The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-04-08
How 20 Handle legislatures.


| [ have neighbo who is one of
our best farmers, intelligent, skill
full, industrious, prosperous, whose
word is as good as his bond, kind
and agreeable neighbor, and influ
entail and useful citizen-an acqui-
sition in my neighborhood-but he
is a democrat. | have another
neighbor who is like unto him in
every respect except that be is re-
publican. | have third neigh Dor
similar in all respects, but be is a
reformer of the most jealous kind;
believes in smashing up things gen.
orally and taking new start on a
| broader and more liberal plane Of
| action than any on which the law
making forces of the land have yet
moved.
These men are most excellent
members of the community. They
are what you might denominate
strong, able men, intelligent, we'll
| educated, OF pronounced opinions,
and are able to back their opinions
with reasons. They are far ahead
of the average number of State leg
islators, in ability, general inteIli-
gence and back bone. Moreover
they are all agreed upon those mat
ters that most nearly concern the
farming interest of the State
transportation, taxation, quaran
timing diseased stock, etc. Neither
OF these farmers have ever been
elected to a legislature or ever will
be, for they have too pronounced
views, and are too strong men for
the position, because that strength
might be used to weaken the foun-
dation walls of the temple in which
his neighbor worships.
One is a democrat. one a repub-
lican, one a reformer one, a Catho-
lie one Methodist, one a Presby-
terian, one a prohibitionist, one an
anti-prohibitionist though a tenn
perance man, and another license
man.
All good farmers, good citizens,
good neighbors and all agreed upon
questions tending TO promote the
real material interest of the farming
community. Neither can go to the
legislature, for there are two against
one and in about the same ratio
will the vote hold good on general
principles; and between these strong
men a weak and inefficient man who
lacks backbone and conscience and
who has no pronounced opinions on
any question, wriggles into seat in
thelegislature and become law ma
ker. Where is there q neighbor-
hood in which there is not the coun-
terpart of mine? l would put one
of the strong men in the legisla-
ture if l could, and do away with
the lobby, but the experiences of
the past give no assurances that
this is likely to come about and
as the weak are liable to yield to
the strong [ would put the strong
man in the lobby, which | can do,
and put his strength against that
other strength that other interest
put into the lobby to influence
weak legislators. I am not saying in
these articles what | would like,
but trying to get at what we can do.
Other interests long since found out
where best they could concentrate
their force, and they have not been
slow about using it, while farmers
have looked on and growled and
done nothing because they did not
approve of that way of doing things.
[ would say to farmers you have
now farmers legislature. What
has it done, or are they likely to do
next year only to show their weak
ness? But even that weakness, if
we would back it up with genuine
strength, might be made available
for advancing our interest; but left
to itself it only becomes the machine
used by other interests, inimical to
our own, to work out their own sell
fish purposes. Farmers are scores
of years behind other interests and
other professions In their knowl-
edge of legislation and the modes
and methods by which laws are en-
acted and placed upon our statutes
books.
Does the banking interest re-
quire legislation or to prevent
legislation, republicans, democrats
and reformers alike agree upon an
able, energetic, strong lobby, with-
out any regard to its political make
up, aud so the railroad interest. 1t
selects the smartest, ablest and
most subtitle reasoners, men of
power, magnetic men, we'll trained
and we'll paid, and places them in
the lohoy to do their work. Other