The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1885-09-04
Synopsis OF Gen. Bakers Speech Deliv-
cred at the Agricultural Fair
Thursday, Sept. 3rd, 1885

tildI ne proposed 10 review lew OF the
grievances which weigh down upon the
farmer and which lead to much just
complaint; and to include some griev-
ances which grow out of the farmers
own default. The agricultural classes
are the main prop of our governmental
being, and yet they are sadly neglected /;
other pursuits gaining much at their eX-
pense. And yet the agricultural products
ofthe country constitute about rs per cent
ofall oureXports, the farming classes furn-
ish the peace loving and better element
of our communities. The cities furnish
our strikers, and other turbulent classes.
The rural classes are our defence and
support, and are the hope of our nation.
No nation can afford to refuse to furnish
its yeomanrv a fostering care such as
will support and develop it. Yet this
is not done in America. All vocations
and commercial realms are afforded ill.,
eral provisions by the government, and
are properly represented mt the nations
capitol, with the single exception of the
agricultural interests The humble rep
resentative of that class sits i'm silence at
Washington and receives no support as
compared with other departments. Out
of the immense sums lavished upon in
ternal enterprises by the national con-
gress the department of agriculture gets
but mite. In the schedule of national
charges the cause of agriculture is an
out cast. The Indian gets his millions,
the patent department is sumptuously
supplied, and every other one the same,
the appropriations for each reaching up
To the millions, while the greater feature,
agriculture, is cut off with $20I 900 an
nually. In comparison with the support
these interests receive IN other countries
| - fpll ipS
England eXpends rs times rs much on
her farm interests as we do and the lit
tie inferior kingdom of Sweden pays 3
times as much. There the welfare of
agriculture is placed to the fore, while
here, il is made inferior to all else. Thus
our farming enterprises are dwarfed and
placed at the tail of all legislation. In
England II special commission from the
| legislative body is furnished to provide
| for this department. In America, every
other department has its commission
bui the interest of the farming classes is
ignored. In the early history of our
government, I'LL the chief statesmen de-
voted the greater part of their lives to
agricultural pursuits, and warmly de-
voted their attention to its protection,
but it is the reverse now, and our states.
men are wont to enter into corpora
ton of capitalists for other PURPOSES
than those of the farming people.
Much of the taxation laid upon farm
products and the articles for farmers
consumption is simply absurd, and ex-
tortio lately unjust. In this regard the
agriculturist is not only not protected but
prevailed against. During the
war this may have been neces-
sary but now the tariff is kept up for
other purposes than Il source ofrevenue.
But no effort is made to reduce it, The
system should be thoroughly sifted, to
determine what is needed for revenue
and what is being paid us tribute to the
monopolist. Taxes should 90 no further
than is necessary for the support of the
government. Here the intelligent far
mer should take stand and not allow
it To 60 any farther. Another materi-
nj cause of distress To the American
wheat grower is, that he has to compete
with the p;nlper labor of India and Rus
sla, because the price of his wheat is
fixed in Liverpool, and there he has to
meet his foreign competitor who can
produce this cereal ut mere nominal
cost where labor is so cheap. Again the
cost of carrying the wheat and its mar
ket price are not kept in just proper
ton. The railway companies have cru
Gifted their own patrons i'm this connec-
ton, and their blind policy has led to
disappointing of the board of commits |
SionerS whose duty ii now is To 20 about |
and regulate and adjust these differen-
ces, and bad faith on the part of the |
farmer toward the companies is the |
rule. Oar water courses should not be |
neglected but utilized us Il means of
transport so far us practicable. Under |
no consideration should the st. Paul d |
Duluth railroad be allowed to become
pooled or in anyway made other than |
an independent line, thereby preserv-
ing our connection with Lake Superior.
The modern system of bonanza farm
ing is another worker of injury to the
farming interests of the northwest. The
redeeming feature of our agricultural
regions is To have the land occupied by
actual settlers and the farms of Il reason
able size. Bonanza farming does not
build schools, churches and towns, the
mediums of civilization i'm any country.
They perhaps do some good in demon
strating what can be done with machine
~, but in time, bonanza farming
must go. Alien land holders are
II curse to. our free rich
country, and il is an evil that should
never be tolerated. For men i'm foreign
lands to hold i'm fee immense tracts of
our tillable land holding il from actual
settlement is an imposition on our COM
monwealth. Neither should railroad
commissioners be permitted to hold
their land free from taxation. 1t has
come to the speakers notice that rail
road companies will dispose of their
for the simple purpose of holding un-
earned lands, thereby barring settle
ment and avoiding taxation of the
same. Provision should be made
whereby the attorney general could
bring suit IN behalf of the State, when
such wrongs are inflicted for merce-
nary purposes.
1t is Il fact that the farmer pays
moe than his due share of taxes. His
taxable property is all to be seen and
can be secured, while the goods of
the merchant and the paper of the
banks and bondholders are compara-
of taxation is called an eqlio, one, but il
is not SO.
The present system of raising cattle as
il is carried on in the territories, is a
direct blow at the stock raising interests
of the farmers. These cattle kings uslIrp
the government lands and with the COW
boy police force hold undisputed control
of the regions they occupy and SO bold
have they become that they even fence
the lands and promulgate their thous-
ands, paving no tax, buying no lands,
and i'm fact doing nothing that the farm
ers of the States have to do, i'm order to
carry on his stock raising with immune
ty. These cattle kings ship their herds
10 eastern markets and sell i'm COMPETE
ton with those of the farmer. Cattle
raised upon land purchased at high
price and taxed, for the government,
cannot compete with non-taxable herds
of the west, and the system is altogether
wrong. But farmers bear all these evils
patiently, for reasons natural to their
mode of life. Ii is partly due to the
fact of their isolation, where organized
society is practically impossible; and
again to the fact that the remedy is not so
manifest rs the evil. But it will not do
to submit, for so long us they do, the inn
position will be imposed. The matter
of operating elevators and railroads is a
new system as yet, and we are coming
out of the difficulties and will continue
To do SO as time goes on.
The State Legislature can afford relief
from these grievances if the men sent
are of the disposition to do 40. The
farmer legislature of last winter did a
splendid work i'm this direction.
There il specie of self-imposed taxa
ton exlant among the farmers which
weighs down with Il greater might than
is realized. 1t is the slack way many
have of conducting their business, i'm the
line of caring for machinery, stock, etc. ;
1t is estimated so ZOO, 900 worth of ma
chnery is purchased i'm this State an
nually, and that the damage to this each
year through carelessness is 40 per cent.
Il statement which is amazing. The ,
loss thus imposed would more than pay j