The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-02
Everybody Is a Farmer.

The time when the farmer was called an
ignoramus and a clodhopper, says the
Western Rural. He was considered a
newer of wood and drawer of water, and
nobody among the ''elite," and above all
nobody among the office holding aristocracy
of the country, would have felt compli-
mented in being called a farmer. Now
every fellow who wants an office is farmer,
thoroughbred, horney handed, sum
burned farmer, according to his own repre-
sentations. A few weeks ago we had an in
quiry as to how many farmers were in the
congress of the United States. We do not
know a single Simon-pure farmer, In either
branch of congress. But there are men
there who own farms, but if we were going
out TO shoot farmers, we should never snap
cap at any one of these fellows. 1t is one
thing to be farmer, a man who tills the
ground for livelihood, who knows from
sad, personal experience all the injustice
that has been inflicted upon the farmer, who
knows what it is not to be able to meet his
Indebtedness, because he is robbed of his
profits by rings and monopolies, and whose
hands are hard with toll and it is quite an
other thing to live ON a farm, swing in a
hammock under the trees in summer,
board in town in winter, and have such a
generous bank account that it does not
make the slightest difference whether the
farIa makes profit or is conducted at a
loss. Not long ago in conversation with q
city gentleman he hooted the idea that
farming was not paying. He said that he
had a relative who had always made the
farm pay. We inquired how he did it.
why" said the man, 'he keeps watch of
the necessities Of the poor farmers, and
loans them money!
That man is not farmer in any true
sense Of the term. His sympathies are not
with farmers but with the money loaning
Shylock class. If farmers ever get fair
show. if they are ever released from the
robbery of rings and corporations, and if
we ever have banking system that will
enable farmer to borrow money as easily
as other classes borrow it, such a man
would be a loser; his occupation would be
gone, and this being true you may depend
upon it that he will always oppose every
measure that promises relief to the pro-
Queer.
1t is not difficult to tell a farmer, a real,
genuine farmer, as soon as you see him.
Every calling gives certain peculiarities to
tie men who follow it. The lawyers, doc
tors, ministers and editor, as a rule, possess
peculiarities that distinguish them as menu
bers of their professions. So does the
farmer; and when the average politician
poses as farmer. it reminds us OF the fable
of the fox and the skunk. The fox returning
to its hole found it occupied by a skunk
The skunk thought deception was wise
and replied:
81 am fox"
"You are fox"
"Yesn
"Well, you do not look like fox, you do
not talk like a fox, and you do not smell
like fox, and don't believe that you are
a fox"
The average politician, seeking office,
who claims to be farmer, is the skunk pro-
Tossing to be something else. But the time
is passed when the farmer can be lied to with
impunity. They know a skunk from fox
ard real farmer from snide one And
what is very funny many of those men
who claim to be farmers and to love farm
ers, and to be ready to die for the farmers
interest, have been in Office half their lives
aud never did one thing to relieve agricnlt-
ure of the burdens under which it groaned.