The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-02-24
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
SPEECH
OF
HON. HENRY L. MULDRO7,
In the House of Representatives, Monday,
February z, 1881.

On the bill I'll R. No 1909 for Department
| Of Agriculture.
Mr. Muldrow said:
Mr.. SPEAKER: / regret that temporary
absence from the Hall while attending t
business of Importance to some of my con
stituents prevented me from speak king OF
the bill reported from the Committee OF
Agriculture to create a Secretary of Agri
culture and to make him a Cabinet officer
/ While my presence would have notchang
ed Impractical result so far as the vote and
passage of the bill is concerned, yet it is my
desire at all times to record myself as a
| friend of this measure, and [ have greatly
desired the enactment of this legislation.
1t was my privilege to introduce the first
| bill in Congress for this purpose. | have
never regretted it; but, on the contrary, |
have every year since then seen in a greater
degree the importance of encouraging the
pursuit of agriculture and doing all that is
possible to elevate it; and no more feasible
plan has anywhere been suggested than Civ
| ing it voice in the executive branch of the
Government.
The recognition of the rights of agricul-
ture is demanded by its great Importance,
and not alone by this, but by every consid-
Grafton ofjustice and good policy. 1t rep
resents 80 per cent. of our population and
about 80 per cent of our property. The
means now invested in agriculture is estima-
ted at more than 81, 000,000,000. Napoleon
called it the body and soul of the Empire OF
France. 1t is that to America. 1t is the
life of commerce, and it turns the wheels OF
manufactures. The anvil and forge, the
workshop and the storehouse, are alike de-
pendendent on it.
In commerce it furnishes more than 80
per cent. Of our exports, Cotton alone fur
nishes two hundred millions every year, or
about one-third of our entire exports. But
for cotton our foreign trade during the last
four years would have heen largely against
US. 1t is mOckery to compare It with any
other industry or interest in our land. 1t
pays the greater part, either directly or in
directly, of the entire taxes of the country,
both State and Federal. Our farmers pay
to-day for the protection of manufactures
five times as much as do those of Great
Britain, four times as much as France, six
times as much of those of Germany, and
more even than those of monarchical Russia
or Spain.
Yet with all these immense taxes to pay
and with all this vast interest to protect,
the Department of Agriculture to foster
this industry, has no voice in the sugges-
ton of wise and wholesome laws in its own
interest; nor has it the means of pointing
out vicious legislation as to it that has been
passed by Congress, and which should be
vetoed by the President. There is the same
warrant in the Constitution for the creation
of the Cabinet position that there is for
several that now exist 1t is no reply to
say that there is no express authority in the
Federal Constitution for it until several
that now exist have been abolished. The
people are moving on this subject, and their
power will be felt. They have sent their
petitions here by thousands asking for the
passage of this bill. Individually and
through their organized bodies the farmers
of the country demand it. Their petition
is urgent and respectful, their demand is |
reasonable, and it is now only question of
time when their wishes shall be fulfilled.