Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-08-04
ADVICE TO FARMERS.

This being the presidential year.
it is not expected that it will be a
year of Increased business to very
great extent. Whether this is due
to the effect of the uncertainty of
which of the two great parties will
succeed, or whether so much of the
mind and interest are turned into pol,
itics instead of the regular routine of
business. It is matter of concern
at least to large proportion Of our
people, who are compelled to RELY
upon the steady progress OF the bus.
mess community, which if assured is
of more personal value than the sue.
cess of any political party. To be
able to spend year without earn.
ing more than meager proportion
to comfortably sustain family, can.
not be idly thought of by every one.
So what concerns our people most,
is the condition of things in govern.
ment affairs that will give reasonable
assurance of steady business. 1t is
a singular fact to note the unsteadi
ness of trade, and the doubt that ex,
lists in the minds of the people at
the possibility of q change in the
administration of the government
We are all one people, and have
common interests. What is good
for one is good for all, and rice rersa.
But there exist two great political
parties, and of course we will con.
clude that they are both largely
made up of wise, intelligent people,
and yet one advocates a system
that the other avows and declares if
carried out, would cripple our indus.
tries and bring our wage earners to
very low level. The other repudi
ates such notions and so it goes.
What is the reader who does not
fully understand business economy,
and the questions evolved in the
controversy going on in the political
world, to conclude that both cannot
be right. If one party is in the
wrong so far as it concerns the gen.
eral welfare of most of our American
people, can we call the motives that
govern such actions wise aud judic.
iousf Every intelligent man ought
to know what would be for the gen.
eral good. One people should not
be so divided against itself on ques.
tions which ought to be plain and
practical, and which benefits the
greater class Of the people. Espec
tally those questions affecting the
business Of our country. But poor,
weak human nature is weakest when
selfaggrandlzment has an oppOrtuni.
ty to step in.
Great men, as we call them, are
unlike other morally unconscious
men with very few exceptions.
When an honorable position and fine
salary can be had, principle grows
very weak in the knees, and the
rest of struggling humanity are again
forgotten until another election.
Such things will exist no doubt until
man shall be no more. The com.
mon people complain Of these things,
but do not think very much about
seeking a remedy. The best rule to
govern o mans actions is to declare
himself free and unprecedented. But
you cannot approach an American
citizen in more undigni6ed man.
ner than to tell him that he is not
a free man having Independent
rights. Yet thorough test would
reveal the fact that q very small per
cent. are enjoying absolute liberty.
They are influenced and pIejudiced
to believe just what others say aud
do, but own it : no! A man cannot
be free and independent without
thinking and believing, and acting
for himself. do not mean that a
man should shut himself up so as to
be deaf to intelligent information,
but he must be intelligent himself.
If he does not read, study and think.
he may have no ideas worth acting
upon, and will then have to act upon
the suggestions OF otbers.- Ohio Val
ley Farmer.