Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-01-09
woodlawn Farmers Club.

Walter Walton was elected chairman.
CORTLAND Lukens, who had been appoin.
ted to invite the young men of the neigh.
borhood to join the club, reported the fol-
lowing names aud they were severally
elected members: Harry Pierson, Frank
Wilkinson, Edward Walton, Charles T. Lu.
kens and D. Walton Balleneer. They all
paid the admission fee but one, and the
committee was conlinued to bring in more
recruits. In consequence of the absence OF
the president the reorganization OF the
standing committees was deferred until
next meeting.
E. r. Mason then read the following eE-
say:
What is the Future Prospect Of The Agricultu'
rist?
In the great struggle for supremacy now
going on between producer and consumer.
labor AID capital, it behooTes those engaged
in agricultural pursuits to intelligently un-
derstand tie relative position they occupy
with those with whom they come in contact
in The daily affairs of life and be willing to
Law aside old habits and prejudices and
adopt any theory or system that will ad-
vance their temporal welfare. That We are
passing through period CT great changes
affecting human society throughout the civ.
ilizad world is evidenced by the fact that
our leading writers On political economy are
forced to confess that theories which pre-
vailed twenty years ago are entirely set
aside now by the logic of events that are
daily transpiripg, and that labor ls a factor
that has got to be consulted. Now out OF
the throes of this upheaval, when this ira
vail sball be over, what is the condition that
we who stand in the double position of la.
bcrer and producer shall occupy, is ques-
ton that should engage our earnest atten'
ton. Shall We command the respect for our
calling to which we are justly entitled, the
yery existence Of life being dependent on
the food supply, or ehall we continue to
plod on accepting the patronage OF those
whom we daily feed, and being fiattered and
ceioled by some poetcsl etfusion on the
diguitg &C labor, and the independent life CT
the farmer. Independent forsooth. An
English statstician examining the wheat
production of the United States, asserts
that the Western farmers are generally
bankrupt or losing money on wheat and
being eaten up by mortgages and tax
es. the liens being held by Eastern capital.
lists. This corresponds with the question re.
Gently asked, "Who owns Kansas" and if
our county records were examined much
the same state of things would be found to
exist in this section-rather sad common
tary on our condition as class. Virtually
we are serfs TO capital. we have been edu-
Gated in the theory that supply and demand
are the prime factors in the disposition OF
the products of our labor and being so
conservative in our practice we have
submitted 10 this view. The wage
laborers have secuted this idea and
have assumed the position that they
will have voice in regulating the
price of tho commodity at their disposal,
and shall we be less wise than they. 1t
| would seem that some practical plan OF CO.
operation might be adopted to lessen the sac.
rifice we have been obliged to suffer in the
disposition of some of our crops. Any sys-
tenn to be successful would necessitate the
divesting ourselves of that selfish indepen-
dence that largely inheres to our profession.
| The Delaware peach crop is disposed OF on
some such plan as well as the cotton crop
| in some sections Of tho South. Our situation
here ia in many respects more favorable
| than those who have 20 submit TO transpor'
| tation and commission fees in the disposi-
ton of their produce, still our experience
shows us that Tor considerable portion OF
| the year we do not receive what merchant,
manufacturer, or even the mechanic would
consider fair compensation for The outlay
and labor expended, one of the most forolble
reasons for which is the lack of manufac.
turing Industries in our vicinity, the opera
tives of which would furnish more stable
set of customers vino would not fail US just
at that season when there might be mar
gin of profit for our surplus produce. We
receive a great deal of gratuitous advice
from the public journals CT the country, as
we'll as the various farmers assemblies and
congresses that meet 30 often all in the in
terest of the tllers of the soil, but really to
devise means by which they can relieve the
Government of it's surplus cash all such ad.
vice should be received in homeopathic
| dosee. All The legislative aid We receive
must eventually come out of our own pock-
cts in the shape of taxes direct or Indirect:
What we need is an honest administration
ofgovernment and the combined wisdom OF
our most intelligent, practical farmers to de.
wise some plan by which we may receive
more equal remuneration for our toll, and
then acting upon the example CT other
guilds and professions encourage more
hearty CO. operation in each others welfare.
The echoes had scarcely subsidized before
CORTLAND Lukens requested second read
ing of the portion In reference to the COM
pensation of the farmer as compared with
that of the merchant, manufacturer, &c.
Whereupon he advanced manfully to the
support of his favorte theme, the calling Of
the agrculturist and disputed the ground
taken by the essayist.
Mr.. Mason in turn stubbornly maintained
his position.
W. C. Wilkinson, merchant from Phila
delphia, was appealed to by neghbor Lukens
about the profits ofbusness there. Mr.. w.
would not admit that they were growing
RICH very fast.
Two articles were read from the Country
Gentleman in support ofthe agricultural side
of the question.
John Moon, who is carrying on two kinds
of business, running farm in the neighbor.
hood and helping Uncle Sam" with the gov
eminent affairs in Washington at the same
time, was ssked for an opinion. He cited