Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-11-19

1nlS decline OF values ana ldDOr TdLSS Is LTt u
decline pertaining to all Industries, but Is nm
| tied to agriculture alone, OF all our important
| industries.
I While the returns for men engaged in farm
ing fell of from 1870 to is o 6S per CENT the de-
i cline of the wages of those employed in manu-
| featuring was but per cent and this disparity
| is widening. Your committee has not sought
these figures for the dark shadows they cast; but
| finding them, could not in duty turn aside from
them. They make deep depression IN our
agriculture, gloomy and even dark in its signit-
canoe, If the causes that have brought it about
are permanent in this venture. 1t can ultl-
mately end only in poor and spiritless peas
antry, if the future can be judged by the past.
Confidence in the intelligence, spirit and pow
ers OF our farmers, and the general interests Of
other industries in the mother and nurse" OF
all other industries. leads US TO expect other re-
| suits. A due and clear recognition OF this state
| OF facts and OF the causes that have lead TO
| them, are of fundamental necessity in deter
mining the remedy. The low price of land, OF
| free homes, has led to the erection of farm
| houses faster than mills and factories; to the
multiplication of producers faster than eonsum-
| ers our surplus products and those which de-
termine home rates, are necessarily forced upon
a foreign market. The inherent fertility OF orr
| farms from the ages, enable us IN It's hush 10
| sell IN these markets, and yet MAINTAIN the su-
perior farm homes, v hich we cannot part with.
| With the decline of this fertility has come an
| increasing pressure from competition for our
| old European markets, from new farms opened
up to those markets by the penetration Of the
| railroad into newly settled countries; into new
| fields in old countries, and by the eheapening to
a radical degree of ocean transportation SO
| that more distant regions have been made trib
| utary to Europe. Lower life and fresher fields
! are bidding against u.s.
| All the world is being brought into com
| mercial neighbOrhood in which our fArm-life
| is the highest and Justly the most costly.
| Again in fixing the prices of farm products
| at home by foreign low price STANDARDS by the
sale OF our surplus products IN open compettlo S
| with the whole world abroad, we are in no wise
| protected, yet are forced to meet the CONNER
cial and social costs Of the highly protected IN
| dustries amid which we live. Products OF the
| soil constitute three-fourths or more OF all our
exports and are therefore the chief basis OF ex-
| change. Directly and indirectly these values
| are affected by duties on importatons, and
| while exported products are not incre ased in
price by duties on imported articles of which
farmers are large buyers, there are many such
articles that compete directly with like articles
| Of home production, and so cheaper IN the
| hands Of farmers what they have TO sell. We
| do not raise the question OF protection with
| purpose to say that it is wise or unwise, but
| we submit the proposition that protection to
manufacturing industries, IL it must be given at
the expense of agriculture, is an unjust tax upon
| that industry, wrong that requires correction.
1t is but simple justice that importations Of soil
i products that compete with our home products
| in our own markets should be subjected to the
same measures of duties that applies to manu-
featured articles We insist, therefore, that this
principle of equity be at once recognized and
| given full effect.
This may be considered by some politics. but
| your committees regard it as no more partisan
| politics than for the wooden, iron, cotton or
I other manufacturers to resolve upon their own
interests touching this tariff question. We see
only the industry and its misfortune. and recall
| that both parties are pledged to tariff reform.
Watered railway stock, trusts and combinations
of various sorts have had some baleful influence,
as whatever of evil is involved in them must be
| most felt by the farmers, as they are the great
| producing class upon which all interests rest,
| and upon which other interests at last manage
| to shift their burdens In view of the foregoing
| facts, of the fact that successful agriculture
measures the success of all industries and of the
purposes of the national and representative
| character OF this organization; we respectfully
call the attention of Congress and of State Legis
latures to the pressing needs OF our languishlng
| agriculture.
every means be exhausted to restrain aggre-
| gated wealth or corporations of any kind from
| the securing or using of unjust powers, or pow
ers inimical to the good of the industrial masses.
| We request that encouragement be given to the
| Investigation of our farm productions thereby
| aiding the promising tendency revealed by sta
tistics, of consumption of farm products to over
| take production, thus fastening the close of the
| period in which the American farmer is the
| only producer of raw material for export in
| which other nations compete against as for the
| foreign markets. Until consumption of farm
products oveItakes production we see no sound
national good to be served by efforts of Congress
| to extend the farm area of the country at ma
tlonal expense in retaining our arid regions
by irrigation; at least so long as national pro-
| tective policy is maintained that enhances the
cost of farm purchases without increasing the
sale value OF farm products
| We also request our Congressman, irrespective
of parties, in the revision of the tariff promised
| by both national parties, in this hour CT agris
| cultural distress, TO make of paramount import
ance the interest of our agriculture, which is
| the interest of all, and now in equity the right
| of the American farmer. In considering the
| general obligations of the Grange, your COM
| mittee have borne in mind the three funda-
1 maj oil rt1rT hat m fha Ordnr
| namely: The formation OF the social and intel
| lectual, the commercial and political mot
| partisan) interest of farmers.
| Modern invention has central Zed wealth, in
| dustnes and population at points of steam trans
! portation. The process has stripped rural sec
| lions of their former varied industrial inter-
ests and varied talent to build up centers of
| population and culture.
| vacuum has been left in the social and in
tellectual life in the country, that marks one of
| the most unfortunate phases of the influences
| of the industrial revolution of this age on farm
life, and that alone justtes this organization as
| means of bringing the isolated rural pOpula-
| ton together. Wherever Grange exists there
| has been growth OF social and intellectual
| vigor. Social qualities are marked attribute
| of man, and the opportunity to use and develop
them is deeply priced. Their nonuse robs life
| OF much of its significance, and man of his
power among men. Whatever may be the
| aim of the Grange, its ultimate success must
largely be grounded in the mental growth
| and activity of the individual farmer.
He who works with the mind governs others
said an old philosopher, and he will continue
| to through all time. The Order must hold its
purpose to encourage social and intellectual
growth as one of its cardinal aims and seek to
strengthen this feature of its work. A commit
tee of the Grange in each State should keep
watch over the educational interests OF the
State with reference to normal schools, and
especially to its agricultural colleges and exper-
iment stations, which have been subject to
great abuse in a few States by State Universities
and interested parties. national committee
may well be formed The commercial interest is
of the farm as represented by the Grange, have
developed a variety of opinions, many holding
that dealing il needles, pins, coffe. and the
little things OF trade is the national work OF
other industrialists and therefore that this
field cannot be successfully invaded by those en-
gagged in other occupations. Yet it seems that a
powerful national organization of farmers alone
can meet the combinations formed for the selfish
and unfair promotion of their interest, and that
these will respect only trained and consolidated
forces. Such an organization will have an ire
sistible influence locally and nationally in
holding i'll allegiance extortionate dealings, for
the power to throttle aggressive wrong has a
conservative influence on its movements, and
without the exercise of power once made mani
fest its advantages may be reaped by the very
virtue of its existence. This field should be
mastered by prominent committee, whose
trained experience should be available as a guide
to our power.
Politically, land owners have controlled the
world up 10 the present century Land was
formerly masSed in the hands of a few who
constituted the educated governing class. It's
power could be concentrated. The subdivision
| of land into the hands of the many isolated
landowners and scattered the power of land
| This order seeks TO unity land once more and
! to regain, not the power of domination, but
the power to secure equity, against the men and
educated powers that have arisen through the
DEVELOPMENT of science and whose ease OF com
bination, through modern concentration OF
wealth IN cities, admits of ready massing of its
forces Farmers viii find it for their interest Ia
unite with the order and thus unity and aug
ment its powers.
The Order will find it for their interest to dele
gate large powers to Its officers that its sum OF
force may be used as unit. This power no in
dustry, however weak. need fear, for the indus
tries are the offspring of agriculture and against
her children her instincts are not maligu. We
believe that no industry does or can seek to
raise its hands against agriculture, for all are
lovers OF the earth, and all recognize its paterna
character.
But industries like men, are selfish, and the
press of these organized industries Tor existence
and for the prizes, is felt not as design, but as
a result by isolated farmers, who stand not en-
maSse but as detached individuals.
Upon political mot partisan) issues, that is
| upon national and local issues bearing upon
farm interests, such as local and national taxa
| ton, corporate powers, appointment and cleo
ton Of officers who nave legislative and judicial
powers, and upon all public issues more directly
, affecting farmers than other classes, your com
mittee believe that this Order should give q