Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1880-02-11
American and European Farmers.

The annual address before the New York
State Agricultural Society, recently de
liversd by ex.Gov. Seymour, was in the
orators usual simple, limpid style, pre-
sentinS broad thoughts and the gat aered
fruits OF ripe experience. What Mr..
Seymour said in regard to the advar tages
of American farmers over those Of Europe
seems to be especially significant. After
dwelling upon the relative position of ag-
riculture amongst industries, and its power |
to mold the fortunes of continent and y /
race, he compared the influences Of COED |
haryests here with bad ones in Europe. |
There want and suffering were creeping !
INTO the homes of labor; here the bounty |
OF the harvests was lifting tho burden Of
debt from the people. The statesmanship |
OF the pillow has solved the problems of |
finance which the statesmen of Congress
were cropping after. The sweat Of the
brow, and not the schemes Of the brain,
rescued US from our perpleXities But the
next summer may reverse the situation
may give good crops in Europe and bad
ones hGre--may make us lose all that We
are now gaining. What reason havo wo for
counting upon the permanent fecundity Of
! our agricultural resources, the abiding pros
! perity of our competition in food products
with Europe? Why cannot Europe feed
ltsolt, heretofore, and reject our surplus
! crops? Tins Is the grave problem of the
hour, and Mr.. Seymour proceeded TO re-
/ duce 1t down to its simplest elements
| WheR America was discovered it was en-.
phaticaly now world years voyage
away from Europe. Art and science how.
ever, steamship lines. the telegraph and
the press have moortd the two continents
side by side, grappled the one to the other.
and made them active competitors. Oul Of
this competition new complications have
sprung up IN political economy. A con
iiIct has begun between oar agriculture
and that Of Europe. Oar cheap food sup
plies have not only relieved famine: they
have shaken the entire political and social
fliric Of the older continent Tho Amer-
can farmer completes with the Old World
landowner, and in this contest is bound to
via; FOR, while tho latter has moth ing but
+ prestige and tradition on his side, the
former owns the rich soil 10 ills, and is
not compelled to divide its products with
others What is made upon the Amer can
farm is the farmers own. What is made
l upon the farm in Europe must support NO
three, or four classes, of whom only one
tolls. The tenant does the work. the land
= lord holds tie lease, the middlemen anG
\ agents must have their share, and tina
= church and the army exact their percent
ayes hNcwiso. Add these burdens to the
cost Of European food products, and it j.
, evident at once that they cannot sustain
n themselves against American food products
t Either taxation must be cut of, or rent
Il annihjiatcd, or the tanantry and poasantr,
II must starys. 1t will not save tho tenant
even if they should eat the 1.-THE pig
Something moro nlust be done to save til
q European producer rentals must com
!, down until the tenant gets living snare o
: the proceeds Of his labor, and that vii
q scarcely leave tho landlord anything
y Hence the conflict for food supplies bctweet
e the two continents is not betwsen European
p and American farmers simply, but tatweei
~ European and American lanllands-tt
q tween the Oh and eiieto ysstigcs OF til
teud~l system and the new and ,cifrc!ian
: American hoInestt al :, stem This IS esscr
I italy social and political contest, for tn
succe,, Of our system, which is inevitaLl,
must necessarily dissc inmate the germs {
n revolution throughout the entire polit;ca
r and social fabric OF Europe. Institution
re are not so valuable as life. and institution
Of in Europe must 70 that men may liv,
If Tho Land tenure IL Europe, apd partict
. Larry in England, j. now on trial, wit
= American prosperity and American chea
/ food products bearing heavy witness again,
II K. Oar 'ood products cannot be drive
nj out Of EdIope by taxes, for that will biea
lt dom manufactures. Tho struggle mus
w so an, and it can have but one issue thu
: which the little revolution in Ireland no
already i0rsshadows-the final abolition
- to very large extent, Of the land tenul
: system throughout Europe and the remi
~ sion Of the soil for the most part to j
Is actual tillcr- Bait. SIM