National Republican., 1877-10-13
Green Fields and the Moral Of Them.

He told n story rs we sat in the cars; said he:
Sam Truclaw, thrifty old farmer with large
farm Of many bright and green fields Of grass
graius and meadows, and several sturdy, in
dustrio,is sous, had settled In the new world
and was getting along quite prospcrously, ms
his sons worked on well aud hravcly: true, he
was occasionally disturbed and annoyed by
wild beasts and wilder men; but the boys stood
firm, working and fighting, rs occasion re-
quirrd, like true ycomCn, and turning of
pretty good crops from tho rich soil and bright
metals from the rich mines, 50 that the big
farm stood in the highest esteem and enjoyed
the fullest confidence Of all.
Directly some shrcwd and interested neigh
bnrs. under prctrnSe Of relieving the old man S
boys of some Of their hard tasks and work,
proposed to old farmer Truclaw to take upon
themselves the job of harvesting and selling
portion Of his crops for him.
And what security can you give for the
faithful return of the ayails of the cropsI' in
guircd the farmer of these spcculiturs.
"Wcwill give you u mortgage On part Of these
same crops and land which We harvest" said
the ncighbors, and you can keep the intcrcs
aud taxes paid up, while we will save you the
labor and trouble and risk of harvesting and
| marketing the crops which you have planted
and in return we will put only the profits IN
| our own pockets.
| This arrangement was finally made and car
rird on for some years Some of the boys no
ticcd that these agents were getting cnor-
mOusly rich, while they and the old farm were
not getting rid of their incunbmnccs, and
| that In fact the fields were getting no richer
very fast and IL all set them thinking.
| One day, after much reflection, one of the
boys approached the old father, and said
Come to think of it, father, hadn't we better
harvest and sell oil the crops ourselves and
have all the profits, as We have done all th,
| planting, furnished all Of the laud stock, Will
most of the labor? 1t don't seem quite right
to leave most of the profits and control to tn,
renting agents, by which they are making sucl
large fortunes ont of Us. Then we can suppl,
all of our dependents and supporters all they
need, at much 70 u cost to them and to our
selves than thu agents do, while the old farm
will he the gamer, and not run down 50 fast
as il has done of late. Then our agents vii
| not hold aud exercise a depressing and dis
trcssing monopoly on all the ncceSSarrs of life
and business, aud by which our soil become,
| impoverished and our buildings dilapidatcd."
1t the close of this blunt hut wise harlnguC
and equally unexpected, from his youngest son
Farmer Truclaw scratched his head, rrflcctin!
gavcly n little while, and said
Faith, there's something IN these words
the boy is right; he is sensible aud Just; al
ought to have II fair and equal chance in thi
business, and they shall, too: we'll harvest ant
sell M our crops ourselves, and no agent o
tenant shall have special or exclusive right
and powers Of monopoly To control or fOrcstal
the market to the injury Of all Others"
Application: GrccnhackS cost the Govern
mcnt-thc peoplc-only about three per cent
all told for paper, mechanism, clerk hire, is
suing &C., while the cost of money through
the national bank systcm-bcing q monopol,
in the hands of the irw-to the nation and tn,
people, Is some l5 to ~ per cent in the inter
est On the bonds of security. the extra costs o
engraving the high rates of interest paid fo
the use of their notes, &c, while they have tn
power to control and sway the markets an,
business pretty much as they please Now
with old Farmer Triclaw, we think the Gov
ernmcnt should supply its subjects with soun,
currency and in proper abundance at tn
cheapest rates within its power and safety
fhAil we have abundant fields or stintcd ones