St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-08-27
DEP xRrMENT oFAGR1CuLTURE.

L
Gen. LIZ Dues address before the farm
eTs' congress yesterday was a very clear
statement OF valid reasons why the depart
ment of agriculture might be improved by
being elevated to the dignity of a cabinet
position. 1t is conceded at the outset
that the interests of labor and agriculture
are Of sufficient Importance to receive gov
eminent recognition. Gen. LIE Due DEM
onstrates that in any one year the savings
Of the agricultural classes by the establish
Inent of separate department of agricul-
ture would overbalance the extraordinary
expense that would be incurred by its eS
Enlistment. Consequently there can, be
no arguments against it, and there would be
no opposition to it but for the fact that it
would give to the agricultural interests
power that would be dangerous to 1nonop-
oily. With the establishment Of such de-
partment. with all the powers that ordinarily
attach TO a cabinet office, the farmers Of the
United States would be enabled to do that
which they have never yet been
able to accomplishing perfect solid, COM
pact organization that would make its in
fiuence more potential than all other indus
trial interests combined. Numerically the
farmers and workngmen are vastly in the
majority. Their weakness lies in their dis
organized condition. The minority inter-
ests, with their compact organizations and
with the aid of money, all the time over
match the majority. And what is most
singular, the farmers seem to insist upon
maintaining their disorganized condition.
ctri lii Of
seen in the proceedings of the Farmers
congress yesterday. If there is one griev-
ance more than another that the farmers Of
the United States have right to complain
of, it is the oppression of the tariff laws.
Yet when the opportunity was presented
to make a declaration on the subject
the Farmers congress, by formal
vote, put itself on record as being
more . in favor of protection than
against it, In order to secure little pro-
lection on two or three agricultural prod
ucts, the farmers of the United States in
congress assembled actually declared in
favor of the whole Ubiquitous system OF
protection. The singular spectacle was
presented of Maine and South Carolina and
Pennsylvania and Louisiana farmers and
planters Yoting together on a resolution
asking for protection. This can only be
accounted for upon two theories. One is
that the manufacturers have stolen march
on the farmers as has been done before,
and have captured the congress, or else the
individual representatives of the states in
which rice, wool and sugar are grown are
so much absorbed in the promotion Of their
local interests that they cannot arise to a
plane sufficiently elevated from which they
can view the subject in the light Of princi-
pie The latter is the most probable the
Ory, and we assume it to be the correct
one. And yet it is the most fatal blow
that has ever been directed at agri-
culture and the blow falls from the
hands of those who are to be quoted as
the special representatives Of the farming
classes. Yesterdays proceedings in the
National Farmers congress was the strong
est of all arguments in favor of establishing
department of agriculture. 1t shows the
necessity for the establishment of a de-
partment in the government that is capable
of organizing the farming classes in protec-
ton Of their own interests. 1t shows that
the farmers need to be educated with refer
ence to their own interests. And it further
shows that the farmers of the United
States need some sort of a bulwark around
them to prevent their greatest enemy, the
protectionist. from slipping into the farm
er'S camp and taking possession of it while
he is asleep.