Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-05-19
The Monopoly Press and the Farmer

class, deeply involved in debt. ard that
most of the mortgages on their farms were
evidences of their prosperity. and not of
their impoyerishment. Until few days
ago the stupid journal, of this city, wss
following this line of policy, and printing
interviews with money lenders intended to
show that under the monopoly tariff the
farmers of Indiana were getting rich.
The republican press suddenly finds it,
self compelled TO abandon this sort OF
thing. 1t won't go down with the farm
ers. The farmer knows his own condi-
ton better than the fellows do who sit in
the editorial sanctums and grind out pre-
posterous twsddle in the interest of the
trusts and monopolies which run the re-
publican party. The farmer may not
fully appreciate the cause of his misfor
tunes. but he at least knows that he Isl
not prospecting and it won't do for the re
publican newspapers TO tell him that he
is.
So the organs find that they have to-
take a different tack. Even the stupid
journal has about stopped its imbecihties
touching the farmers alleged boom
Uncle Jerry Rusk, Ststistician Dodge and
High-Tsxer Mckinley have made public
confessions that American agriculture is in
state of great depression. The organs
are thus estopped from further proclaim.
ing to the contrary. Nothing is left for
them but to try to convince the farmer
that the high tariff is not at the bottom of
his troubles.
Ii is to that herculesn task that the or
gans of the spolation tax infsmy are now
bending their alleged intellecis. They are
undertaking TO show the farmer that
something else-anything else than the
tariff is the cause of his failing condition
He has been too eXtravagant He has
| not worked hard enough. He has not
put enough manure on his land He
hasn't diversified his crops sufficiently.
He has not prscticed business methods.
| He has neglected such opportunities To
| amass wealth as are afforded by the cul-
| ture oflemons. oranges, figs, bananas,
| silk worms. etc. And so on.
Thus the Globe Democrat breaches 10
the farmer after this fashion:
Ii is easy TO say that the farmers are
not to blame because their occupation
has thus become unremunerstive; but as
| matter of strict fact they are themselves
| largely responsible for the depression
which puts them al such disadvantage
They have known for some time that
| there was no money in wheat or corn.
| and yet they have gone on producing
| them in the largest possible quantities, as
If they were somehow compelled to do
so. They might have raised other crops
for which there was constant and pro-
tltsble demand. Their lands could have
| been devoted to uses which would have
guaranteed them satisfactory returns
every year. By persisting in the policy
of producing year after year more than
we wanted of these two articles. they
have simply done what they could to
make q bad matter worse, instead of TAX.
ing judicious steps to improve it. The
idea that farmer is obliged to continue
raising wheat and corn because that has
always been the rule, will not stand the
test of reason and common sense. 10
| agriculture as in every other business
success depends upon intelligence. The
things produced must be adapted to the
wants of the purchasing element. 1t is
idle to hope for better prices so long as
the amount offered is. in excess of the
amount desired. To produce more when
there is already enough, is merely to sg-
gravste the evil. and not to remove or
modify it. If there had been a proper
Idiversificstion of crops In the last three
or four years the present distress would
not have come 10 pass. In that sense,
therefore. the farmers are blamable
They missed their opportunity, and
failed to recognize the necessity of
changing their plan of operations. The
lesson is severe one. but it may prove
in the end to be most salutary and val
liable.
We don't know how the average farms
er will relish this sort of talk, tut we
fancy it will not "set well" with him. He
has been voting the republican ticket for
Il quarter Of century upon the strength
of assurances from the Globe Democrat
and the other organs of the e. o. p. that
republican sscendence meant protection
to American industry that protection
to American industry" meant a good
home market for the farmer; that the pros
tecied manufacturers would take all the
wheat, corn, ETC., the farmer could raise
at good prices, ETC, etc. The farmers
| TOOK the e. ID. and the other newspaper
opponents of the gospel of reciprocal rs-
pine at their word. and now that most of
them sre7in the grasp OF eastern shylocks.
the organs calmly reproach them for want
of intelligence, of foresight, etc. You
have nobody but yourself TO blame for
your present distress mark the words) {;
you are the architects of your own mis-
fortunes"
This is adding insult to injury. 1t is
following robbery with affront. IL is
experimenting outrage with contumely-
1t is noticeable that the g. D. does not
explain to the farmers Whist crops they
should have substituted for wheat and
corn. 1t does not mention to what spe-
cific uses they shodld have put their
lands in lieu of cultivating the great food
staples. 1t contents itself with telling
the farmer that he has been an ass-sor-
ry consolation, indeed to the man who
has been following the G. DIS. advice all
the time.
If this sort OF thing does not open the
eyes of the American farmer TO the truth.
his case is indeed hopeless one. and
there is nothing left for him but to sink
| to the level of mere serf "a slave at
tached 10 the sofia fixed condition of
peasant tenantry from which there will
be no chance to emerge, except by the
| avenue of revolution.