The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1890-01-11

MEETING OF TIE STATE ASSOCIA
TI0M.


A Plain and straightforward Address BY
President stake Taxes, Products auc
Markcts-our Laws Cost too Much-OtheI
Topics Discussed by Farmers.
, The fifth annual session of the Mary.
land State Farmers Association began or
Wednesday at Py.hian Hall, on North
Gay ST., BALTIC. President Edward Stake,
of Frederick County, called the body to
order. There were about eighty dele,
gates present, representing all parts OF
the state, including vice-presideuts Of the
association and delegates from the
oranges, farmers alliances and farmers
CLUBS, Cecil County being represented by
Vice President Henry S. Coudon and del
egate Z. Noyes.
THE ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT STAKE.
President Stake delivered his annual
address, which occupied over an hour in
its delivery. and was listened to with
great interest by the delegates. President
Stake at first paid tribute to the late
Col. William Allan, of McDonogh, and
then said:
"a review of the condition of the ag-
ricultural interests of the state for the
past year does not present an encourage
ing aspect. While it is true that, to some
extent, the year has been one of an I'M
usual amount of unfavorable weather
and its consequent disadvantages in the
planting aud gathering of our crops, as
we'll as its effects upon the quantity and
| quality of our products, which may be,
or is not likely TO be encountered again
in the near future, the general tendency
| of decrease in the value of farm products
| of the state, to point below our present
cost Of production, and ordinary farm
expenses, is too real to be overlooked,
and leaves but little to be hoped for,
from continuation in present methods
and upon present reliances.
Year after year tho farmers of the
state see their lands depreciating in value,
the price OF farm products growing less,
the you5h and strength of the coming
population depleted By emigration, and
their material interests a. class surely,
yet swiftly, rs such things 90, drifting
toward bankruptcy. About US in every
direction the evidences of these facts are
manifest. Oar soil is kind, our climate
is mild and salutary, our population is
industrious and economical. and yet, as
a class, we have ceased to expect, under
the most favorable circumstances, more
than a mere payment of expenses, and
that only, when our work has been &C
companied BY whole years rigid and
systematic course 8. seif-denial. The
average farmer has an abundant supply
of hope; in fact, his whole reliance is
upon the future; but this hope will event
ually exhaust itself; unless relief comes.
An intelligent and conservative appre
citation of the situation is prerequisite
to any correction or improvement"
TAXES, PRODUCTION AND MARKETS.
He then claimed that wealthy corpora
tions escaped taxation, and that the ques
ton of taxation was of vital importance
to the farmers. Farmers are taxed upon
their lands and implements, which the
assessor and collector can see, while bonds |
and mortgages are largely untaxed; the
farming class. witlnone third of the prop
erty, consequently, pays two-thirds of all
the taxes. He claimed that low prices |
were not the sole cause of depression OF |
the industry, and said:
1T is absolutely necessary that we di-
rect our attention to the production of
things that eau fEd e market We i'm
port Annually 2.542. 900 bushels ui beans,
as against 3,075, 600 bushels produced |
here; 3, 624, 600 bushels of peas, as against |
5,514, 900 bushels produced hers; $40, 000,- |
600 of orchard products. as against $780, |
900. 900 produced here; Is, 642.0 900 dozen
eggs are imported annually; 33 per cent. |
of the wool used in this country is i'm |
ported, and. although the enormous sum |
of over 2 900, 000 600 pounds of cotton is
exported annually, we import annually |
hemp, flax and other fiber goods amount
ing in value to one third of all the cotton |
exported. Every one of these articles, |
for which there is a strong and steady |
market demand at remunerative prices, |
can be readily produced in this state by |
little inquiry into the method of cul-
ture. In an experiment made last season |
at bean culture in my county on rather |
poor land, sixty dollars worth of beans |
per acre were raised at cost not exceed |
ing the cost of raising corn.
mo section of the country is more |
favorably situated for the production and |
sale of fine dairy products than our own |
State. Oar metropolis is readily accessi- |
BILE from every country by rail or water, |
and contains over one-half of the popula-
ton OF the state. The District of Col |
umbia at least half az great a population,
making at our doors at least 5000 con-
SINNERS of dairy products. The western
portion and whole northern boundary Of
the state have fine transportation facilli- |
ties for sGch products to the cities of
Philadelphia aud New York, with their
aggregate millions. Will we take advan
tage of the opportunities, which only |
await the action of industrious hands and |
intelligent minds, or persist in conflict
with the law Of supply and demand,
which must inevitably defeat our efforts?
Farming, to be successful. must he
guided by intelligence. Brains are recess
sary to success"
He urged she necessity for protection
from dishonest fertilizers, and that the !
farmers organize more strongly than in
the past.
OUR LAWS COST TOO MUCH.
"There is pressing demand for econ
omy in public affairs. AS We are wrest-
ling with the problem of maintaining our
calling, we have right to expect, that
our public officials, who are paid out of
the public taxes, will be content to prac-
tiCe the same rigid self denial as the peo-
pie who pay them. do not speak this
IN any spirit of demagogism. If there
ever was time when the condition of
affairs requires plain talk, it is now. l
have endeavored to show that it is abso-
lutely necessary that we as farmers return
10 the simple and inexpensive habits of
our predecessors. There is no reason
why our officials should not practice the
same ecnnnmY and live ON incomes as re-