Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-29

The bill introduced in CoDgre 81 to estab-
| lish agricultural bureau, and 10 make the
I chief officer to be appointed by the President
j member OF the cabinet, is attracting con-
siderable discussion throughout the country
1t must be confessed that our govern
ment is already cumbersome ard I'M
wieldv on account Of the multiplicity
of offices and the army of 2OO,O 900
officials. The whole machinery of the
government should be remodeled 50 as TO
reduce the force Of office-holders to less than
one-half its present number; but while lop-
ping off useless expenditures, the government
should foster and protect the great agricul-
tural interest OF the country. The bill 10
create the agricultural bureau is a move in
the right direction. II we have
cabinet officer to lock after our
rotten navy, and to preside over
the interior department, the government
should certainly bestow some attention to
agriculture, Ihe greatest and most i'm portant
OF all our interests The farmers have in
their hands the staff of life. They are the
growers OF food for the human family;
without the application and distri-
button of their labor the consuming classes
would perish, the world would starve. The
necessaries Of life must be obtained regard
less of cost. They are far beyond capital in
yalue-more precious than gold, or gems, or
rubes-for, while the former give life
and nutriment to the craving appetite,
the latter, with no vital or life
giving qualities about them, lie dead in the
filthy gutter as useless and as indigestible as
so many stones. Money is not as necessary
food; may live without the one, we
cannot live without the other. The class
that suffers most by monopolies and protec-
tive tariffs is the Observation-Disclosures great
underlying foundation and origin of all our
national prosperity-and the people should
see to it that this great interest be protected.
An agricultural bureau, presided over by a
cabinet officer, is necessary for this purpose.
American labor is in the grain fields of the
Northwest and the cotton plantations of the
South; but only the manufacturer and the
factory hands are protected. An agri-
cultural bureau is wanted 10 show
the needs of agriculture. There is
not thing that moves or has its
being-not a man. woman, or child that
breathes upon the face Of the earth, not an
atom of existence in the whole universe of
matter-that does not draw It's nutriment
from the bosom of mother earth. There
fore since all others, aud every thing,
is dependent on the tillers OF the soil they
should occupy an exalted independence.
But they have permitted capital, monopolies
and all other interests and classes to devise
and to put into operation artlully conceived
schemes and fashions of trade which make
them totally dependent on others. The agri-
culturists of the country demand a change.
They insist that if there is navy depart
ment with a cabinet officer to keep in
few decaying vessels from sinking, and an
interior bureau with a cabinet officer to dis
tribute rations for the benefit OF few saw
ages, there should also be bureau pre-
sided over by member of the cabinet for
the protection of agriculture, the greatest
and most important interest, known to civil
liZation