The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1883-10-18
Illinois Township.


OCTOBER l5.--I notice your CORES
pendent from Bakers creek does not
feel quite sure that the order of
Brothers Of Freedom will result in
any benefit to the farmer.
There appears to be an idea prev
alent among the non producers and
capitalists that the farmers will not
hold together long enough to accom-
plish anything, and that there can
be no unity OF action among labor
ing people. Whether this is true
remains to he seen, and II true, the
farmer may as well sell his lands for
what they will bring and become the
vassal OF the rich man without furth
er effort.
Our best farmers work hard year
after year and after support ny their
families in the most economical man
ner, they have nothing lett at thu.
end of the year whercwitl To school
their children or increase the fertlli
W of their lanls and the laborer is
scarcely able to keep the wolf from
the door.
While this is the lot of the farmer.
the merchant lives comfortably, il
not in luxury; builds his brick
houses and grows rich; railroads de
clare large dividends on largely wa
tered stock; wholesale and commits
sion merchants grow into million
airs: banks and manufacturing com
panies make fabulous sums OF mon
ey; lawyers wear fine clothes, and
officers of the government live in ell
egance and case.
This is ple-eminently all agricul-
tural country and the farmer ought
to be the most prosperous and indie
pendent man in the world; and lie
and the laborer begin to inquire
Why tins condition of things? And
these efforts at organization are
healthy signs that there is life in
the old land vet" For destroy the
whole race 0! merchants, bankers,
lawyers, politicians and tricksters
and a single year will produce an
average crop Of new ones, but DIES
troy the sturdy yeomanry of a coun
try and YOU doom the country 10 de
cay. When once destroyed they
have never yet been reproduced IN
any country.
| am not one of those who believe
N
not by any manner of means. The
world owes man just what he earns
and no more. ''By the sweat of thy
face shalt thou eat bread" But
when able, industrious people lack
the necessaries and even comforts OF
life in country like this. it is he
cause there is not a fair division OF
lapor
The United States government
every three months makes check
or draft tor 100000 to Vanderbilt,
to pay interest on his bonds. ST.
500, 900 a year, and this is only a
part Of his income.
| do not believe 1T would have
been possible for Vanderbilt. Gould,
Sage, Dillon, or any Of the hundreds
of mlllionalrs of this country to have
acquired this immense wealth. ii the
farmers and laborers who produced
all this hal had fair showing in
the fruits Of their toll. The govern
ment literally legislated this wealth
into the hands OF these men by ex-
cmpting them from taxation and
granting them franchises and tat
contracts, while the farmer aud la
Dorer is burdened with taxation Ia
pay it all. Give the farmer fair
start at the beginning Of the race
and an equal chance on the course
and he will come out all right in the
end, but The capitaiist has so long
had the advantage that it becomes
necessary that the farmers should
have n little Protection" to put him
on equal footing.
j. Il. WHARTON.