The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-08-01

While Trades Unions and Knights Of
Labor strike for an eight hour day you
are willing to work ten, twelve or four
teen if need be and not complain. If
you had been in Egypt with the Chill
drcn of Israel what huge piles Of brick
you would have made without straw.
But, as it is, you beat the world in pill
ing up corn, and then sell it for price
that leaves you next to nothing for
your labor. l would not have you think
the plutocracy wants to starve you out
entirely. No, my brother farmers, they
dod't want that-they want you to
live. On the same principle that you
want your mule to live-that the mule
and you may make more corn.
Farmers sometimes remind me of the
man and boy, who found bee,tree.
The boy was for cutting down the tree,
killing the bees and taking their honey.
"No," said the man, who was plu-
tocrat, "there is better way to manage
bees. Let us smoke them out and take
their honey, then let them go in and
make more, and next year we will
smoke them out again."
Some Of you, I have no doubt, have
been smoked out enough already.
Others, however, are patiently working
another crop and waiting to be smoked
out again. Well, what can we do? Is
there no remedy? Yes, there is a
remedy. 1t is in organization of the
farmers in self defense. In many
places these organizations are strong
already, and the work is spreading
everywhere. Why not organize? Do
we not see organization on every side,
and by some who thirst for blood? Yes,
we have the beef trust, the lumber
trust, the oil trust, the sugar trust, the
coffee trust, the salt trust, the Irvine
trust, the coal trust and other trust too
numerous to mention. And when we
give it up and 90 down into the dust
we are buried by coffin trust. These
birds of prey are we'll organized, and
are "rcady to cast an anchor to the
windward," and to keep their weather
eye on the farmers. Some oae says the
farmers cannot organize and if they did
it would do no good, etc. The man
who says this is either ignorant or
troubled with something worse. There
is not farmer present, nor in the
State Of Missouri, il. he be a good man,
but what can join a farmers organiza-
ton if he will. If there really DC one
who thinks he cannot join then let him
send his wife as substitute and if he
will neither 90 himself nor send his
wife may the Lord have mercy on his
poor soul. repeat, may the good
Lord have mercy on his poor soul.
Now let US get down TO business. In
our present condition what do the
farmers most need? 1t is better prices
for what We have to sell to the end
that we may pay our debts, and the
better provide for our families and
beautify our homes. With all the
wealth we produce our families should
be made abundantly happy in its en-
joyment, our fair daughters have per-
sonal adornment. 1t was God who
made them SO and He knows what is
best. Must they be prohibited from
the enjoyment Of this God given right
in this land of SO much wealth? No,
as God reigns it shall not always be so.
The remedy, as l said, is in better
prices for what we sell. 1t is not in
the tariff, neither high nor low. Now
all take good breath, for have not
come here to trample your party corns,
though there may be abundant need Of
it. Remember this truth when times
were coed We got better prices FOR our
products.
Again, we have had good prices with
high ttriff and with low tariff also
And we have had low prices with high
tariff and with low tariff also. III
other words, the tariff does not regulate
the price of our farm products. Nc
man can prove that to lower the tariff
would give better prices for corn, OF
wheat, or oats, or cattle, or hogs, OF
anything else the farmer sells. No in
telligent man can believe it, much les,
prove it.
As l said before, agriculture pro-
duces more than seventy-two per cen
of all We sell for export, or near three
fourths of all. Now l make this point
il it cannot be shown that a reduction
of the tariff will give US better prices
for products of the farm, then is it no