St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-20
4fter,,oo,, Sessio,s.

large.
Recess to p. m.
afternoon Session.
Considerably past the hour named at the
noon adjournment Vice President Furlong
called the convention to order, and an
nounccd an address by
PROF. G. L. WHITNEY,
of Muskegon, Michigan, who was introduced
by Mr.. Burdick, and proceeded to speak OF
the importance of organization or association
basing his argument upon the dependence OF
each man upon his fellows and of any class
upon all others, and upon their relative du-
ties and responsibilities towards each
other. In the course of his argument he de-
scribed cultivation Of the soil as the ordained
and everlasting foundation of wealth-the
source of commerce and the support Of
manufactures-or, as the Romans expressed
it, the mother of arts. The mines, fisheries
and forests of the world produce altogether
only portion of the raw materials used by
the world; the farmers produce in money
value four and half times as much as all
the mines, fisheries and forests. Yet in
some instances we find the mine owners
lation, like the iron miners
of Pennsylvania, whose whole yearly product
amounts to $40, 600 less than the hay
product of that one state. The gold product
of the whole country was $97, 100000 last
year; but we sent out of the country 1884,
600, 900 for purchase of sugar, every pound of
which could be produced on our own soil If
agriculture was properly stimulated. Let our
government offer S100,000,O 900, following the
example of the French government, to pro-
mote the home production of sugar, and how
long would it be before our farmers would
produce more sugar than all the country
uses.
The farming capital of the whole country
or money invested in farming-amounts to
1921, zoos, 1000, 900, as against total invest
ment of about 5000, 900, 900 in all other pro-
ductive industries. In manufactures the in
vestment is 2,790, 900, 900; the raw material
used yearly costs SO, 800, 200, 600; and the an
nual product is S., 1863, 100000. The
farming investment of $121, 005, 000,-
900 produces annually 50, $4,000, 900.
Other comparisons were made by the speaker
with railroads, milling, ETC., to show that the
farmers have cause to take their rightful po-
sition for promotion of their industries.
Brain power, labor and capital employed in
the work of the world should all be fairly re-
munerated We farmers have twenty times
the capital; all other industries are organized
for protection of their capital; should not far
mers organize We produce four
and a half times the raw material;
all other producers of raw material
seek to protect the value of their products;
should not farmers do the same? Ffty-ive
per cent. of the people of the country are
employed in agriculture; are we not most of
all interested in the protection of labor? in
requiring that our labor shall be fairly re-
muneratedl In the use of brain power, the
speaker quoted Henry Ward Beecher as au-
thority for saying that successful farming
required as much of brain power as any
occupation or profession; and deduced
that farmers are interested in
seeing brain work fairly remunerated. Yet
he added that the first duty of cultivators, as
they regarded themselves of more impor
lance than their farms. was to cultivate
themselves. In discussing the question
of
TAXATION,
the speaker concluded that the question was
not so much as the inequalities, which come
from men avoiding their just taxes as it is
as to whether the taxes collected are pro-
perly expended for public and just puo-
poses.
In this country, theoretically, majorities
rule. Farmers are in the majority, but they
do not rule, because they let others rule them.
They cannot succeed in righting their rela-
tons with other industries until they resolve
to think and act for themselves. The citi-
zens vote. The use of the ballot is not right
ly appreciated. Let none for light cause, or
for personal prejudices, or enmity, or ambi-
toms sake, cast vote which may accuse
him before the bar of God. The professor
described himself as an independ-
ent scratcher-he scratched off all
the rogues and tried to make up ticket of
men who would do their duty. You hire a
man to take care of your pigs and you go
every day to see how he does his work You
hire another to teach your children and you
never go near him. You send man to the
legislature and never look to see what sort of
a representative he is. Who are these peo-
pie who come here or go to Washington to
represent usl They are the men we en-
ploy to represent us all, to think
for all of us. The men you
want are those who will represent
your principles and your interests. 1 want
some one to represent nay interests who is
identified with them. Were I miller, or
railroad man, would want miller or rail-
road man, or one identified with milling or
rialroading to represent me. So as farm
err Il
AN INTERRUPTION.
Mr.. Kelly, of Freeborn county,
here moved irregularity to the
floor in front of the speaker, and ut
tered his protest against some re-
marks by Prof Whitney, which
had seemed to him to SAVIOR of
prohibition tendencies. Mr.. Kelly also pro-
tested against one man occupying all the
afternoon. A scene of confusion followed
Amid calls to order some one shouted s'Put
him outl'' to which Mr.. Kelly responded
rather fiercely, ''Put me out, will youl
Won't you try it? Tn bet you don'tr'
Threats were made to call policeman when
Mr.. Kelly again tried to take the floor, but
his acquaintance finally informed
him of the situation-that Prof.
Whitney had been invited to
address the convention-and Mr.. Kelly re-
sumed his seat.
FARMERS RESPONSIBLE.
Prof Whitney, after carrying out his
argument that farmers should be represented
by farmers or persons identified with farm
ing interests, proceeded to speak of farmers
as responsible for failures and errors of legis-
lation and government. seventy-ive per
cent of the population of the country, he
said, is outside of the cities and
towns; then they should use
their power. They should organize
The whole household of the farmer should
have the benefit of the organization. The
first object of the organization should be per-
sonal improvement, its second object the
promotion of farmers interests. You are
here to-day to set the ball in motion in that
direction. Remember, however, the rights
of others; remember that every infraction
upon the rights of one class must sooner or