Litchfield enquirer., 1880-01-29
How a Farmer Views Things.

questions discC ssed are Of great importance Cit ser;rIs tn us of far aaore importance. than thos of State Rights. and the Currency. which are rna''e ihs pnlitical issues of tolday3. Thes. questions involve the two great principles up. on which our government is supposed t. be founded-Liberty and Equality. Theoreti- cally we are born free and equal :" but from the time the sons or daughters of wo:singmep or farmers are laid in their cradles till tie time they are laid in their graves, they have an unequal struggle. What farnlers son or daughter twelve years of age, of ordinary in telligence, does not appreclate the fact, that they do not hold an equal position witt. the sons and daughters ofpeople of other oecupa- ; tions: And, later in life now painfully are they reminded of the fact as they meet those with whom they have associated on the play ground, and in the class. Those who were their interiors, so long as they had equal op portunities now pass by them with scarcely sign of recognition.
 The Governor begins by referring to the in- creasing tendency of young men to leave the farm. May not one reason be found in what we have just stated? He says that our bright est and best young men and women have gone out from their rural homes to swell tie in- creasing number of some more favored locali- ty. May not an additional reason be found in the fact that those who leave the farm are generally considered tEe brightest, and those who stay, the dull and stupid? If young man decides to become a lawyer or merchant, does he not take higher position in society and in the general estimation, than If this same young man had decided, as many do de < eide, to stay upon the farm? The message further says: .-
 ''If any man and hIs wife here in this state, starting on farm, will put forth the same de- gree of industry that would be required on farm in any part of the Vest if they will live with the same economy, will undergo the same fatigue, and suffer the same self-denial. will wear no better dress, will indulge in no more amusement; in other words, if they will live here as they would be compelled to live there, they can certainly build up fortune much more readily here than there"
 What is to be inferred from this? Clearly this: that if a farmer makes money he must work hard, live poorly, dress poorly, forego recreation in short, live like brute beast It is all too true. But is it just ? Why should the farmer, on whom rests the whole support Of nation, be obliged to live thus in order to make little money, while the merchant the lawyer, the banker, and the like, who are at best only necessary evils, are, not only able to- make money, but at the same time to live. well. dress well, and give their children the advantages of education and society? The old plea of special talent will not do as too pany of our most successful men have come from the farming and working classes. In fact, one can hardly point to great American without designating the son of farmer or working man. Is it more than fair, then, to claim that the average farmer is equal in nat ural gifts, to the average of these occupa- tions2 We doubt fin all New England there is 6 single farmer worth ten thousand dollars who made his money purely by farming. and at the same time lived we'll, dressed we'll, and gave his family good advantages. Perhaps some will consider this a, wild statement, but we think facts will bear it out.
 We were once talking with an old lady who claimed that farmers could make money. As an example, she mentioned a certain wealthy farmer. We asked her how he made it. She said he made little by farming and then in- vested 1t, Cor words to that effect) '"How then, we remarked, 'dd he make it by tarm- tng?" He certainly did not neither have most of our "well-to-do" farmers. Those who did not inherit property have made it as most money is made, sad to say, by lucky trade or by speculation, not by pure farming
 On the daughters this burden of disadvan- tage falls perhaps the heaviest. How can daughter of poor farmer living at distance from schools and teachers though she have gifts equal with the best, utilize those gifts unless possessing the constitution, persever- ence and we might almost say pugnacity, of bulldog. For she must not only battle with poverty and the natural disadvantages of her situation, but with the adverse currents of so. ciety.
 To allay this discontent, this Tendency of young farmers to Ego west" or to engage in other business, it is proposed that the Board of Agriculture, disseminate the knowledge that the farmers can live here better than anywhere else in the country! In another place, regarding another matter, the message says, "The very great majority of farming npOnIn Qt ;, circumstances. They do not own their farms clear of indebtedness" What stronger argu- ment could be offered against the financial prosperity of an occupation than this, that the great majority of it's followers are poor, or in moderate circumstances If this could be said of the lawyers and doctors, how many would become lawyers and doctors? What could the Board of Agriculture show. then, ex- cept that, as farmers, their prospects are mighty poor everywhere.
 Out of population of fifty millions, we |doubt if there are what would amount to much over five million able-bodied farmers-one producer to nine non-producers. True, many of these are engaged in occupa- uons uHectiy Tn ald Of the producer. But all together too great proportion have no busi. ness or are engaged in non- producing occupa- tions
 Perhaps it is argued that the business of farming IS overcrowded as we'll as others. If so, why should not our unoccupied lands be occupied ? If half the colony that landed at hol
 would 1t be claimed that that were good and sufficient reason that the other half might sit by idle? Certainly not Is it more true in this larger colony of the United States This, It seems to us, is just the trouble, here; there are too many sitting on the fence, looking down on those at work, and coolly telling them to be industrious and economical, while they spend with free hand the goods, the ad. vantages their hands or heads have not earn