Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-04-29
Dom Piatt the Mac-O- cheek Farmer Talks
on the Tariff Question.

THE WHOLE TRUTH SPOKEN HALF IN JEST
WE BUY UNDER PROTECTION AND SELL
UNDER FREE TRADE.
cincinnati News-J Journal
g A number of Colonel Dom Piatt's neigh
bors recently called upon the retired jour
nalist, and, with the aid of the Oak Ridge
Brass Band, gave him a serenade. The
venerable farmer responded with the fol-
lowing speech:
My neighbors and gentlemen of the band
lack the words to express, adequately, my
thank for the high compliment you pay me
tonight. That it should come from those
with whom have lived, man and boy, all
my life, gives the occasion a significance
that touches me deeply.
1t is, L suppose, poor payment, on my
part, to seize this occasion in return for
your compliment of visit, and the exceed
ingly beautiful music .ofthe Oak Ridge Band
for me to inf1ict You with speech.
can not, however, resist the opportunity
to use this occasion, and you, my neigh
bors, to hurl lack a foul aspersion, made by
certain members of the press, wherein I am
charged with falsely posing as a farmer in a
late interview published by the New York
Herald.
If am not farmer, friends and neigh
bors, l would like to know what in the old
scratch l am? Laughter l have paid
enough for the privilege, if privilege it can
be called.
Now, as l understand it, farmer is a
man who tills the earth, with great loss to
himself, and benefit to others.
| have here nearly five hundred acres of
lovely land. If the Garden of Eden was not
in the Mac-o cheek valley, we can readily
understand why Adam and Eve were dis
contented with their claim and abandoned
it at an early day to jump this. Laughter !
And | have cultivated these acres at decid-
ed loss. If there is any man in Logan coun-
ty, who has sunk more to the acre, would
like to see him. l don't believe he can be
produced. [Cries, agreed" "Agreed"
You see my claim to being practical farm
er can not be denied. Like honest Dog
berry, boast "my losses
A farmer is a man who tolls for fifty years
for the privilege of living ten-and then, in
a majority of instances, gets cheated out of
that by rheumatism. He rises before day
light, and labors till after dark. He eats
what he can not sell; wears barely enough
to make him decent in appearance, but not
sufficient for comfort or health, is a hard
task master to his family, and death to his
wife. [Sensation.] He is industrious,
sober, and, if you don't touch him on a
horse trade, or too closely in a little bargain,
almost as honest as country merchant, and
as honorable as q county court lawyer
[Laughter.]
It is his fate to work at a loss. Now
would you like to know why? The why, at
ego on."] Well, at the risk of being con-
sidarcd ont of T,Iaoa and in bod tocto T will
tell you.
We are an agricultural people. From sea
to sea, across this wide continent, from lake
to gulf, is vast stretch of farm land You
will read in the press, you will hear on the
streets, from the presidents message, down
to the cross roads orator. that this grand
pursuit is the underlying prosperity Of our
country. 1t is more than that, it is the
great, underlying foundation of our exis-
tence.
1t is not only the author and creator of
our homes, but of all their immense i'm
provements that amaze the world. This net
work of railroads, measuring over 100000
miles of operating rails, was built by farm
ers. These great cities, all these towns,
canals, telegraphs, mines, and..manufactories
were built out of our earnings. We make
eight-tenths of the labor of the land. We
pay the taxes, support the banks, and make
the millionaires.
We do all this, while remaining poor our
selves. The country is prosperous, but the
prosperity never reaches us. We barely
live-and why?
was designated to be purely political fabric,
has come to be a paternal concern, and is
to us farmers the hardest step-paren ever
created. Congress legislates for every in
terest on the continent, save that of agricul- |
ture. In. every shape, in every direction,
we are legally swindled and abnsed.
| can take up but one. What is the great !
factor necessary to successful farming? Is |
it good seed-good breed or rich soil, or |
agricultural implements? No, my neigh |
bors, these are important, but not the most |
important. The one great factor that over
rides and lessons all others is a market for |
our products.
Now you get from your congressman
agricultural reports, printed and distributed |
1t your expense by the government. They
are said to be gratis-fee of cost. 1t is an
impudent lie-we pay for them, and there
s no book published that costs as much to
is as that same agricultural report. You
,ake-or, you ought to take, an agricultural
ournal. They are all worth their subscrip-
ion price. But in any one or all of these
10 you ever find word as to how to get or
improve market? Never.
Well, this paternal government has been,
or the last twenty-five years, providing a
market for every industry in the land, save
hat of agriculture.
Now, to illustrate this, take our noble re-
1resentative-so called-the Hon. Keifer 1
" nat does he represent? I'll tell you. He |
fo 10 l.. -
nus district, the telegraph of his !
k0anufactories of his district :
the postmasters. Does !
not much. All his