Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-03-07
THE FARMERS CONDITION.

ganization and concentration of tho
great agricultural force Of tho coun
try. None are 80 deaf as those who
fail to respond to its earnest demands
for that relief which has been too
long deferred. In recent number
of the Forum, Mr.. W. n. PETER gives
some very valuable and significant
information concerning tho origin
and progress of tho FARMERS defen.
sive movement" Ho says that OF
the 100000 farmers in the country
at least 100000 are thus organized,
"nnd the work is still going on" "All
the States are represented in the
movement, but the largest member
ship ID i'll the South and West .
There are other farmers organiza
tons with which negotiations for co
operation are being made, and this
will greatly multiply tho present
members, probably increasing the
present ceutral organization to two,
three, OF even, it may be. four mil
lions Of members. Mr.. PETER gives
as the origin of this movement the
operation of three great agencies
railroa IS, middlenen aud banks; but
FIRST and foremost the railroads. lie
describes the rapid growth ard con
ccatration 81 capital and tho enor
nous expenditures for railroad build
ing ia che curly part of the last de.
cnde.
"As years came md went and as
private mortgages and municipal
bonds increased i'll number it required
mora wheat, more corn, more cattle.
more swine to meet maturing obliga
tions. While it would have requir
ell $780, G30D0 bushels of wheat in
August, 1865, to pay tho whole ma.
tional debt, it would have required
nearly rs much, or 100000, 900
bushels, to puy what remained to be
paid twenty years later, after the
principal had been reduced by more
than one half, and when of principal
and interest good deal moro than
the whole amount OF the original
debt had been paid. But while az
riculture has made substantial pro
gress it has not kept pace with other
interests. During the 80 years fol
lowing the census of 1850 the rail.
road interest increased 1850 per
cent, and the banking interest 9lS
per cent, while the farming interest
reached only 252 per cent. This rel
alive falling behind is not the fruit Of
neglect on the part of the farmers,
nor is it due to soil exhaustion or
ynfavorable seasons, for methods of
farm work have been greatly i'm
proved, vast amounts of money are
invested annually in labor. saving i'm
plements, the fertility of the soil is
well maintained and the crops are MS
heavy and of rs good quality MS they
ever were. Production has been in
creased and cheapenel OH The farm
as in the factory"
What was the cause OF loss and de.
preston in prices? The arbitrary
railroad law that demands "all that
the traffic will bear" The railroad be-
ing the judge. And the other cause
was the enforced necessity of the
farmers borrowing money sat rates
OF interest far above legal rates and
higher than any industry could af.
ford to pay, 40 and 30 per cent, =
and often still higher. Then follow
lowed the combination among stock
and grain dealers and meat packers
beginning at Chicago, whereby prices
OF farm products were regulated. ON
you have the principal features OF
the situation, out Of which came the
farmers movement This vigorous
writer and earnest champion of the
farmer thus describes the present
situation:
I'm their life and work separated
so are they i'll their business affairs
Their purchases are i'll small quaint
ties usually and at highest retail
prices, while i'll business done on
large scale, large interests come un
der one management and expenses
are reduced to the minimum. By
reason Of his isolation end the small
ness of his individual business, the
farmer found himself paying tribute
to men and corporations who had
control OF tho money and the mar
kets OF the country. 1t WAS to rem
ady these wrongs, to obtain their
just proportion OF the profits arising
from their labor and to restore them
selves to their normal place among
tGa,r .ellow-men that farmers began
and are now conducting the greatest
revolution ever peacefully inaugur.