San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-07-11
How 10 Investigate.


How to Investigate.
BY HON. A. ]. sTREETER, OF ILLINOIS.
I congratulate you on having made
the Economist such ON able and de.
sirable paper for farmers to read.
II the agricultural people in every
State would read and heed its teach
ings their interest would be promoted
thereby. d 1 q 1
The people in this country may be
divided into three principal classes:
i. The wages workers. 2. The gaeat
middle class, which includes most
agriculturists. 3. The moneyed ar
istocracy.
The middle class should consider
the great responsibility now rest
ing upon them, and that they must
come to the front if the Government
of our fathers, a Government Of and
by our people, shall not perish from
the earth. In this indeavor but lit
tie help need be expected from the
poor wage class, now struggling to
live, many of whom are lacking in
courage, independence, orwill power,
and who are too often at the mercy
Of master or employer.
Combined capital, in trusts and
other combinations, evidently intends
to own and control this country.
These combines have become the
bane of our prosperity, bligbted our
happiness, and menaced our liberties.
BY reason Of their interest they have
become opposed to government Of
the people and purpose to supplant
the Government of our fathers by q
meneyed aristocraoy--a gree dy,
grasping, sordid, selfish, aristocracy.
This transitive process is now going
on, and will soon be the established
order of things, unless the great
middle class shall rally to defeat it.
The aristooracy believe in the doc
trine first proclaimed in one OF the
greatest New York dailies, and own
ed by them, as the solution Of the
labor problem, and in which it said:
"The American laborer must make
up his mind to not be so much bet
ter off than the European laborer;
mon must be content to work for
less wages, and in this way they will
be nearer to that station in life to
which it has pleased God to call
them In accordance with this plan,
we find that wage labor is still being
cut on every hand, and the end is not
yet.
1t would be very interesting read
ing if the trust in cotton bagging
and binding twino would make re-
port for publication in the Economist,
stating how much they have raised
the prices of wage labor in their mills
since raising the price of binding
twine from 8 cents up to 20 cents
per pound. It would also be inter-
esting if they would tell us how the
tariff on sisal and other imported ma
terials used in the manufacture OF
cotton bagging and twine has bene-
fited the laborers in our protected
business. And will you, gentlemen
Of the combine, tell US wherein is the
justice of protecting your business
by tariff when you raised the price
above tho tariff 150 per cent. on bind
ing twinel
But to return TO the farmers.
They still have it in their power to
defeat the trust by refusing to buy
their goods. To do this they must
organize-oragnize in self-defense,
and act with promptness and cour
age.
These combines and trusts are
driving farmers, by the thousands,
into the wage class for sub
sistence. These changes have gone
On already until wage labor is drug
ia the market, and until in many
places two men are competing for
The work that one man can do, and
still the increase Of the wage class
goes on. Farmers, is it not time to
stop and thinki And to inquire how
10 save our selves from being pushed
INTO the wage class, already too
1umerousi Do You really think il
would be wicked TO join the Alliance,
1r Wheel, or Grange, or some other
Iarmers' organization, and there
among yourselves discuss these con-
iitions and the renedyi We often
loar farmers say: Il know there is
wrong. but the cause Of
bese hard times and the remedy is
more than / can tell" Then does it
,ot follow that you need more light
The way 10 obtain this light is 10
ON a farmers organization Of some
ind wherein these topics are being
discussed, and in this way investigate
or yourzelf.-Satooai Economist q