Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-02-14
THE FARMERS LOT.

"Multum In Parve" has Something 10
say OF the speeches and Papers
Read at the Recent Agricultural In
stitute.
JosLIN, Feb. 70.
The speeches made al farmers gath
erings remind me OF an old minister we
rad in England TO whom IL made no Diff
ference whether ne took his text In Gene
sis, Revelations, Acts of the Apostles or
Lamentations. he invariably preached
the same sermon, "Christ and him cruci-
fed /" At the late farmers gathering in
Rock Island Mr.. McConochie, In his very
interesting speech, gave ont a very ap.
propriare text-"What Shall the Farmer
do TO be Saved2' to which. as usual. none
of the speakers seemed TO pay much at
tention. But why is the cry going up
from our cities and our mayors. "What
Shall the Farmers do to be Saved?" Is
IL not a further endorsement OF the AK
ION, that Corn Is King2' and although
the success OF the business enterprises OF
our country does not entirely depend
upon one thing, but the blen ding to-
gether of many pursuits. nevertheless.
agriculture is the pillar of them all. II
becomes very necessary then that the
farmer shall be saved In order that every
body else may be saved.
10 reading over the speeches there
seems to be yagueness, and lack of
practicable defniteness as 10 what a
farmer shall do to be saved-which Is
unaccountable. However. there seems
TO be general presumption that the
farmer Is an ignoramus and that he re.
81. hNa
says 1T Is the greatest mis-
pose that because man can hold q
pillow or build stack of hay he will make
a farmer. Very true. and farmer may
have the wisdom of Horace Greeley and
understand chemistry in all its branches
and may be able TO snalyZe his soil so as
TO discover to a nicely the kind of ar,if>
cial manure that is required TO keep up
the fertility of his farm; he may even
know how TO fatten q steer or q hog in
the shortest time upon the least amount
of fee, and if some wealthy corporation
or beef and pork combine steals the hog
or steer or gets them at half price after
they are fat, he will never make a sue
cessful farmer. not even II he has the
wisdom of y Solomon. The mayor after
denouncing about all theories that have
ever been advanced for the farmers de-
liverancs, as quackery says, lit is not my
purpose TO tell you what to do or what
not TO do. l have not the requisite
qualifications for such a task. Political
| economy is enc of those questions that
have always considered too broad and
comprehensive for my reasoning faculties
TO comprehend. Why as little as the
farmer knows. he is being gradually con.
WINGED that there is no political economy
nor any other kind OF economy in being
compelled to pay $3.50 for 500 worth OF
merchandise. Aud he is being further
convinced that so long as he is compelled
TO do this by legislation, equal rights"
which is guaranteed by the constitution
OF the United States, is nothing but a
flzzle and farce
Mr.. ii. Darling attributes the present
condition OF the farmers to an over
stocked market. But how much better
OF would the farmers have been with
double the present prices and only half
the crop? Must we not look further for
the true cause7 Mr.. Darling further
states THE farmer should give his perso-
nal attention TO his business and per-
form some Of the labor himself, and con.
duct the farm on business principles. &"
Should not Mr.. Darling have explain
ed what was meant by conducting the
farm upon business principlesi Was
there ever a more unnecessary piece of
advice given than that 8 farmer shall
perform some of the labor himself2"
Does not every farmer know by instinct
that he has 70 perform too much labor
HIMSELF Is 1t not a scsndslous shame
that be has TO crawl out of his bed so
early all through the working season and
work so late at night for the benefit of
some trust, some pork or beef combine or
some rich corporation. which James G.
Blaine says ARE largely private sffairs,
with which no man has any right to in
| terfere." The trouble. is, gentlemen. the
farmer has fallen among thieves. which
are robbing him at both ends, and he will
have to work out his own salvation and
emancipation at the ballot-box. and you
can call that qusckery or treason, and
make the best Of 1t.
MULTUM IN PARvO.