The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-04-23
Cause and Effect.

MISUNDERSTANDING unuer ulle vi ApIl
5, has this to say about the Farmer
The so called farmers con-
,ention has adjourned and to-day there are
)nly few of the delegates in the city. 1t
IS needless to attempt to disguise the fact
chat this meeting was more directly pollt-
itical than agricultural. At one time
any man who desired could have touched.a !
dozen candidates for the Democratic NOM
nation for Governor. The studied man
ner in which they attempted to disguise
the real reason for their words was very
poorly concealed Rebuilding the State,
was often used. while the fact is the State
is better built than ever, and alluslon to
tariff and legislation marked the talk OF
most of the members. So far as agrl-
culture is concerned, the convention was
a failure so far rs hurtful political in
fIueuce is CONCERNED. it was an eminent
success.
The blunt truth expressed in the above
quotation is fully corroborated by citizens
of She Valley who attended as delegates.
One of them--a practical farme:-stated
to as that he saw very few OF the real
farmers in the convention. A number OF
the silk -gloved" style We're there. but
farming with them was secondary con-
sideration. They were present for polit
ical purposes The more prominent and
persistent speakers were political aspi-
rants. One of them remarked that he was
a farmer. or rather he owned farm, and
it took all that he made out Of the law to
keep it up. The practical farmers OF the
State-those who live by tilling the soil,
were not there, except possibly. in Il few
instances.
1t was german 10 the object of these po-
litical asprants to play the demagogue,
under the guise Of farmers. and percolate
their crude, ridiculous views on Important
public questions through the pores OF a
pretended farmers convention. Several
of the delegates openly declared for free
trade .andthat seemed the predominant SEN
timent in the Convention. but the tariff
question was finally dismissed, without ac-
|
age-they do not appreciate or understand
present conditions and demands, and are
utterly incapable of discussing or acting
upon any of the live issues OF the day
There was, also, great deal of cheap gusf
gotten off about railroad discrimination
against local produce and IN favor OF
through frelghts. and in reference tc
immigration. This was Il a fine field FOL
the friend OF the people, 10 score
point. To denounce the railroads and de
mand a reduction of local freights without
knowing or caring about the effect. OF
whether it was possible, consistent witt
the existence of the railroads, to do so, wa
theme admirably adapted to the genius
: and compass of the average Bourbon poll
tician. They never examined the ANITA
report of railroad company to learn it
working expenses and receipts, and thu
profits returned to the stockholders. There
is not company in Virginia that is declar
ing dividend. OF the vast volume o
money that has been invested in Virgni;
roads, not dollar has been drawn out, a
profit to the investor. No one has beel
the beneficiary but the farmer. He ha
been given facilities to market his pro
/ duce-his lands have been increased il
} value-new sources Of profit have beef
, opened up to him. and what was deat
) wealth. converted into live values, b.
| means OF the railroads. All classes ant
conditions Of the people have been bene
fitted. but not dollar have the stockhold
ers had returned to them for their invest
ments. Of course the politician think
, nothing of this. His business is to gu
; the people. by denouncing what he cali
grinding monopolies" and "soulless cor
porations, which are crushing the life on
of the farmer and appropriating his prop
erty without an equivalent. All such stuf
J is worse than nonsense. 1t is an 0utrag
j upon Justice and right Instead of en-
deavoring to educate the people up to tn
belief that the railroads are robbing then
and constantly devising schemes to OF
press them, why not tell the truth ant
give the true condition of these corpora
lions Why, there is scarcely one of them
in Virginia, that Is not nearer being i
, the hands of receiver than declaring
dividend. They are bravely struggling /
p Virginia to keep alive during this extra
ordinary depression in trade. Ii the VIII
ginia roads did not carry a dollars wort
8 of through freight. it would not arrest
bushel Of western grain in its transit t
the ocean. Other roads would carry
! and leave the Virginia roads that muc
, nearer bankruptcy. or compel them to il
crease their local rates to keep alive.
II does not cost public speaker muc
to air his views before public al
, dienee oil an important question like this
but it does cost the people a great deal. I
the degree that such statements and sue
, views Of public policy affecting tn
, great arteries of trade and commerce
which are opening up the hidden wealth
the State, receive public approval, to tina
degree do they drive away capital, DISCUS
enlightened intelligence, and invite tn
rule of ignorance and folly.
The resolutions relating to immigratio
! and immigration societies, adopted by tn
Convention, are suggestive. They lead Il
, to reflect over the causes which have pre-
) vented immigration. Paper resolves ar
very cheap, but in the light of the past
: will deceive no one. No State in tn
: Union offers greater natural advantages
2 Central in her location, affiuent in her re
5 sources. singularly inviting in her clims
: tic attractions, with domain reachin
from the mountains to the sea, threade
by bold streams AND with unsurpassed wa
5 ter power for machinery. and ladened wit
, untold mineral wealth, Virginia present
5 attractions equalled by few and surpasse
by no other Commonwealth in the Union
? But she lags supertiuous on the stage o
public enterprise, with none Of that sti
and development which attend Othe
States not nearly SO highly favored. Tn
2 moving population of the country passe
, her borders to seek ields of activity il
: other sections, where the advantages a.
less and the returns from well directed Ell
ergy far inferior to what are offered here
2 Why is this? The answer comes to eve
nv rejecting man, and was given in TIN