Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-06-20
Agricultural.


Rights ana Privileges Of Farmers.
The following bill Of farmers' rights Is 60
ing the rounds Of the agricultural papers
l. They have ten votes to seven Of all
other occupations.
2. They have votes enough to carry any
election.
3. They can effeotually put an end to the
extortons of railroads, which take one bushel
OF every two The farmer raises. WI
A. They can put ten farmers In congress
and the state Legislature for every one they
now have. ..
5. They can make their own laws in all
the states #f
6. They can secure the same payment per
hour for hand work that is demanded by brain
work.
Z. They can have all the comforts and lux
uries now enjoyed by the GLASSES which prey
upon them. rH q
3. They can combine themselves into
compact body.
81. They can cooperate, can stand by one
another, and i they do so can rule tho world
or
10. They can continue to be the dull
drudges they have been, the prey OF every
cunning politician, lawyer and speculator in
the land.
There is something rather narrow in the
and privileges of farmers" inasmuch as it
places them in opposition to equal merit in
other avooations We take pride in having
been bred farmer, and having always had
home on u farm, yet we do not ignore the
fact that other occupations are necessary and
equally honorable. As far as the occupation
is concerned, farmer is just as good as
mechanic, and mechanic Is just as good as
a farmer and a teacher, or one following any
honest and useful business, is as good as either.
The interests of all the industrial classes are
in general accord, and no injury can result to
one without rejecting injuriously upon the
others.
The farmers have not ten votes TO seven Of
all other occupations, as stated above. There
is nothing gained for cause by misstating
facts We have at least twice before in these
columns corrected the Statement, SO frequent
" made, that the farmers were q majority of
all the voters of the country. Instead Of the
farmers having ten votes to seven of all 9TH
ers, these figures reversed would be nearer
the truth. The total number of male farm
ers and planters in the United States as given
by the census of 1880 was 4,1G0, 1885, the
whole number of males engaged in agricul-
ture 1915, 9S3 the whole number having &C.
equations, (males, IA, 744, 942. The total en-
gagged in agriculture includes 2,7sS,97G farm
laborers, of whom probably one million are
not voters, being minors at work on the home
farm or hired out. The proportion of minors
in this class is much larger than in the manu-
featuring and meohanical industries. The
census returns show about seven times as
many male children between ten and fifteen
years of age at work on farms as are engaged
in manufacturing and mechanical occupations
The total number of sgriculturists as report
ed by the census, includes apiarists, dairy
men, overseers, florists, gardeners, nursery
men, vine growers, stock drovers herders
turpentine farmers, 60 In all they are be
tween six and seven hundred thousand lesS
than the number engaged in other occupa-
tions. This includes only males including
all persons the number engaged in agricu-
ture is, stated approximately, seven and half
millions to ten millions in all other occupa.
tons. So the farmers have not 'ten votes to
seven of all other occupations" nor have
they majority of votes with which ito carry
any election :" neither have they any cause to
be Carried against all other occupations. As
to Putting an end TO the extortions of rail
roads, farmers generally have hardly more in
terest than all others who are not railroad
stockholders.
No. is true of Congress. There might
be ten times the number of farmers now
there and still they would not represent in
number more than the proportion of farmers
in the country. But we do not care to send
any one to Congress on the strength of his
occupation, whatever that may be. In the
Vermont legislature, at its last session, there
were more than $50 farmers. That number
multiplied by ten, would mako our legisla-
ture rather bulky. ~
6. Securing the same payment per hour
for hand work that ID demanded by brain
work" is utterly impossible il it were desira-
ble The quality of either kind of work,
and the supply and demand, will govern the
price, s.FA -t
a. The Injuries of the millonaires are,
of course, not attai nable by people Of aver
age wealth in any occupation. Farmers are
no exception. But the real comforts of life
are not dependent on great wealth. There
mhg 10 Aoss VI tnsSo Al the houses VI Bully VI
the millionaires than in the average homes
of the farmers.
s. Not very compact. They are too nu-
nervous and their interests too diverse to act
in unison on political questions.
8. We don't want the business of ruling
the world all to ourselves. We are willing
tina. people in other occupations should have
share in it,
10. Birds of prey seize their game wher-
ever they can find it. Farmers are by no
means the only victims of the INSCRIPTIONS
cunning of SPECTATORS lawyers and politi-