The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1890-05-07
JEWELS IN THE ROUGH.
Farmers May Not DO Diplomats, But They
Have an Occasional Idea.


Farmers May Not bs Diplomats, But They
Have an Occasional Idea.
There is great deal Of harsh and UNI
generous criticism Of some of the pro-
ceedings Of farmers in their Alliance
meetings. All this, however, comes
from enemies and not from friends OF
the Farmers Movement" One Of these
critics, and his comments are q fair
sample Of all or most Of the Others, puts
it this way, referring to the published
resolutions Of the county presidents
meeting:
1.-THE first demand is for Legislative
enactment to make up for the shrink
age in value of lands between the time
of giving the mortgage and the time for
its foreclosure. OF course, what is
sauce for the goose should be sauce for
the gander;' and so when the value Of
merchandise, or Of horse, or of manu-
featuring implements-any thing
shrinks between the time of fore
closure and sale from the same
cause as the land depreciation in
value, should be legislated for in the
same manner. Justice to one should
be to all. Or do these demagogues set
up the plea that farmers are made Of
little holier and better clay than the
rest of mankind. and, therefore, are en-
titled to more consideration than
others? OF course, every sensible farm
er will see the unspeakab BILE absurdity Of
this proposition alta glance, unless its
scope is widened to take In all the rest
And then what? An end to business,
for all foundation is removed and moth
ing is left to build up business upon"
The ''demagogues" that this writer
refers to are not trained politicians;
they do not know how to dissemble.
What they mean they say, using words
which express the leading idea. Some
resolutions adopted by Alliances do APP
pear to professional writers as ''un-
speakable absurdities," and yet, we
dare say, not one set Of resolutions has
gone out from any surveillance that did
not contain at least one funda-
mental idea based on justice be-
tween man and man. These peo-
pie. accustomed to hard work
on the farm, in the shops and mines, are
not trained to the use Of words; they
express themselves roughly, it may be-,
but their homely words sometimes con-
tain the choicest thoughts. Like jewels
in the rough, bright thoughts and
laudable sentiments are concealed be-
meath these crude expressions. In the
hands of skillful word painters the cen
trail thought in many of these same
''unspeakable absurdities" would glow
and glisten like diamonds in a coronet.
Take, for example, the 'shrinkage"
resolution above referred to- The men
who adopted it gave expression to an
idea of great and good import, an idea
which underlies the Alliance move.
ment-that of simple justice be.
tween man and man. Is there one
money-changer in thousand that ever
thinks of sharing the misfortunes of his
debtor? He wants the contract com
piled with to the letter, no matter how
hard it is. He has no mercy. He has
the law on his side, and he insists upor
its prompt and complete enforcement
That a family is to be ruined by his
conduct is no matter Of his. He looks
to his own interest and cares nothing
about that Of his debtor. On the Other
hand, not one debtor in thousand but
is careful to guard the rights of his
creditor and would not occasion hin
the loss of farthing If it be possible t.
prevent it. This 'shrinkage" resolu
ton is but the expression of an ides
which, when it is made plain, means
the administration of exact justice; tina
and nothing more.-Kansas Farmer.