. -
When we farmers 60 into the market to
SELL we ask softly, "What will you give?"
and when VIC buy, We say, "What do you
ask ~ Ali our lives have we done this
and have come to regard it as legitimate,
but it is actually as ridiculous as it would
sound to US to hear the merchant say to
us, " Sir, | have some dry goods | must
sell and they are ready for the market.
| am anxious to dispose of them What
are you giving to-day for prints and
Jeans ?" "Well, sir, have been giving
from 10 to II l.2 cents for prints, and
60 to 50 cents for jeans but | have been
looking through the market and find i'm
mepse stocks-more than this community
will want. | cannot offer you more than
Jents for prints and 40 cents for jeans"
but my goods cost me more than that
how can | sell them at such figures ?"
81 don't know, sir, but | know there is a
large stock in the market, that you are
owing and must sell to meet your bills
others will sell me all want at cost.
"Very well, Mr.. Farmer take them
perhaps | can live BY dressing my family
in calico and feeding them on corn.meul
and bacon" Now if this scene was of
everyday occurrence, We should think
ourselves in bcdlam, but can any one tell
why it is fitting for farmers and not for
other class?
What shall be done to remedy the
evil? United action OF farmers will do
it-and is it possible that farmers are the
only human beings who cannot act in a
united capacity? Farming is wholly in
dividualized. which accounts for its pros.
tration at the feet of every other craft.
1t is not cieditable to farmers that they
should thus plod along when they own
larger portion Of the country than all
other classes combined, They have been
willing to be controlled by artiul schem.
ers in legislation, reaping prnccly reve-
nues. For want Of organization the far.
mers are taken in detail. Those who
own the country should rule it. General
Banks said said in Congress, in 1872:
"Therc are men in this House who would
be glad to have all the legislative powers
OF the country thrown into the hands Of
bankers. merchant priuccs, speculators,
monopolists, robbers and thieves" Mark
we'll, and it that ia true, let us send bet
ter men. All great human achievements
are the result Of Union, and for farmers
to ignore the agencies that are moving
tho rest Of the world forward, is more
seuseless than to attempt the cultivation
Of their fields without the plow. If
over production is the trouble. let us do
less hard work, but when conditions are
normal, the whole world, ourselves in.
F cluded, will be benefited by all we can
produce. We want union to protect our
interests as farmers to elect legislators
, who are honest and pledged to see that
expenses aud salaries are cut down to
a farming basis to exercise what little
power is left US over railroad charges, so
that roads we have mortgaged our farms
TO build may be compelled TO recognize
that they exist for us as well as We for
them.
t Farmers complain that they are in
bondage. We must be free. Some one
has said that "llell hath no fury like a
woman scorned," and it can De said with
, equal truth tina; there is no fury equal to
that Of the great industrial masses when
they are once aroused 10 earnest. Farm
! ers are honest orderly and quiet. Thoil
, highest ambition is to build churches ed
r ucate their children, and perform all the
e duties Of good citizens. They are as still
as the breeze, but when once aroused they
: may become as terrible as the storm king
0 Like well behaved pack horse, they en-
. dure all the burdens plunderng dema
j gogues pile upon them, but when they be
e gin to stagger under the load, their voice!
e sweep over the land like mighty anC
= awful tornado.
: The speaker here paid an eloquent tri
butte to the patriotism and public spiri
: OF the farmer and the necessity of his av
e ocation to the existence of other classes
II He has no one to blame but himself 70
not giving an exalted dignity to the pro
8 tession upon which ali the world depends
Is The man who respects himself will be re
i spected by others. But the humility o
L. the avocatlon has become so proverbia
e that if politician makes stupid speecI
l. nine in ten will say 'he had better g
I back to the pow," thereby acknowedg
;. ing that nferiorlty OF talent is sufhcien
II for the great science Of farming. But a
'e Irganized policy will give dignity an
Is that power which the farmers should lon
since have welded everywhere. Why
IL he not successful? Because he has nc
20 harnessed science to his pow becaus
y unjust laws have Disseminated agains
'r him aud diminished his means of supper
70 nearly one.half This shrinks the entir
Y business of the country. The laws an
io the monopoly power they create and pre-
70 tect have been sent to impoverish III
Y people, and now he hoped they would b.
Il, gin TO feel that they had killed the goo'
o. that laid the golden egg When wi
IT farmers begin to consider the operation
a these aeic Iare lars
ar Here the speaker followed with stat
Y. ment of the actual cost and the sellir
m price of MAN. patented articles, such !
Sc machines costing sl2 and selling for 81