The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1880-03-25
agricultural.
For the Marietta Journal
wHY,FARMING DOCS NOT PAY..9

For the Marietta journal.
wHYgFARMING DOES NOT PAY.'
Some one has said, "Pre> eminent
among the arts and for surprising
them all is agriculture" aud another
has truly said, "that agriculture is
the basis of all o'her interests, and
that the full development of its re
sources are the great guarantees oil
an enduring prosperity This be-
ing fact, which we presume meme
will deny, it is then true that nc
Government should so legistate as to
Cypress this, its highest interest,
which, unfortunately for ua, is not
so in our Government 10 a country
ike ours, with such abundant res
sources, agriculture might sustain
itself without any protection IT lett
free from oppression, bu; the agri-
culturist is oppressed by class legis
Iation. Almost every other industry
is protected by protective tariffs, to
the oppression of agriculture. This
is strikingly so in the manufacturing
interests. If we are not mistaken
the per cen,sge realized from capi>
tai invested in agriculture is put
down at 2 to per cent. Now will
capital invested in all the manufac'
turing industries pay a better per
cent. without protection We think
it would more than double it. But
the capitalist with his hundreds of
thousands of dollars must have class
legislation so be can make from 10
to rs per cent. on his capital. Our
legislature should remember that the
farmers are consumers, as well as
producers, and that all these protec-
tive tariff laws compels the farmer to
nav more for every thing he con
sumes. a tariff on bis iron and steel
and everything else he consumes,
from the hat on his head to the shoes
on his feet, this is injuring the
greater interest of the county to
build up less, aud making one class
the least able to support the other,
which is one reason Why farming
does not pay. The next reason, we
give, is like unto it, CHASE taxes or
taxation, that is direct tax, not
tariff.
Here comes 10 the manufactures
again or many at leset in Georgia,
whose capital is not taxed at all,
though they own hundreds of thous
ands of dollars they are paJ ing
nothing for the support of the coun'
ty or state government, while they
are realizing perhaps, from 10 to 20
per cent. on their investment. Also
the capitalist, holding his millions in
government bonds t. ee of tax, while
the poor farmer is taxed n every
thing he has, from the mule that
pulls his pillow down to the last pig in
the sty, and from the furniture IL
his parlOr, if he is fortunate enough
to have any, to the last dish in the
pantry.
Another reason we give of like
nature, why farming does not pay
better. and close this article, land in
our next propose TO give different
cless of reasons), which is Patent
Rights. There is much said in tbese
DAYS of labor saving machines. Well
much has been done in this line, but
of little benefit to the planter, as We
will sec by closely investigating this
thing. By the protection granted
by the government to the inventor
10 patent rights, the one who buys
and uses these machines whatever
they may be, has to pay from one
third to one half more than he could
make or have them made for, bat is
prohibited from doing SO on account
Of the patent right. A pillow that he
has to pay ten dollars for could be
put up for five dollars, and the
maker realize fair profit on his la
Dor, SO on with tho grain drill, seed
planter, cultivator, reaper aud
thresher, all at such prices as to
amount to a prohibition with many
of the poor farmers, and these who
are in more favorable circumstance
are deeply bled when they purchase
them. Patents we think ought to
be granted to the inventor and that
they should be we'll renumerated for
their labor and skill, but they should
be well limited in profits as we'll as
in time.
To illustrate, we will take the Ia
Dor saving sewing machine, which
has been sold all over our land, from
seventy five to one hundred and
twenty fie dollars, which could have
been put up and sold at fair profit
at fifteen to twenty-five dollars, i
there had been no patent, and made
and sold as other articles Of mer'
chandise. All these put together
eat up all the per cent ibe farmel
can make on his capital. NJ.
--~s -<eap>- s--------------