Nebraska advertiser., 1879-07-03
The Agricultural Interest.

which suoslsted uSeIessly as para
site on their industry. Finally they
''struck'-to use a common phrase
and refused longer TO support the
idler. Alas! the tables were quickly
turned and 1t was found that the
wrongly maligned member was the
secret, but modest and quiet support
of the whole of the family; while, in
fact, themselves depended for their
living upon the labors OF their hither-
fo despised co-worker. This story
may be pertlnently applied to the ag-
ricultural industry; but unfortunate
ly, it does not go far enough. This
industry is not only considered as un-
worthy the notice Of the more respec-
table-so usIdered-members of So
ciety, who are supported by II, but 1t
is actually made a prey and spoil by
these, and 1t actually remains passive
and content under their contumely
and oppression. Who ever heard of
threatened strike Of the farmers?
But what terrible result would oo-
cur from a general refusal OF farmers
TO work. The world, like the human
frame, In the fable, would be para
lyzed. The wheels OF commerce
would stop. Mouths would be open,
but there would be no bread to fill
them. The old soakers, even, whose
subsistence consists of beer and whls-
ky, would be forced to come to honest
water, and on the whole, there would
be a sad state of things in one short
week, after the plows were slowed
away, and the farmers glowered sui
lenly but defiantly over their fences
at the hordes of those who have been
so ready to squeeze them. This is no
over-wrought Idea. From the mo-
ment the farmer prepares to sow his
seed, vast army of parasites, (some
may be legitimately so, but the ma
jority or otherwise,) stand eagerly
prepared TO swoop down upon his
harvest.
Let US exhibit tableau: The scene
is in hall which has a narrow mar
BILE entrance In a narrow street In our
largest city where bankers and bro
kers "do most congregate." A stone
stairway leads to gallery projected
with a low bslustrade. We look
down in place beneath which, ex-
cept for want Of the poles In the GEN.
ter, might well be a bear garden in a
geological collection.
There is a crowd Of men wildly ges-
ticulating, throwing arms about mad
ly, shouting and screaming at the top
of their voices; q mad hubbub, In
which not word can be distinguish
ed; q roar as of a vast hurricane
through forest; men dashing down
figures upon slips Of paper and throw
ing these at each other as cages of
deadly strife, as il were. madness
rules the hour" in that room, without
a doubt. What Is the reason? When
we come TO discover this, we find the
"Granger stocks" In Wall street are
booming" upwards. There Is an ac-
tive speculation In them, and prices
are advancing with rush. The cause
Is said to be the bc1ntiful rain which
recently fell all over the Western
country and wonderfully helped the
wheat crop. You may ask, what had
this to do with these leeches which
suck the blood of honest industry
the stock speculatOrs Only this: If
there should be handsome crop, the
railroads would get the lions share
for carrying 1t to market; rates would
go up; pools would be formed mon
ey would be raked into the Golfers of
the railroads and out of the farmers
pockets; dividends would be declar-
ed, and so rise In the values of the |
stocks would result. This may have
been seriously intended, or 1t may
have been a simple trick of the stock
gamblers. Either way, the idea ex-
listed; the farmers were to be victim
lied by means of combination, as
they have been thousands Of times.
So with strikes of all the scores of dis
satisfied wOrkers-all struggling to
get larger slice of the farmers prof |
its, for all these piled-up costs come
out of the handling or the use Of his
crops.
1t Is an unheard-of thing TO see a ]
combination among farmers to pro-
tect their own interests. A partial |
combination a few years ago resulted
in victory for the time being; but,
as in a guerilla and unorganized war
fare, the victorious army melted away
on the very day of the victory, and
gathered no fruits from 1t. The supe-
rior organizations of their opponents |
overcame them, and the usual combi- |
nation fell to pieces and is heard of no |
more except in history. Combined, |
the farmers could rule the world, be-
cause they keep the keys of the pro-
vision chest; without organization,
they are the prey Of every other COM
bination. and fall Victims every time
without q struggle or resistance. In
business. in taxation, In legislation
and in social matters they hold the
position of the under dog in the fight,
because they are not organized so as to
use their strength to exact justice for
-Rtrdy NeJC- Yorker.
Tbo TIpoippoti EToC,,;-o- ioipe IN !