The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-02-04
Fra SD 3 and Farmers.


its productive resources. The balance
of ofproduets, beyond their necessities.
goes to the support of the other classes.
This balance, increased by fictitious,
imaginary, and often unnecessary and
damaging superfuities, gives life to
trade, eagerness to. schemers, opens
wide the doors of dishonesty on every
hand, and provides for the priest and
the prince in their robes, the merchant
and manufacturer with their bonus
and percentage, and graduated reti.
nue. of smaller parasites and hangers
on, which comes in every country to
overlook and override the original
source of supply and industry.
Large portions of the globe have
been, at different times, under high
and profitable cultivation, which for
late and unfruitful. Shall we suppose
that the toll that once made Northern
Africa garden of fruitfulness, and
planted Western Asia with vast cities,
voluntarily quit its efforts and smiling
ly saw its prodigious labors go to
waste ? Is it possible to suppose that
the farmers and laborers did not resist
and try to unyoke themselves from
the taxes and burdens, the chains and
expressions, that finally crushed them
out of existence, and devoted again
THAR land tn barbariamH
The farmer of today, with the help
of better scientific eOntrivances, has
some advantages over his fellows of
the past, but the eontrivanees to bur-
pace with any benefits he has gained
through human progress, as II is called.
Whatever OF independence and super
ior position exist in the American
farmer, must be credited TO new
country. A vacant and nnfenced do
main acknowledged the farmer as its
first lord The wild beasts and perila
aud wants of pioneer life can be much
easier net and eombated by the toiler
for ali abundant home for himself and
his children, than he can resist the
creeping and treacherous foes that
swarm after him as soon AS he has
anything TO spare, or can he coaxed,
with gewgaws aud sugar plums, to
sign - note or give Il mortgage. There
is no stereotyped way in which this is
done. The Queen of Babylon invited
doubtless, the ditcher often to visit
her in her Hanging Gardena. The
Emparors of Rome erected baths
where all the world of her slaves could
wash free. And la the Great Empire
of the Western World, each of its SUBJ
empires has tickled the lOngings OF
the iaborers with promises of All edu'
cation in splendid University, more
deceltful and fraudulent than any de-
vices of ole0maFgarine, or the patent
Office.
AS the path of the real farmer in
this country becomes more and more
difficult, it is amusing to see how an
idle class of farmers, or that portion of
them who have become failures, or
unsuccessful, is trying to get an easy
living off from the industry in which
il has failed. This class is now in
danger of becoming one of the severest
burdens on American agi iiculture. 1t
is beseiging Congress for large appro-
priations, which have been, and will
be, wastefully squandered. 1t is at
work at State legislatures for provision
to support an.Agricultural Aristocracy
whose garments shall be ever clean
from the odor of the corn field or
stable; and whose style of living, as
an example, is injurious and fatal to
the contentmenta and economy of those
Who fill the common field of labor
This class affects to associate at gath
erings aud Institutes, with reverends.
judges, and the like, and fastens its
eyes affectionately on the cribs where
the people pay their annual taxes.
1t is the right and duty of the legis.
lature to secure public health against
adulterations of food, and fair prices
to the honest producer. 1t is also the
duty of the producers to fill the legis.
lature with earnest, well-informed
men-men who have proved them
selves able to live at their own cost,
and not at the expense and forgive.
ness of community, men who disdain
to be burden, or to impose burdens
upon their neighbors. Such legisla-
ture would hardly allow a lobby, and
wonld he certain to see that one III
dustry did moi trespass upon another.
1t Is becoming the custom i'll our
civilization, TO reward eranks and
ticket failure and vagrsncy with front
seats. $500, ,000.000 only, it ia said,
ia now waiting the passage Of
lava 10 pension still further perjury
and Gowardtce. TO earn a living, and
u monument, il is only necessary tn
run up bills against the government
and the size and height are squarely
estimated by the extent of the PInnder.
We have model from old, played out
Egypt to 60 by ; and to help na go the
same way.
1t is said Julius Cesar'a earliest sue
ceases were brought about by his cred
itors, who hoped TO get their pay by
his advancement. They succeeded.
Their children went tobogganing
down slide of more than a thousand
years. The same practices are com.
mon il this age. though they are ac-
knowledged to be the causes of the
ruin of the best things mentioned in
history. -
Washington letter.