The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-04-18

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ess devote more time 10 The use Of the brain
and me improvement Of the mind, and lessto
Weasying aud exhausting mnscular labor, how
can sheg hope 70 successfully compete against
the vigorous minds Of the present ageg his
not the skilful hand, the strong arm, or the
wnichfnl eye alone that will in these days
bring success to the farmer These are need
full, but cullivased, intelligent, active brain to
direct them is Of ten times more importance.
Again / say, we work too much and think
too little. A farmer rises at four o'clock,
gees ont and does the chores among the stock,
chops wood for the day, mends the harness,
and is very industrious. BY breakfast time,
be has got all ready for the days work. All
hands then pitch into severe labor till noon.
Dinner is called and despatched in haste, and
labor renewed till supper. This unavoidable
but necessary hindrance to labor IS hurriedly
performed, work resumed ill darkness com
pels cessation Of labor in the field, and then
the laborers return to the house. A lantern
is procured, by the aid Of which the milking
and other chores are ''done up and by aine
or ten o'clock atnight the ay'swork IS closed,
and the family, tired and stupid, retire to bed,
only on the following day to repeat the same
routine Of slavery. And yet such men are
called good, thrifty, industrious farmers. 1t
is lie a base SANDER to call such stupid
slavery Of body, such starvation Of mind, good
or thrifty, or in any wis .eommendable.
Go into the country, and you will find mum.
berless cases Of men with poor health, crush
ed energies, ruined constitutions, and stunted
souls, and women the slaves Of habits of ex.
cessive labor, more fatal than the pernicious
and aforementioned customs Of fashionable
society. You will find children prematarely
old, with the bright light Of happy childhood
extinguished, and everywhere lack of that
life and cheerfalness which gives to life its
greatest charms. Most of these evils can be
traced directly to overwork. Is such work
necessary or even profitable for a farmer ?
Most certainly not Such work is losing
business, and farmers who adopt that course
of labor will find at the end of the season that
themselves, their wives, and children are worn
and discouraged, and have not accomplished
as much as had been attempted cr expected.
Why? Because they have worked ike oxen
and not like men, and have depended on mus
Gle alone instead of M king it an auxiliary of
the mind, and they treat themselves to theiux.
ury of good, long, hearty growl at members
of all other industries for combining to OPP
press the poor farmer. They growl at the
shoemaker; they growl at the merchant !;
they growl at the railroad; they grcwl at the
commission men; they growl at everybody
and everything that lives by using its wits in
sponging, cheating, and expressing the hard.
woking farmer This horde Of cormorants
are growled at, whined at, and snarled at, be-
cause they filch from the farmer his hard
earned dollars and live in luxury and ease
thereon. Speakers at agricultural and politi-
cal meetings, and writer's in agricultural pa
pers repeat these complaints, and ring the
same charges over and over again, in season
and out OF season, until themselves and most
farmers really believe that the tillers Of the
soil are the most industrious, moral, intelli.
gent, hardworking, abused, persecnted lambs
in the world, and everybody else are wolves,
seeking whom they may devour.
Now, as one who was born on farm, rear.
ed on q farm, has spent the flower Of his days
on farm, and still earns his bread by tilling
the soil, know my brother farmers willforgive
me Il do not follow in and repeat this strain,
but tell plainly the naked, disagreeable truth.
Many Of these complaints are true, and we
ought to be ashamed Of ourselves that such is
the disgraceful fact. Here is class Of people
exceeding any other IN numbers and wealth,
and claiming superior industry, intelligence,
and morality. complaining Of being Cypress
ed. We ought to be ashamed of ourselves,
aud either cease our Boosting or our whining.
Let us take a candid look at the situation,
and see if we cannot discover what is the mat.
ter Let US try and see if there is any good
reason why the great majority should be gov
erned and oppressed by small minority.
In human affairs effects follow causes re-
suits are accompanied BY action, even when
the actors are unseen, Look at our State and
national Governments, and who are the men
to whom we trust this great responsibility
Look at our boards Of trade, industrial expo
sitions, and in fact any great project for the
advancement Of science, art, liberty, orindus.
try, and you win find at IDS head and the NOV
ing spirit thereof lawyer, doctor, preacher,
student, merchant, or, in fact, almost any
thing but farmer. These men rule the na-
ton. They shape the laws; they make the
channels of trade, and place trade in its chan
nels. They build ships, harness steam to
their wagons, make lightning carry their mes
sages they compel rivers to turn their saws,
twirl their spindles, and throw their shuttles.
They use their brains, and mind governs the
world.
Just think Of competing against such men
by stupidity hoeing corn fifteen hours day
and selling it at 20 cents bushel, and then
laying awake nights, growing at railroad men
and merchants. The dog who banks at the
moon comes nearer accomplishing his purpose
than such growler. Why have not farmers
taken a position Of influence and power in the
councils Of the nation and otherwise, in pro-
portion to their numbersand wealth. Simply
because we have not used our brains.
The world pays homage to intelligence, to
intellect, and puts it 10 places of honor, of
trust, Of responsibility. The world is not par.
tial to lawyers, ministers, and doctors, but
the world wants TO use brains, and accepts
shem wherever found, and uses them to pro-
mote its wishes, and If we farmers want to be
placed in the foremost rank in the nation and
in the world five wish to be put in positions
where we can have power to aid our fellows;
il we wish to have influence and make our
mark on the institutions Of the land il we
wish to stand where we can do something to-
wards governing the price Of our commodities;
1--WE wish 70 weigh according to our size in
the scale Of public opinion; If we want to
have farmers in demand for places Of trust
and honor and profit, and for husbands for
beautiful, refined, and intelligent women; II
we want TO escape from our present vassalage,
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