The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-07-10
FARMERS Brains.

One distinguished agricultural "Ii'0i
saws the best fertilizer a farmer can use,
is. farmers brains, 1t is an invarlable la"
of our being that every attribute and fac
ulty we possess is developed and made
useful just in proportion AS it is properly
exercised. Why should farmers have brains
if they viii not use them? But they may as
well not have them if.hey have no purposes.
In underground lakes where the fish have
no use for eyes they have none. Thus
Nature economies her gifts, bestowing
lavishly on those who will improve them,
but withholding from those who will not
use them 1t is related in the Koran that
when Moses came to- the jewellers by the
Dead Sea they sneered at him and spurned
his ministrations and so he withdrew, but
Nature and her rigorous teracities did not
withdraw and this people by not using
their souls lost them and became apes.
Farmers unvexed and unbiased by con-
siderations that influence and shape the
action of mercantile and professional men.
are more capable of taking advanced and
correct views upon the great question OF
State than merchants. bankers and others
who make up what is called "the business
community" The fact is, business men
look at every thing from a business point
of view and hold themselves in readiness
to seize and control legislation and every
thing else that can be operated to their
advantage. And yet 81 per cent of them
fail in business and Notwithstanding their
struggles fall into the maelstrom of bank
ruptcy and leave deficit for the laborlng
class to make good. They have been
smart as business iiien-tOo smart-tor
their short sighted business policy that
secures SO many favors, Legislative and
otherwise, for themselves at the same
time cripples the producing interests and
as d consequence brings disaster, the bur
den of which is laid heavily on the shout
ders of farmers and those who had no hand
in Us creation. Upon the farmers resi-
the responsibility OF preserving the insti-
tutions Of this country, they have both 4
head and a heart that insures safe con
suct of public affai S. If they feed all and
pay their own and others bill, not with a
per cent but at their full face does it not
become them to see that important public
trusts are no longer left in the hands OF
men, 50 much less capable than themselves?
The political world has 20 place for the
farmer or his interests except so far a.
they can be used for their own promotion.
The farmers are only great ciphers to be
used to multiply and increase the import
ance of other classes who regard them
selves the significant figures of the land.
1t is true that a cipher with no value in
itself will give increased value to another
figure when placed on the right side, but
farmers also have a significance of their
own as was seen few years ago in the
West, when they accomplished some very
valuable railroad legislation, and recently
England was revolutionized by the same
agency, in spite of the political and money
power. Everywhere we find The industrial
element, in all parties, intensely dissatis-
ment, and a belief is rapidly growing that
since the farmer, with all the disadvant-
ages under which he labors is able to man
age the farm and support the world be-
side, that he has the brains and should or
ganize for the defence of his social, tinan-
cial and political interests. When lie shall
have done this, all other interests will be
safe because when he builds for himself he
also laws the foundation for the prosperity
of all others.
The capital of farmers is their time and
their ballots. They can employ their
time wholly at manual toll under direction
Of somebody else or-they may make use OF
their brain, and the ballots which are a
mightier weapon than-the sword; a weapon
which in the hands of the American farm
er, used inteligently will make him the
author of his countrv's greatness. The
ballot is precious heritage and every
farmer should with the intellect God has
given him use it properly, and not be ca
joled or cheated out of 1t by the loud
mouthed, ranting politician who goes IN
and down the earth telling the people. at
their expense, what to do Farmers have
only so many days and SO many privileges
they can call their own. Will they use
them for themselves or will they continue
to throw them away on the party hacks
who are robbing them and DESTROYING the
hopes of their posterity? Partisan service
cost the farmers millions of dollars every
year. in time and money, 10 say nothing
of the infinite mischief done to society. to
temperance and to religion by DESTROYING
the good feeling hat should exist among
and characterize all the acts and associa-
tons of farmers
But reform never begins in high places.
and when the blow is struck it will be
struck by farmers, common everyday
farmers, who feel the need of it and have
the manhood to say SO, Those who may