The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1889-10-25
- MIGHTY MANT..

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bandman that ought 10 interest all
farmers asit directly applies to them
and states facts In unmistakable lam
guage. 1t Is wcll said thatthe &rning
class constitutes the members Of "a
mighty giant, with good health, strong
arms and intellectual powers" The
farmers do not know their own
strength, orif they do they fail to util-
.ize 1t. Lack Of unity Is what prevents
them from correcting many ofthe evils
which oppress them. Let them unite
on any point, and Immediately the
leaders Of both the great political par
ties tremble in their shoes and seek to
conciliate the farmers, aud By various
arts endes1or 70 cenvipce them that
the republican or democratic party, as
the case may he, Is the one that Is on
the side of the agricultyrist. II the
farmers would pay no attention TO par
ty bosh, but unite on men and meas
tires that are really for their interest,
they would be surprised ut their own
power and tire benefits to be derived
from its proper exercise. Read and
remember:
Farmers are apt to look on the dark
side Of life. Isolated as they are much
of the time from the company and In
fiuence of their fellow. w.beings they de-
velop a moody temperament. They see
ethe inequalities Of the tax laws, and
know the fact that they are robbed Of
the fruits of their tolls by wealthy mo-
nopolies, vil.ainous trusts, and greedy
railroad corporations. They are COM
PEELED to pay 4 tax on property for
which they are heavily In debt, while
their more fortunate neighbors, the
merchants, escape such taxation. They
aie Obliged to pay the railroad compa-
nies more for transporting their prod
ucts few miles than is charged the
great dressed beef and Standard oil mo-
nopolles for hauling the same bulk of
oil or dressed beef across the continent.
They must pay not only heavy profit
on millions of dollars OF watered stock
but heavy rebates to these wealth-Slut-
ted monopolies. And when they think
of these things they say, "a farmers
is a dogs life farming doesn't pay /;
my son shall never be farmer" They
cry hard times ands oppression, but
never think that the means for the
alleviation of their present condition is
in their own hands. Politicians rob
them, but they stand ready to hurrah
and vote for these leeches OH election
day. Tyey know that if they do their
duty trusts could not exist, eXtortion Of
railroad companies would cease, and
political bribe-takers would be in the
penitentiary instead Of running for the
Legislature. They know all this, yet
the long, discordant wall Of hard times
is echoed and re-echoed all over the
land
Agriculture is oppressed and not as
profitable as it might be, but it need not
be thus. Why should almighty giant,
with good health, strong arms and in
tellectual pewers, and the cause fright
and justice on his side, lie down in life
less lethargy to be dcvoured by u flock
of greedy vultures? !. hiss been said
that farmers are 10 blame for the pres
ent condition ofagriculture. The ballot
box is the means provided for securing
justice, and is 1t not as free as II ever
was? When we farmers wake from
our lifeless slumber, organize, break the
chain of party rule, and vote for honest
men, regardless Of party, then, II farm-
ing doesn't pay, we have no cause TO
complain.
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