The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-05-16

"large and comfortable buildings, sub
stantial fences, and permanent improve
ments make them in every way desir-
able" he distinctly states is for 'reasons
traceable to other sources than infer
iority of soil"
A circular iron the commissioner of
the agricultural and manufacturing in
terests of the State of Vermont is but a
repetition of the same sad, sad story.
The same appalling story may be
told Of the farms tributary to the Balti
more market.
The Philadelphia Times OF last week
asserted that the farm lands in the
vicinity of that city had deprecated in
value thirty to fifty per cent in the last
ten years.
Within the sweep OF vision from the
dome of this Capitol, with its 100000
mouths in this city to feed, hundreds
and thousands of acres of as fine farm
land as may be found on the Atlantic
slope, have deprecated in value from
thirty three to fifty per cent. What do
these startling facts and figures demon.
strate? They do not disprove that
under ordinarily favorable conditions,
judicious diyersifcation in farm hus-
bandry is most conducive to comfort,
prosperity and success. but they do
conclusively demonstrate that with our
present environments and surroundings
to adopt it as factor Essential to our
agricultural salvation" would be to
follow fatal delusion.
But Mr.. Chairman, there ars still
other and still more serious and i'm
portant phases of this subject to be
considered.
From 1870 to 1880 the number of
farms in the United States under three
acres decreased thirty-eight per cent,
while those of 100 to 500 acres increas.
cd 800 per cent. The number of farms
Of three tc ten acres decreased twenty
one per cent, while those from 500 to
1000 increased 47s per cent.
The number of 10 to 20 acres de-
creased II per cent. while those of q
1000 or more acres increased TO per
cent. In 1880 we had AS, 553 less
farms under SO acres than we had ia
1870, and yet our agricultural popula-
tion had increased during that decade
29 per cent.
To my mind no more serious aspect
of the situation or of the downward
tendency Of the times can be found than
is presented in these figures They
stand as a strong witness to the fearful
and deplorable truth that through the
rapid congestion of wealth. enriching
the few at the expense of the many,
our population is being rapily resolved
into two classes-the extremely rich
and extremely poor-classes which in
all ages have proven themselves to be
the weakets defenders of civil liberty.
In 1850 the farmers Of the United
States owned 10 per cent of the total
wealth Of the country and paid So per
cent of its taxes. In 1860 they owned
half the wealth o: the country and they
paid 81 per cent of its taxes. In 1880
they owned only one-fourth of the
wealth of the country. The increase
in their farm values during the 20 years
from 1860 to 1880 had dropped from
lOl per cent to only per cent, and yet
in this desperately reduced and weak
ened condition they paid so per cent OF
the taxes of the country.
Mr.. Chairman, is the agricultural
interest Of the country depressed? And
is it due to want of energy, of indus.
try and economy on the part of the
farmers? All over the country he-has
been told for years by certain school
of political economists that Incidence,
inattention to business and extrava-
gance were the prime causes of his
increasing poverty. But when he comes
to the capital of the nation venerable
Senators and prominent Government
officials inform him that his fuancial
ruin has been wrought through his in.
dustry and the merciful providence Of
natures God; that be is absolutely
bowed to the earth unJer chushing
load of overproduction. Are either OF
his advisers correct? In answer to the
first, assert without hesitation, that
no class of citizens 10 our country work
so hard, live so hard and receive so lit
tie reward for his labor as the average
American farmer. Ia answer to the