Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-05-18
A New Denartment.

A bill has passed the House granting
the Commissioner of Agriculture Sec
retary's portfolio and giving him seat
in the Cabinet. This is move that has
been long brewing but never assumed
definite form and shape until the present
session of congress. 1t is, as stated by
some of the daily press, a merited recog-
niuon of the farming class, especially as
it provides the new Secretary of Agri-
culture shall be q practical farmer
Agriculturists have so far had but COM
parative little attention paid to heir
wants although they. as class, CON
stitute the backbone of the nation.
In sentiment then the agricultural
department bill is all that it should be
but sentiment has little to do with farm
ing. Practical common sense can raise
more corn or oats in one season than
sentiment can in fifty, hence the first
question the keen wittcd farmer win ask
is, of what practical benefit will this new
department be and wherein is it des-
tined to be an improvement on the old
plan.
1t is said that the almost unanimous
vote received by the bill in the House
was Indicative Of the Importance attach
ed to it. On the contrary this proves
simply nothing at all. The majority of
the members represent farming constitu-
ences, they are also supposedly not
ayerse to another term. In view of this
fact, their usually keen Yerceptiye facul-
ties are much increased, and each mem
Der is fully aware that should his vote
have been recorded against the bill it
would have been one of the very first
arguments used against him by his ops
pOnents at the next election. As all are
human the importance on this hypothe-
sis of recorded votes falls to The ground.
Undoubtedly many, if moi large ma
jority, of those voting for the measure
did SO under the apprehension that they
were doing the best thing for the agri
cultural interests throughout the coun-
try But there will arise doubts in many
minds as TO whether the same beneficial
ends could not have been obtained under
a moderate enlargement of the present
system without creating a long line of
Salaried officials as does the new bill.
The different departments called for
under the new dispensation could SEEM
ingly have been erected within the pres
ent agricultural confines, under the
supervision of clerks, as to create n
series of high priced offices.
These are points which should have
been considered and not only considered
but determined by practical experiment
before further advance in secretary
! ships and bureaus was made.
Farmers are not children to be pleased
with high sounding title or dazzled
with an official uniform, but they are cx-
tremely alive to anything of practical
benefit. Agriculture and politics do ntt
thrive well together; when they are com
bined one or the other goes to the wall.
The temptation which exists u turn
high official positions to political ac-
count adds much to the danger of the
new departure. practical farmers
may thrive for time but the fear is that
the pressure will be SO great as to make
this clause imperative and this defeat
that which might have been sue
cessfully carried on, in more modest
way. The subject is one worthy of more
careful consideration than has seemingly
been given it, as comparatively nothing
had been heard of the bill until it was
pumped down in the middle of the CON
gresslonal arena. The objections are
not entered in carping spirit but as
suggestions for a careful discussion Of
the merits of the bill by those most
directly interested, the farmers