The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-03-05
MEApow GREEN, March >, 1881

~ Ia E.iiiofs Of n, Dcworiutte ID
rocaie 1t is lamcntably the fact that
farmers as class have little legislation in
their favor. As rule combinations By
them to affect the proieetic-l Of their in.
,erests have been difficult, aud Of late years
the great railroad companies have such
powerful Hobbies 10 their employ, that the
farmers, who have no lobby, stand bat
little show for cOunteractins their schemes
Still, as long as the Democratic party, which
Is mainly composed orthe farmers and work
Ing people, is 10 a good majority in Mary
land, il is not too much We had thought
for us to hope that the wise legislation Of
former years. enacted before The great
railroad combinations sxeFted so much
D 7Wer, would not be rushlessly repealed by
Democratic Legislatures, At the behcst Of
the strong monopolics and their allies
however powerful IN position, We con
fcss, however, our faith has been shaken
by the result Of the legislation OF 1880,
when 4 partial surrender of the iatcrg SIS
Of the many in the cattle trade was made
in the interest Of the monopolies aisF
the wise provisions Of State lave en-
acted long ago. when legislation Wss les
Influenced by interested parties than il nov
sometimes i, tie farmer and cattle deal
cr were protected in their right to have a
place Of deposit iof their cattle, ami 10
have them weighed by a disintcrested
State official. sworn To do exact justice TO
all parties, with small cost 10 the owner Of
the cattle, and this protection Of the State
gave universal satisfaction 10 every iatmer
aud dealer, with no loss 10 the State and in
fact with the addition Of considerable rev
enue. which helped to keep down direct
taxation. The mouopolists however, see
cold mine 10. the future, IN what they
call @aHJri,c4iag trade, which, IN PLAIN
language, means giving the entire control OF
this great production, uureseTyediy into
their hands. to be dealt with eventually as
their own interests may dictate. Accord
ingly, powerful lobby vas set 70 work to
affect the repeal Of tho safeguards thrown
around ourinterest BY the wise legislation Of
purer times Il was natural to expect
they would have the aid OF the liepGbii-
cans. whose party action teaches them that
the interests of the Nation are TO be
promoted by building up special interests
and making them a. powerful IN Repnbll
can America as they are in M8harehical
Europe, but il vas not supposed that any
one calling himself Democrat wpnld join
coalition for such purpose. Yet We
find they had powerful aid from direction
where the people had entrusted power, in
the belief that il would be exercised ior
the good Of the masses The legislation
of 1880 has inspired the belief that the
monopolies would ultimately have il al their
own way. and, accordingly, an immense ab
batoir corporation has been formed withrail-
road officials as corp0rators, ready 10 kindly
take the guardianship ofthe people inter
terests in the matter of the cattle trade into
their own hands as soon as the State should
relinquish entirely her control in the prem
ises. Now plain farmer has better insight
into the working of these schemes than
some interested parties in Annapolis might
imagine. aud we trust, Messrs. Editors, that
the false steps into which some Democrats
in the Legislature were beguiled last ses-
sion, may not be beyond the power Of the
State to recall and We hope you, who are
set upon high hill to give the people
/ light, will not be slow in giving warning
to the masses of the danger they are in
from this sort of legislation. We have
been very much pleased with the intelli,
gent communications of Mr.. Bond, Of Cal
vert county, published in your paper, on
the dangers threatening the tobacco inter
ests ia the State, and We hope this com
muhieation and others on the same subject
may be welcomed by you. The people
cannot have too much light, now before II
is too late FARMER.