New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-05
aF1RNERg COYGREsS.y

Experience justifies suspicion of any thing
called Congress" The last one at Washing
ton stained itself indelibly with the malodor-
Gus muck of unmapped rivers and harbors.
1t is fitting, but foolish, that any bad lot OF
illegitimate agricultursts," willing to make
an easy living without honest labor. should
band themselves under the same imposing
but unsavory name. &c. some months since in
st. Louis, we had self-constituted Forestry
Congress" of seekers after public funds, and
more recently, in Montreal, fresh outbreak OF
the scarlet rash showing the same old "appro-
priation" py@mia. And now comes another
Congress" of the horse-leeches of alleged
husbandry, spontaneously generated and with
out obvious excuse for being All at once,
without fair warning, out of the thick darkness
as it were of some back street shades it bulged
on the public eye to the surprise and discOm-
fort of that visual member, and prompted the
indignant interrogutives "Whenceq' and
Wherefore
AS is usual in such cases, this National
Farmers Congress" " is Differed by individuals
whom we have never happened to hear of as
in the most remote way connected with agricul-
ture. For all we know to the contrary, they
may be veritable pack of Dundrearies, who
""neyer saw the country, 'pon honor" But
the subordinate, honorary and uninfuential
places are ably filed. There is a long list of
vice presidents from every State in the Union,
among whom we recognize many gentlemen
widely known and justly esteemed in the great
rural circle The same is true of six com.
mittees, one of which, that on Education, in
cludes DIR. G. G.. Caldwell. That eminent agri-
cultural chemist and college professor informs
us that he was "never applied to for permission
to use his name in connection with this thing;
that, In point of fact he never heard of it till
he saw a newspaper notice and he adds:
probably many other names have been used
in the same way" No doubt of that. Con-
scienceless schemes of This sort would steal a
good name with as little cOHpunction as they
would fish an unprotected purse. Built, then,
on basis of lies, it is fair to conclude that the
superstructure is fraud.
But, What's the game 20 The programme
declares that they will recommend to Congress
the carrying out of their suggestions. Indeed
And they wish TO take q hand in The I'M
prOvement of the Mississippi and its Tribu
taries " ! Does the reader suspect the presence
of a mouse in the NEAL a muskrat in the
mud? And they will "examine the farm
machinery as exhibited at the st. Louis Fair"
Brilliant conception, with money in it How
easy, for example, to take a thick slice from
some gullIble agent of an ensiiage cutter " in
dorsed by the National Farmers Congress
Or fire gid Il patent pitchfork for gold foil
Or help raise the wind for a fan mill, and q
consideration. Or share illegtimate eggs by
heartily commencing to poultry keepers"
soTe incubating Balm anxious to feather his
nest They are at 1t" during these mean-
choly autumn days in st. Louis, and will live
and prosper if inventors and manufacturers
represented there Will act seasonably, and
"come down" like the leaves. And recent
press dispatch announces that this National
Farmers Congress" has passed resolution in
favor of making the Commissioners of Agricu-
ture n Cabinet officer Why cert'nly. They
ale congenial spirits. They beat as one. But
surely the Congress" idea is being over
worked. Sometime it's cruel lnstigators will
share the fate of the miscalculating mule that
fooled with threshing machine run by steam.