Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-10-13


raising revenue from where it now rests
and convey 90 large an amount to be
provided for by a direct tax on the
property of the farmer. II is the visible
property of the farmers which constitute
,hree-fifths of the taxable valuation of
this State. The expense of the National
Government is seven dollars for each
inhabitant, and the farmers demand that
this sum shall be raised largely OH duties
on foreign liquors, luxuries, etc., and
not OIL the nccessaries of life. do not
propose to speak today OH protective
tariff, for have no time.
The great industries of the country are
dependent for success OH each other, and
there must be mutual protection and ell
couragement. The tariff is a subject
which has long engaged the attention OF
the best talent and most experienced
! statesmen of the country. IL is now one
of the principal questions before us in
hich the farmers are more interested
than is any other cl;i>>. GA account of
their numbers and the valuation of their
property. Ii is "A great question of po-
Iitical economy. Farmers, discuss it as
such around your tiresides, in the Grange,
not as partisans. but for the sole purpose
of better understanding of great ma
tional law and its important bearing
upon agricultural pursuits. Temperance
and prohibition are important questions.
You know that people hold different
views in regard to them. But am salts
fled that the great farming interest of
this country is in favor of the rigid en-
forccment of all those laws that will him
der, and if possible, prohibit the sale of
intoxicating liquors. lntemperance tells
It's own sad story and paints its own pic
ture. We know that i'll the county
towns very little intoxicating liquors,
and none in a large majority, are sold.
We find, therefore, i'll the country towns,
less pauperism, less crime, and less dis
tress, and there is generally more intelli-
gence, more morality, and a higher
appreciation of law and order.
also desire to say to the farmers
that l believe they are better pre-
pared than any other class to under
stand and to act unitedly in all the great
questions of public policy before them.
Farmers make the best public men. | re-
member of reading in Greek an incident
which illustrates this fact. Herodotus,
the father of Grecian History, lived nearly
five hundred years before the birth Of
| Christ. He gives the following historical
| fact: In the IOuian Sea are many islands.
There are two bearing the name of Parian
and Miletus. The vocation of these an
cient people who inhabited these islands
was farming. The inhabitants of Miletus
had been for long time afflicted with
| internal discords and discussions, which
destroyed the harmony and peace of the
| whole population. The people of this
island finalIx cnntrht ho int of
theil neighbors, the husbandmen of the
island of Parian. who were prosperous
and happy under judiciOus laws and a
wise local government. A committee of
arbitration and adjustment was selected
| by the inhabitants of Parian island to
visit Miletus, and those selected accepted
the commission and Immediately entered
upon its important duty. They found
the island of Miletus in a perfect state of
confusion and misrule. The first request
of the commission was to examine the
condition of the farms of the inhabitants,
and, as they went along on this tour of
close observation, they made note of
the names of the owners of farms
whose lands were under good cultivation
and showed evidence of judgment and
thrift, which was not the condition of
all. When they had completed their
investigation and had gathered all the
material facts, they called together the
inhabitants of the entire island of Miletus
to make their report. The result was
that the administration of the affairs of
that disOrganzed community was ell
trusted to the care of those husbandmen
whose lands were best cultivated and
managed, thereby illustrating and en-
phasizing this principle and correct
axiom: that they who take the best care
of their own business can be safely en-
trusted with great public interests.
These farmers thus appointed we're COM
missioned as public officers, and peace
and tranquility were restored. AS far
as practicable, those are the best men
to be trusted with the affairs of govern
ment, who, like the Parian farmers in
that Grecian island. can establish good
government by virtue of having a bust
ness which, by constant employment, has
made them individually prosperous.
Thereby all candidates for office are
better prepared for responsible public
duties.
The farmers need an organizations
They represent the larger part of the
population of our country, but they have
lived isolated and alone. Your distin-
guished President, in his opening re-
marks, introduced me as the chief officer
of the Grange. And desire, as the
representative of the Maine State Grange,
to speak to you few words i'm regard to
the advantages of that organization.
You know that the interests of that So
ciety are in the hands of the farmers, as
the long list of members indicates, repre-
senting every State in this Union. Now
if the Grange is in the interest of the
farmers, who should sustain it but that
class of citizens? The farmer heretofore
has beeD 30 much isolated. There has,
therefore, been no substantial unity.
There have been no private conferences,
which always result in good to those that
confer and associate themselves together.
There should be associated deliberation,
a power to enact and disposition to exc
| cute. We know that in the whole civil
lied world, particularly in our large
cities, the merchants have large and costly
buildings in which they gather every day
for the purpose of consulting in regard
to what is for their interest and what
| they shall do in order to make the most
money. Ministers have their associa-
fionc l,xuyoro aud Io,tnre bara ,Lo;r