The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1882-11-03
BREAD-GIvERs UNDER The BAN.
Wees Of Senator Vance The Farmers
Should Combine.


ShouM Combine
Senator Zebulon b. Vance, of North
Carolina, delivered the address at the Bal
timorc County (Md) Fair last SAtIrd1y
aud 10 the course of it said
Strange to say, the owners Of this great
expanse Of fertile lands and the producers
OF all this wealth on which the world dc.
ponds, arc the victims and the prey of all
other classes Of society. The consideration
given them and the influence exercised by
them are by no means proportioed to their
numbers, intelligence, Or usefulness. 1t is
a remarkable fact that the remuneration of
the farmer aud the farm laborcr is smaller
han that Of any 81 her =rade. in human ia>
dustry. Tn all lands it. is honorable to
plough, but everywhere all other men are
better paid than the ploughman. All men
who handle the ploughmans products get
rich faster than. he does in making them
The commission merchant, the carrier, and
the distributing factor far outstrip him in
the race for wealth. Their palaces are
built aud obtained from his labor, and tn
great monopollcs fatten upon the sweat Of
his face. The farm labore.' who works in
the sun receives on the average SO cents
per day, while the man who lifts his grain
on shipboard or into the warehouse receives
81 per day. The man who feeds our bod
les receives about onehalf that is paid to
him who clothes or adorns them. He who
furnishes us with the neccssaries of life is
infinitely worse paid than he who furnishes
us the 1uxuries. The inequality does not
stop here. 1t has become the custom to
shift on mis- shoulders all the heavy burdens
which he can be made to bear. 1t is re.
ccived doctrine with large portion of the
world that those who manufacture clothing,
implements, Ne, are justified in levying
taxes most grevcus and unjust upon those
who manufacture food. They are made the
beasts of burden of society. Instead of ad.
ditional honor, there is a positive penalty
imposed upon the growing Of bushel of
wheat or an ear of coru. s.!uisc or SUI.
garcoat it as you may it comes to this
that the bread giver is under the ban.
People affect to favor him, but in truth they
use and plumber BIN Yet the value of
this class is almost equally great in the
maintenance Of our polilic,l institutions as
to the feeding of our bodies The very
nature Of their business tends to make them
couservSttse and Independent Fey co6E
stitutc the safest repository Of the theories
of freedom, the securest of war,lens of law
and order, No strikes, no communism. no
riotings or incendiary burnings can arise or
continue among the homes of the farmers.
Sudden changes in church or State. and all
experiments, new or startling, have small
chance with them 1t is we'll worth the
while Of our best thinkers to inquire why
things are thus with the man of the fields,
and why it is lis importance is not more
esteemed. There is something wrong in
the constitution of. our society. Where is
it, and what is it. Is it in our legislation
In part it undoubtedly is: though, after all,
with us legislation but follows public opin.
ion. Public opinion must, therefore, be
corrected. To the farmers of America,
therefore, I say you can shape this opinion
and mold this legislation. You are in a
vast majority. Agriculturists must cmanci.
pate themselves, by education, by organiza-
| ton, by combination. The manufacturers
promote their interests by close and eff2ctive
association, the banks combine o!lensvely
and defensively, the railroads pool against
their customers and smother competition,
and the merchants keep the best talent of
their profession in organized boards con-
stan,ly on the lookout for the interests of
trade. In truth, the tendency of the age is
to the concentration of wealth, power, and
business control in the hands of a few, and
to systematic all departments of affairs
under great central heads The only sue.
cessful way to fight the evils of centralixa.
tion over any one department is to organize
in like manner rival department When
capital becomes sufficiently powerful to sue
cessfully conspire against the laws of politi
cal economy, the monopoly can only be dcs
troycd and the blessings of competition
restored by counter combinations. The far.
mers OF every county in tho United States
should have local board of intelligence
and every State chamber of agriculture,
composed of their abiest and most active
men. There is another matter to which the
attention ut the farmers might well be
called. Much Of the class Legislation ot
CONGRESS and the States !. - oo,,.d be- ,L