Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-11-26

bIo OuHu Ot DhJn WAS hppotutou W WeN"
arrangements for the meeting at Wells
River, aud Bro VIM Slack Of Norwich to
present the matter TO his grange aud arrange
for the convention at Norwich. The con-
vention then closed in due form 10 meet 10
open session at p. IN.
At 7 o'clock p. m. the convention was
called to order by W. II. Gilmore, and
Deputy d. H. Boyden elected president, and
G.. b. Durgan Of Bradford, secretary for the
occasion. The house was well filed with
many Of the best citizens Of Fairlee and sur
rounding towns. Bro u. II. Jameson was
introduced. He said.
Our country hns many burdens to boar
High taxes,grasping monopolles, extortionate
profits, excessive salaries, defalcntions and
failures to defraud the creditor and make
money. The farmer must bear the whole
burden while the capitalists lift not even
their little finger 10 aid them. Ruin Is writ
ten on our farms everywhere. Roal estate Is
dcpreciating, and farms, mills, mines and
all producing property Is mortgaged to the
capitalists. Should they foreolose great dis
tress would follow. The grange has q nobler
mission than to save the profits of n few arti-
cles rs on tobacco. 1t Is to educate and elc-
waite the farmer and grnpple with giant
wrongs. We are hedged about on every sido
Railroads have one price Of freight for the
spcculator aud another much higher for the
farmer. We do not wish or Intend to drive
any man from, or injurc him IN, any lawful
pursuit but to protect ourselves.
Farming does not pay like other pursuits.
We have comparatively few rich farmers
In England farming pays only by OPP
pressing the lnborer. He must work for
| from sixteen to twenty cents per day to make
farming pay thore. This is all wrong. The
laboIer should receive fair compensation for
| his labor. Previous TO the war Of 81 our
farms were increasing in value. farming paid
well. Many of the luxuries OF to-day were
not to be found in farmers homes. The war
changed the whole scene; farmers made
money fast; they educated their sons and
daughters In the best schools; furnished their
houses in style. and lived rs the spectators
and shoddyites lived. To-day Spectators
profits are large and farmers are small. and
the scene is again changed, and farming
does not pay. We must economist until we
can make farming pay even If II Is painful to
| do so. Taxes must be cut down, unnecessary
| profits cut of from every article we buy.
We must watch all our outgoes, cut of
all extravaganza and all unnecessary
expenses and secure all possible means to
make farming pay. Productiveness makes
farming pny only fair profits. These can be
secured only by intelligent farming economy
in our expenses and fair profits 10 those Of
whom we purchase. That productiveness
alone would not make farming pay, he cited
the fine wool sheep bubble, lumber business
when oyerdoue and our cheese nanuGacto-
ries at the present time. We are robbed to-
day of the profits upon oar products. and
tolled too heavily upon all articles that we
| purchase.
Our sons aud daughters leave the faym be-
cause the OLD homestead Is not attractive
and farming does not pay like other pursuits,
/ Ia 4 "a l.. Al.
and health OF the farmers wife and his chill
dren's health and education. or he impovor-
ishes his farm to reap profits for the time.
| Another reason why farming docs not pay Is
a scarcity of help. Farm ers can not obtain
help to work their farms properly. There
are too many commercial runners, too many
clerks. too many travelling agents, too many
who must be supported by profits drawn from
the farm. Too many leave the farm be.
cause the home and farm Is not pleasant and
attractive. The grange will remedy this.
He cited to prove this the children's picnic
day in tho grange In the west, and how
the children love the day and desire to DO
old enough to join the grange.
| Fashions nre another reason why the farmer
does not prosper. Look ut tho fashions of
to-day and few years ago, when rightly
used fashion beautfied. but to-day il destroys
| the prosperity of the farm. He discussed
fashion at some length, condemning the OK
trcmo fashions Of the day. The grange
mustremedy this extravaganza. Taxes have
become Il burden to us. Our country Is in
| debt, our states, our counties and our cities
and towns nro all heavily bonded even new
towns catch the mania. lie cited AN in
stance of n new town IN the West of mush-
room growth. II built costly public build
| ings and churches, laid out streets and parks
aud many costly improvements, bonded
| heavily for railroads aud all the improve
| 10 Ia
Pile discouraged. One man moved his house
out Of the city limits; another followed aud
another until nothing remained except the
| public buildings and costly improvements.
lie cited cases of towns heavily bonded
| Montpelier, Rutland st Adams, st Johns
bury, Brooklyn with Its S35, 600, 900 OF bonds.
| Virginia and South Carolina so deeply in
debt and taxes so high, many of tho best
plantations could be bought by paying the
| taxes. The land owners must pay the taxes
while the capitalist escapes. So great was
the distress that the state Of South Carolina
! could obtain no credit and ut one time the
Legislature had to go without fire for three
days rs they could not sell bonds enough to
pay for the coal to warm the state house.
He then at length condemned our road laws.
| Excessive damages had been paid for inju-
ries upon the highways. Six months in the
year II was impossible to work upon the
roads. The farmers have to make the roads
and have TO pay the damages assessed, while
| carelessness was the cause OF the greater
proportion OF accidents.
lilo next condemned high rates of interest
Great changes have taken place within a
few years In respect to interest. Not many
years since bankers in Germany received
pay from monied men for keeping their
money. To-day, banks receive from eight
to fifteen, and even twenty, per cent Tor the
use of money and they control the money
| IA
from tho farmer IN the end. Such exces-
sIve interest will ruin the country and make
its credit poorer than the credit of the Jew
who bought bill of goods in the city. As
he could pay down for only part OF them
the merchant added such large profits that
he was safe II the jew did not pay the note
Alter the note WAS given the jew wanted q
present The merchant offered him neck
tie. Tho jew wanted silk dress for hi,
wife. Finally the merchant said he woulr
make him u handsome present over $500
the jews note for the goods. He replied.
would much prefer the necktie. The exces
sive interest We now pay will soon MAXI
notes poorer than tho jews note. u $500
note not worth rs much rs n necktie.
Our educational system costs us heavily
every class except the farmer has schools I,
fit them for their professionals we supper
them and they draw our sons from the farm
where we need them, to fill other vacations
which are already Over-crowded.
Nothing Is taught in our schools concern
ing our farms, soils, culture of fish, bees
sheep. or any kind Of farm husbandry. Oui
schools should teach our sons aud daughter,
to love the old homestead and love farming
Our agricultural college costs from 81 900 Il
s., 900 per year. This should be expended {,
teach knowledge Of farming instead, II l
used to teach lawyers, ministers. doctors
merchants. politicians. commercial runners
all of whom draw their support from tn
farmer These fill all paying positions, Fo
example. Congress has 229 lawyers and onl.
twenty-slx farmers. We have dishonesty ii
high places, bribery. credit-mobiliers an,
farmers fur they are not in COngross-but W
are to be blamed, rs our votes placed thes'
mon in their positions Of trust. We mus
remedy all these things. II Is u great worI
for the grange, something more than +
save profit upon few articles. Some 81
e. l. ~ NJ 4.