The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-03-31
WESTMINSTER, MD.
SATURDAY, MARCH 81, 1883.
Farm Labor in Maryland.

Our respected contemporary, the EdSton
Ledger, takes issue with-the Advocate
on the labor question, and does not relish
our advice to the young men of that sec
ton to take hold with their own hands in
stead of abandoning the soil of their fathers
and going elsewhere to seek their fortunes,
and in other occupations than that of agri-
culture Tt'coufd not resist the opportunity
to indulge in little pardonable buncombe
by saying that the young men have taken
hold with their own hands already. This
may be true, of very many of them, but
many others have gone elsewhere to seek
livelihood at any other employment but
that of the farm. Baltimore city is crowded
with Eastern Shoremen, young and old.
The west teens with them, and many are
to be found IN the south But for the
emigration from the Eastern Shore, her
farms would have been divided and sub
divided and studded with new buildings to
accommodate her increased population, and
her broad acres would be as fruitful as a
garden in every part of her domain
Much has been accomplished, as it is; but
much more might have been accomplished
if her sons had chung with unfalterlng
fidelity to her faithful bosom. The Ledger
says:
at would hardly do for our friend, the
editor of the AdrOcdte, to come over on the
Eastern Shore on missionary trip to teach
the people that 'honest toll upon the farm is
Mt once the most honorable and independent
of avocations" He would be laughed at.
While we may not admit that toll is an
..avocation," one will never find an Eastern
Shoreman to deny that farming and farm labor
is inst as honorable as any ether sort OF
labor. The sons of our most independent
people, of our most honored and honorable
citizens, are this bright spring day IN the
fields of their fathers at this honest toll with
their own hands. But we want German and
Irish and Swedish laborers, nevertheless
We suggest to the Ledger, that, when
we do come over to the Eastern Shore as
"missionary' on the labor subject, it will
be time enough for its illusions to laughter.
We may not have so keen sense OF the
ludicrous as our observant contemporary,
but it does not strike us us subject calcu-
lated to excite the visibility Of anybody.
The proper supply of the demand for labor
is a grave subject, not one for hghtness
and levity. We are probably better posted
on this subject than our worthy contem-
porary is willing to give us credit for We
have mingled much with the farmers of
the Eastern Shore, from Cecil to Worcester,
and we happen to k,oao whereof we speak.
We know that not only have many Of them
left the farm, but others, now engaged III
that occupation, are talking of abandoning
it. As to foreign labor, much OF it is I'M
skilled, and has to be trained with patience
and often with disappointment and vexa-
ton. 1t is also not always reliable, any
more than our native laborers. Our con-
temporary has scarcely forgotten the failure
of the attempt to supply the labor demand
in New Castle county, Delaware, by the
Introduction of considerable number of
Swedes. One of the attaches of the AID
yoCATE Office was offered the mission to
Sweden to procure these laborers, but it
was declined. A native of Sweden, how
ever. then living in Delaware, went over
and brought to Delaware a large number
of industrious and moral men and women
who were readily distributed among the
farmers around Middletown. They gave
much satisfaction, at first but, at the end
of the year, when their engagement expired
scarcely one remained They were all anx-
ious to go off to the cities, where they had
been persuaded they could get higher wages
Such will probably be the result of any
other organized attempt to introduce foreign
laborers. Individual efforts may possibly
succeed better But they will not stay
unless rooted to the soil by proprietorship
Let the Eastern Shore farmers divide their
farms, build houses upon these divisions
and subdivisions, and plant their sons along
side of them. Then they will find the
labor problem solved AS to our contem-
porary's hypercriticism of the term 'avoca.
ton, without insinuating that he is at all
pedantic,) we will say that he has not been
pedagogue and editor for years without
knowing that vocation and avocation are
synonyms, in several of their accepted sig.
nifcations. He also knows, that, in the
hurry of writing for the press, it would be
wonder if term was not occasionally
employed that might be considered not
critically accurate, especially by snapper
ND of unconsidered trifes, who should
employ himself in hunting up such matters
The Baltimore american says it has
been party defendant in some forty libel
suits aggregating, in damages claimed, over
two millions of dollars. 1t has paid In
damages just five hundred dollars. On
Tuesday last it was sued again, damages
laid at S35, 900. The plaintiff is Rev. W.
w. Hicks. of the Tabernacle, Washington,
who was spiritual adviser to Guiteau, the
assassin of President Garfield, to whom
Guiteau assigned his body after he should
be executed and who conveyed all his In
terest in the skeleton to Maj. Gen. Z. Ii.
Crane, Surgeon General of the 7. s. Army,
and his successors in office, with the provlso
that it should not be exhibited for MERGE
nary purposes of gain, and that he receive
no valuable consideration OF any KIND for
said transfer. The mar then recites that