The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-08-19
Letter of Senator George to the
Patrons Union.
Jackson, Nus, July Is, 1856.

JACKSON, Mss, July Is, 1885.
To : b GILBEET, Ese. ana sthers, COMMITTEES.
DEAs. SIR: When / received your
invitation some weeks ago, to attend
and address a meeting Of the Patrons
of Husbandry, near Lake, on the 23d
inst. / was Of the opinion that would
be sble to attend, and / 50 wrote you.
was extremely anxious 10 meet the
/ intelligent and public-spirited men and
women who would be present, and listen
10 the entertaining and Instructive lee
lures and addresses which Ihad nodoubt,
| from my experience on a former Occa-
sion, would be delivered. regret now
I that / am compelled 10 recall my accep-
/ tance of the invitation. For some months
| have had an affection (inhamma-
! tion) of my eyes, which has made all
study, reading and writing disagreeable,
and in some degree painful. l am ad-
vised by my physician, that confinement
at my home, and a relaxation OF labor
Is necessary to a recovery. / am also
reminded by him, that what is once lost
to the eyesight is never regained. So /
feel it essential that | set about repair
ing an injury, which, though not serious
now, is sure to become % by neglect or
J limprudence. For this reason. and this
alone, / shall not attend "a sssr0mised
feel that am much the loser by this
mishap; for, besides the loss of the
pleasure anticipated from a free, social
| intercourse with those who will compose
the meeting, lose, also, an opportunity
which | very much desired, to arrange
some thong hts and express them in an
orderly way, concerning
THE GREAT INTEREST OF our STATE,
which the meeting is intended to foster
and encourage. There has been no
period of my adult life, in which / have
not been directly interested in agricul-
ture. | was horn in farmers home,
and of parents whose family, for gener-
ations, had been cultivators Of the soil
My bOyhood was spent, in a large de-
gree, in the discharge OF the practical
duties, and in performing the labors, of
farm life. | thus had both an inherited
and an acquired taste for, and interest
| in, agriculture, which hasincreased with
! my increasing years. All possess to day,
beyond the ordinary outfit Of a lawyer,
is invested in agricultural lands, imple-
ments and live stock. / have no other
financial interest, and seek no other.
Notwithstanding a toleably thorough
devotion of my time to professional
pursuits, / have always endeavored TO
keep abreast, as it was my interest to do,
with the agricultural progress of the
country. When | took my seat in the
United States Senate, at my own request
was assigned to duty on the Commit
tee on Agriculture, where | have been
ever since. 'Tis true that this commit
tee has very little power for good; for
it has not, under the rules of the Senate,
even the power to revise the Agricul-
tural Appropriation Bill, which, under
the rules of the House Of Representa-.
tiyes, the immediate representatives of
the people, is always framed by the
Committee on Agriculture of that body.
But what little power the committee
, has, | have endeavOred to have used for
, the benefit of the farmers of the coun-
try. On two or three occasions, that
committee has reported, with my earnest
concurrence and support, bill to make
: the Department of Agriculture an Ex.
, ecutive Department, j. e., to make its
u6du Il 0hDlueb NJ LU6 Oull
time, as | now remember. when this bill
was called up for consideration in the
Senate, l addressed to that body such
arguments in its favor as seemed to be
proper and just. On that occasion
, January Is, 1850, among other things
l said, what | wish now to repeat:
''This country owes its greatness to the farmers
more than any other class All its industries, al
Its great wealth, have their foundation IN the
would destroy all our prosperity, and reduce Z
beggary more than half our population. We ar
almost without exports besides our agricultural
productions. Our foreign trade rests on them, an'
| our domestic commerce and manufactures ar
equally dependent on them. Denied the right un
der our tariff system, to exchange their produe
tons for foreign goods which they need III the lar
ufaeturers at price which enriehes the seller an
| impoverishes the buyer"
This extract shows my opinion as Il
the
GREAT IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE
t the great merit of farmers, and the il
Justice which they suffer from our tax
: ing system.
t As / have said, l was anxious to ad
: dress the meeting to be held near Lake
4 If l had been allowed to do so, woul'
. have said something on the following
among other topics:
!; First, l would have undertaken t
i prove what | in substance asserted i
: the above extract-that notwithstand
i ing all our commercial, corporate an
I manufacturing wealth and enterprise
} our railroads, our shipping, our grea
commercial cities, with their magnif
cent stores and warehouses filed wit
the products not only of our own lane
but of all lands; our immense mlnln
and manufacturing establishments-sti
about seven-twelfths of our people al
engaged in agriculture; and that upo
# their products, their labors and toi
n often unrequited, are based the grandeu
e prosperity, wealth and glory of the Tn
a ted States.
e Second, That however convenient an
e useful other pursuits may be; hOwevt
e they may contribute to the happine
n and welfare of mankind; agriculture
s the mother and foundation of all, an
that it is so essential that, without
human life could nos exist. That
still retains its pre- eminence as Il
earliest pursuit of civilized man-fir
in time, first in its essential imp )rtanc
IL and first in the consideration it shOu
receive from society and government.
d. Third, That all industrial pursuits,
ic agriculture, mechanics, manufacture
commerce, Transportation are impol
Y ant to the well-being of society and {
should be honored and fostered. Th
n. none should assume an importance
the expense of the others; that like Il
members of the human bOdy-hanc
arms, legs, shoulders, stomach, etc;
are necessary for the perfect Who
=, Yet, agriculture, IN this country, b
m not been accorded this equal consider
q ton. 1t has been made the shoulde
u and back on which the burdens of socie
a. have been unduly laid, whilst 9th
# pursuits, more favored by governmel
n have been the mouths to consume t
n best of the good things to which all g
a equally entitled. So long has agricl
m ture been made the nursing and p
r tecting mother of other infant (as tn
" are called pursuits, that now in tn
n full maturity, with their aggrandiZ
re wealth, this nursing has been and Is d
As demanded as a right. This assum
ad ! right is made the occasion OF goveI
he mental policies which transfer from
elk producing agriculturists much OF tn
i'll honest and hard-earned gains to
nv more favored and protected enterpris
nd whereby it has resulted that the stOr
ne up wealth of the country, with its
ad ormO1s financial, social and politi
we power, is mostly TO be found in the gr
he commercial and manufacturing cent
ips instead Of on the farms where it !
ng mainly produced.
of On this point | would have cal
attention to the
M NJ DsscRIsIIN ALTON II CHARGES FoagR
IS PcRTATI0S.
whereby wealth is transferred from
producers to the middlenen in the la
TO cities. and all direct interchanges
raj products between producer and (
'er- sumer is interdicted. And would b
is called special attention 10 an amt
tie, ment to the Interstate Commerce
ov- offered by Senator Vance, to the ei
ilde that no higher charges shall be made
- = \