News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-10-16
ChaunCey DGpGW on Farming.

One of the ablest, clearest and
most remarkable speeches of the
kind ever delivered on a like occasion
was the one made by Hon. Chauncey
DepeW at the state fair at Syracuse,
n. T., Sept. 16, which began as fol-
lows =
1t does not need any profound
study to discover subjects of the
| greatest interest connected with the
agriculture of the United States. Ad-
mitting our marvellous progress in
manufactures and the arts, the pros
perlty, prominence and power of the !
Republic rest upon the farm. OF the
| l7,00O,OO0 of bread-winners in the
/ land, 1O.60O,000 are farmers, and of
the 13, 100000 whose labor creates
our productive wealth all may be
! assigned to agriculture except 3
| 100000.
After speaking of the antagOnism
4 that formerly existed towards the
railroads on the part of the rural
population, he then gave a few facts
and figures to show what part the
railroads had taken to develop our
farming interests.
The railroad first developed the
agricultural resources of our cOun-
try, then threatened their paralysis
and now, under wiser administration
on the one hand, and q more liberal
understanding on the other, the farm
and the railroad are seen to be in
separately united as allies and as
| rNhn hl,nhE Of 4ha ic
the bankruptcy of the other. At the
time of the organization of your So
| ciety fifty years ago there was three
thousand miles of railroad in the
United States and to-day there are
10000.
Every mile of new railroad brings
into cultivation 100000 fresh acres
A half century ago there were $4,-
600, 700, 900 invested in agriculture,
and now there are $11 900, 100000.
There were then 1 100000 farms,
now there are between 4 900, 900 and
100000. Within the last thirty
years the acreage devoted to corn
has increased from IA, 100000 to
7S,000,000, and the amount pro-
duced from 5O0,000,000 to 2,0O0,-
100000 of bushels, while wheat in
the same period has expanded it's
area from IL, 100000 to 3S,O00,0
of acres, and the amount produced
from 1 100000 to 5000, 900 of BUSH
els. Since 1910 the land improved
and under cultivation has grown from
113, 100000 to 00,000,OO0 ofacres.
Our population since 1910 has in
creased from 100000 to 5,000,-
900. OF the IA, 100000 immigrants
who came to this country after 1920,
13, 10000 were brought here after
the commencement of the railroad
development. But the Northwestern
lines did not rest their prosperity
alone upon the European harvest.
They persuaded the farmer of New
England to send his boys to Wiscon-
sin, Illinois and Iowa, the farmer OF
Illinois to send his boys to Kansas,
, and the farmer of Kansas to send his
sons to Idaho, Wyoming, Montana
= and Washington.
! The results of this vast expansion
| | of population have been to Absorb
nearly the whole of our public do
, main and produce an enormous sur
plus of agricultural products. This
great army spreading over the fer
tile acres of the West and Northwest
and receiving from the Government
free farms introduced no variety in
their agriculture, but entered with
out exception, into the planting and
harvesting of the same cereals. As
consequence we have become not only
; the largest agricultural nation in the
world, but we dominate the prices of
the products of all the mar
kets of civilization. Our productive
ness under these settlements thus
made at pace unknown to natural
laws and under such tropical condi-
tions made the output of the farm
80 per cent. greater than the absorb
ing power of the country. We pro-
duced 30 per cent. of the food of the
world. and not only easily command
ed the countries which are compelled
to buy from abroad, but lowered the
prices of wheat and corn and live
stock so that we paralyzed the pros
perity of agriculture all over the
world.
With the reduction in prices the
farmers found the railway rates an
insuperable obstacle to the contin-
uance OF their business.
This led to the establishment of the
principle still denied by European
/ railroad managers that an enormous
business economically handed, even
; at unprecedently low rates, would
= return a fair profit. The rates have
: been reduced 100 per cent. in twenty
: years, while the products of the farm
have fallen 30 per cent
EVIL RESULTS OF SPECULATION.
! When America had secured a
commanding position in the Euro
. peans markets, there was perpetrated
), a crime against the prosperity of the
= United States unequalled in its far
= reaching results by any war, pesti-
= lence or famine of ancient or modern
\ \ times. The speculative activity and
u capital, which had been successful in
= the stock market and produce ex
J changes, combined to corner the
food supplies of Europe derived from
- America. 1t alarmed alike capital
= lists and cabinets; it stirred up th'
- dormant energies of older peoples
!, and conservative Governments; i
II stimulated railway construction il
- India and RUSSIA; it made the fellal
of the Nile, the ryOt of India ant
peasant of Russia the competitor
't of the American farmer and his neces
II stiles for the amenities and luXurie
he of the highest civilization; it 81
l. alarmed the Governments of Eng
De land, France and Germany that the,
'r put fatal restrictions upon the in
portations of our live stock and on
pork. But while our foreign market
v, have thus been in a large meas
De ure lost, our production of the sam
er cereals and of live stock have gon
lg on constantly increasing.
a, In view of the depression brough
Id about by these causes, it become
n the highest duty of the America
S. statesman and the American farme
i'll to look about for remedies. Th
rs first act of the farmers of the Unite
TO States should be to intelligently o.
n ganize In the present condition {
or the world organization is the necess
tv of existence. Farmers alone haV
failed to unite in any efficient {
practical way. They should be S
DIV banded together that they can in
me press upon the Government wit
r4 ,et commanding voice their needs, thi
or they can educate each other in ii
at rotation and subdivision of crops, ;