St. Landry democrat., 1890-07-26
Prosperity OF Farmers and Other Classes
Compared


It seems to be the custom In these days
to decry the position of American farmers
as being one of intense poverty and suffer.
ing as compared with other producing and
business classes, and it is with sense OF
relief that even after long continuation
of such recitals, one statistician has the
moral courage to announce that they are,
as class, at least, as prosperous rs other
industrials.
That statistician is the Hon. J. II. Wal
ker. member of Congress from Massachu-
sets, who not only asserts such to he the
fact, but adduces figures in support of his
conclusions.
In recent speech in Congress on pro-
lection, he said:
s'There is no business so secure, and In
which the profits are so uniform and SO
large as that of farming. The capital
deceased farmers leave to their children
averages many times larger than that OF
any class of workers, as | shall show In
discussing the uncertainties of business
life =.
Mr.. Walker is a manufacturer doing
business in Massachusetts,, and, among
much other evidence presented in support
of his position, he gives tha. OF his own
observation in his own immediate neigh
borhood, as follows:
"The number of individuals engaged IN
the eight leading manufacturing Industries
in Worcester in 1910 was 30.
Fourteen of the 80 failed.
Only three of the sons Of the ~ now
have any property or died leaving any.
The number of individuals engaged In
the ten leading manufacturing industries
| in 1850 was 70.
| Forty one of the 70 failed.
ONLY six of the sons of the Is now have
any property or died leaving any.
The number of individuals engaged in
the II leading manufacturing industries in
| 1860 was 1O7.
Forty three of the lot failed.
Only eight of the sons of the LOT now
have any property or died leaving any.
This statement as to the few in number
| of the sons of manufacturers who are sue
cessors of their father seems incredible,
! and superficial investigations are disposed
to dispute them; but they are certainly
true as to the business men of Worcester
at the periods have mentioned.
| They and their fathers are personally
known to me- as was their personal history
Probably in older places and countries,
somewhat larger number OF business mer
are succeeded by their sons; but it still
remains true that very few men who are
in business at any given time are the sue
cessors of their fathers.
! No, Mr.. Chairman, these manufacturers
are not tyrants, bribers or robber barons
There is no body of men in the world more
able, industrious, self-sacrifcing and be-
| nevolent, whose ear is ever open to appeals
| for all benevolent objects, both in giving
money and in assisting young men into
business into competition with themselves
than the American manufacturer. He
stands the peer of any living man"
Elsewhere Mr.. Walker claims that the
tariff charges in this country are less thar
| those of so-called free trade England or
the necessities of life consumed by farm
ers and wage workers.
1t cannot be shown by the facts that the
tariff taxes an American farmers or wage
worker pays on the prime necessities oil
| life here are as much as the English
farmer or wage works pays. The Stats
tics show that an English family of foul
persons consume:
Twenty pounds of tea, tariff IL cents. ..... So q
| Four pounds of coffee. tariff cents. 1850. O
Total. ...-................... % q
He is also taxed on window glass in hi:
! tenement, and ON scores and scores oil
things free from taxation in this country
| Those who claim that a persistent "wal
on farmers" exists, should study the fore
| going,