The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1890-12-18
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Fron the chlesse Inter Ocean.

Fron the Chiesgc Inter Ocean
It 10 becoming more and more
evident every day thst the unrest
among the farmers IL the coming
feature Of American politics. Agi.
tate - they may the free traders
will fnd that the protective tariff Of
1890 has come 10 stay, modified,
perhaps, but not essentially weak
sned. The farmers are the supreme
power 10 this country, and they are
not worrying and striving over the
price Of Havana cigars and French
ebsmpagnes, and they know enough
10 know that as salt, iron, steel, etc,
went down In price under protee-
ton, a. soon ss the protection had
fairly had . chance to work, 20 tin
will be all the cheaper 10 mined and
made st home. They are content ~
give the new duties time to bear
their legitimate fruit. But they are
restless and discontinued on quite
other grounds. whether they seek
relief aud betterment through the
old parties or . new party will de-
pend upon the Developments Of the
near future.
The average farmer 10 very far
from being politician Ia the sense
Of an office-seeker, but his political
convictions are deep. clear, and
strong, based on conscientious prin-
cIples. ia lot Of demsgogues think
they can tvist.the granger vote snd
make 10 tail out their own little kites
they are bound to be disappointed.
The farmers will 60 with their rt-
spective parties unless they ZEE
some special yet general reason for
breaking those ties. Whether 1892
will be 1890 over again with empha-
sis, or 1888 repeated, Il would be
idle to inquire. Nor does Il matter,
90 far a. concerns the duty Of con-
gress aud the legislatures Of the ses-
son.
IL would be both Impolltic and un-
patriotic for our Legislators, National
and State, 10 not steer their course
this winter according 10 the demand
Of duty, rather than supposed tenn
porsry expediency. II IL not enough
10 End out what the farmers want,
even assuming that they are pro-
perly represented by those profess
ing 10 speak for them. Are those
demands based on sound reason,
and would the granting Of them be
really beneficial? Il is equally true
that those demands must be given .
careful as well a. respectful hearing,
no matter how foreign they may BE-
to preconceivsd convictions. Hay
seed" IL not Q sign Of either ssplency
or folly.
There 10 this much, however, In
favor Of the farmers: They look 81
public questions from the stand
point Of . mode Of life requiring
both hard physical work and no
little intellectual effort. The man
who undertakes to run Q farm by
hand instead Of by head IL pretty
sure to run behind and make
failure Of It. Thinking and toiline
must 60 together to insnre success.
The habit Of running ones own
machine develops the brain, and T.
largely the reason the higher walks
Of life are recruited 80 heavily from
the rural population. This intel
Iectuality 10 not clogged by the
peculIsrIties OF agricultural life.
The true statesman cares far more
to know what the farmers are think
ing about than any other class, not
simply because they are 30 numhr-
Gus, but because they are level
headed, and not distracted In
thought by the perplsxIties and
Of ordinary business.
One secret Of Lincoln's marvellous
was bis profound re-
.pect for granger opinions, and II
the Republican party wants to avoid
breakers let IL have more Of the
spirit Of Lincoln and less Of the
spirit Of the supercIlious child OF
accident.