The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-12-18

| uuCtlDn, HOW Chu ~ W. ''''
: there too many of the necessarles OF hi'
produced; too many Of the luxuries; to'
mucb of all that renders life the more en-
ioyable? We think not; hut, ON the otheI
hand. too much stagualion. and 90 IlttI'
Impulse to purchase what our necessities ant
wants require.
La every dilemma or difficulty there arr
persons ever ready to point out the trouble
ana prescribe remedy. This is as true IL
political economy as in any other sphere
They have told us that the great cause Of
lizard times was due largely TO the cessation
of railroad building, but the present year
has exceeied any previous one, with possibly
one or two exceptions in the number OF
miles built, yet we fail to see the revival OF
IMPROVEMENT SO auxiously looked and hop
ed for.
Then, again, the old hobby comes up of
over production to almost encourage rs to
try n little more sloth and inlclion TO relieve
our pressing necessities.
StatlSl'c7' cures '"a' Will not ne l"'o' L"
US that our towns and cities are increasing
IN population NJ greA'er r"''o 'n"" 'n'
country; Or IN o'her "o'"'' '"' Nv" pro
ducers are increasing more rapidly than The
producers ana pursuing our enquiries sun
'"r'her' We "n' '"''o i Nv s''''''' '"'''''''
OF ioo4 froluc'S III me "o''' IMAM me j"
crease 81 poV"'h''o"'
FROM Inc ''"'I''oi'h report OIL '''' req
ruafy 70 tNe D'P'r'"e"' o' Agriculture 0"
domestic ANNALS we hhu 'hls item 80" me
numbers nave increased except 'hecp' ia TWO
years past. 'he '9flcu''ur'' Va'"a''on o' '"rl'
ahhlmals Is less ny something over one nun
dred millions OIL dollars We all wei
kno" That SINCE last feoruary the dePrecia.
non mas been huch more m'rNeu' ana c'"'o
the hgures be brought 'o"n 10 'h' present
time they "oulo a'u many nl'l''ohS 70 Tue
ABOVE fabulous amount
Does TINS look IKE over production
Neither DO we nave any corresponding "'''e'
~eh' IN our expenses o" 'ne '"r''' o"' many
OF our o.'lays are lhcreaS'''g' eSpec'"i'y Is
TINS the case win our '"AcS' AZ our recent
election we were called en- 10 vote ''of OF
against county bonus w nat u'u II ihe"h'
'N nat were 'hey iof' were questions ASKED
ny not 'c"'
lhoSe VINO GAINED 10 kho" meekIy 'ola
us that our county expenses had been more
than our laws would permit TO be le'ied
against our property; hence ai'er 'eVylhg
tax on our farms ana 10 Inc utmost
Iimlt OF the law, the dehciehcy was growing
larger each year vi course The bonus car
RED
lsh not ABOUT Time Inc farmers oil inns
country called malt, and consider where
We are drifting?
No one VIII deny for moment but what
agriculture takes the precedence OF al! other
aVocauons IN magnitude anu importance,
aid on which all other Industries must de-
pend.
There are over seven millions OF people, OF
nearly one.thiri OF our grown population IN
the lnitsd States, engaged In agriculture.
Capital invested III farming embracing
more than two''hirds oil all the wealth OF
our country, an the aggregate OF all our
various agricultural products more than
seventy six per cent, of all the products OF
the country. 1t furnishes four tiths OF our
exports. and four ifths ofall the taxes
Yet will any one pretend to claim that
he farmers have anything like their just
proportion Of numbers and influence IN the
halls Of legislation, either state or national.
Does 1t arise from their lack OF ab'hty and
intelligence, or rather from lack of cone
sivencss and unity of action?
II from either OF the above causes, there
is no one to blame for 1t but the farmer
himself
The Grange, while not partisan IN any
manner, seeks to educate and build up the
farmer, that he may stand on the proud
pre- eminence his creator designed he should
'ccn9y.