Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-06-05
The Farmers Political Duties.

In an address delivered before the
Lycoming County Agricultural So
cicty, by Hon. Clinton Lloyd, we
print the following, which we readily
commend to the attention of our
farmer readers
But passing now from the considcra.
ton OF matters incidentally connected
with the farmers occupation desire to
occupy the remainder of the time which
custom has limited for such nn address,
in directing your attention to the sub.
jcct of the conduct of our public affairs,
and the mye readily turn TO this con.
alteration for the reason that IL Is after
all to the farmers we must ever look ns
the great reserve force that can alone
save society from perishine in the battle
and conflict OF the ages. They are the
true Barons of to-day, with power now,
as IN the earlier periods Of English his
tory, TO enforce obedience . their be.
hcsts whenever they shall combine to
give proper expression 20 them. They
arc too the Lprda of the soil, with n per.
maucut stake IN the welfare OF society,
and Ia greater interest IN good govern.
mcnt than any other class, tor they have
ever been the first TO attract the cupid.
lty of desp1ts, and on them more than
any other class has ever fallen the hcav.
lest burdens of taxation in all monarch.
icnl or dc-potic governments. That
there is need Of reform IN all depart.
ments Of government needs 10 political
platform to declare, hut H. j. in vain
to hope for any genuine political reform
from the voluntary action OF any poilt.
ical party. The old darkcy, ~ South
Carolina, hit 1t exactly when asked ii
he was not going to vote for reform,
No. said he: Il isn't. Reform has
been ruuuIn IA lis country chcry year.
and nebbcr got done elected vat" H.
will only bc when the farmers rise up
IN their might and demand Il IL. tones
that viii make political dcmngogucs
Shlvcr ~ their boots, that wc shall ever
see any genuine civil service reform, and
! am especially anxious, / confess. Ia
see this reform begin aI once and like
Charity, begin dt home. The election Of
a Congressman, or even OF a President.
IS u matter OF far less importance To
the farmers OF Lycoming county than
the election OF your township officers.
and yet you get greatly excited about
the former and sutfsT the election Of
the latter to 90 almost by default. We
hear great outcrics, mostly from the
lips oi political demagoguc', about tho
expenses OF the State and nation, and
yet the taxation for these purposes Is a
mere drop 10 the bucket compared with
the expenses of local and municipal
administration. As illustrative Of this
! may mention the fact that a few cy-
cnIugs since q friend Of mine ia VII.
Transport showed me a bin Of taxes
Tor the present year, which consisted
OF state tax about four dollars, county
tax thirty nine dollars, and city taxes
over two hundred dollars. The fact
IL that the stupidity or carclcssucss man.
I!e-tcd IA the management oi our mu.
nic!pal affairs would be utterly inexpli.
cable except that, like the eel ia being
skinned, we have got used TO 1t and
80 don't mind it, Some years ago. while
District Attorney Of this county. made
a careful inquiry a. to the amount Of
money raised for the support Of the
poor and the number of paupers sup.
ported. have not the figures by me
now, but the conclusion | came to was
that with the money raised for that
purpose We might support every pauper
at the best hotel in tho county aud
have surplus at the end Of the year
and the worst Of it was that with all
the expense the pauper was cared for
hardly as we'll as most men care for
their brute beasts The amount il costs
TO keep our highways in repair is al
together too large. II il said the Chi
nese pay a doctor az long as they are
we'll, and stop his pay when a patient
gets sick. Could we not adopt some
such principle in regard to our roads
Let out the roads for a period Of ten
years in each township to the highest
bidder to keep them in repair, and
venture the assertion that II would not
cost one-half the present expenditure
| have seen contractor with force Of
men grading railroad, who, il is safe
TO say, could do more work in one
day than n supervisor with the same
force Of men working out their taxes
would do in ten. We have vastly too
much municipal machinery for the work
to be done. Besides our county officers,
we must have in every township six
school directors, n brace Of overseers Of
the poor, two supervisors, aud in some
townships, many more officers to do the
work that one man could do almost
without the neglect of his private bus.
iness in any degree.