The record-union., 1891-04-06
The Late Session of Congress and
the Farmers.
Law Makers Show Ready Disposition
to Meet the Wishes of Their New
Masters-Mr. t'Hayseed'' Becoming
a Very Important Person in the
United States.
Especial correspondence of RpconD-US1oS.l

was, its legislation significantly reflects
the Farmers Insurrection" of last No
vember at the polls.
There are nowadays but two ways of
bringing quick and effective pressure
to bear upon Congress. One is by plat
forms or resolutions of great popular con-
ventions; the other by a withdrawal of bal
lots from the established political parties
and the massing of them in behalf of
some special class or interest. OF the
two, the latter mode has the greater po-
tency.
OF legislation in absolutely new fields,
connected with the agricultural interests,
the record of the short session is naturally
meager. Time was not available to enact
many important measures in addition to
the great appropriation bills providing for
the support of the Government and the
regulation of it's operations.
The steamship subsidy Act, if it should
realize the expectations Of its supporters,
may, in time, possess substantial inter-
est for our farmers i'll its possible enlarge
ment of the foreign outlet for their sta
pie productions. This it could only do,
however, by the opening up Of new routes
and markets by means OF frequent and
regular steamship communication, since
LilGEt lS no en- p6cIdJlOu tltdI bIe subsidy
Act viii cheaper ocean frelghtS TO those
countries where our agricultural products
already go by foreign lines Of steamers.
More important to the farmers is the
law extending to new objects the princi-
pies of the sO-called Meat Inspection Act
of the long session. Under the recent Act,
compulsory inspection of food animals
and OF the dressed meat, at slaughter and
packing houses, is established, whether
the meat be intended for export or the
home market. The administration Of the
law is cOnfided to the Department of
Agriculture, and Secretary Rusll looks
upon it as one of the means of raising and
hiking American meats at high standard
of reputation in the markets OF the world
at no distant day. Should this eXpecta-
ton be well founded, the rearing of
slaughter cattle will command increased
attention from farmers.
The export trade in live cattle has not
escaped the vigilance of Congress. A new
Act upon that subject has brought the
foreign tramp steamers" that absorb the
transportation business of that trade un-
der the control Of the Secretary Of Agri-
culture, who is directed TO make and en-
force such inspections and regulations as
will insure to the cattle exported humane
treatment and landing abroad in good
creditable condition.
Those who live by the pursuit of agri-
culture will also be interested in the re-
peal of the Timber Culture Acts, which
We're found to contribute very little TO the
toresting of the treeleSs prairieS and Il
great deal to the fraudulent creation
of immense ranches and gigantic wheat
farms, every one of which represented a
diversion of public land from it's true
purpose of providing wholesome homes
and occupations for yeomen tillerS of the
soil. The repeal of the pre-emption law
has the like object of preserving what is
left of the public domain to the legiti-
mate uses of agriculture. The purchase
from Indian tribes of reservation lands in
excess of the present or future require
mentS of the Indians has added many
broad acres to the land available for farm
ing uses.
Sugar culture received a small and in
direct bounty by the removal of the rev.
enue tax from alcohol used in the manu-
facture of sorghum.
The appropriations made for objects
and purposes directly affecting the agri-
cultural interests were on liberal scale
and notably comprehensive in their char
acter. They extend to investigations and
experiments connected with every form
OF agricultural industry, with special pro-
visions for sugar and fruit culture, and the
growing OF the various fbers used in
commerce and manufactures. The dis
eases of plant life. the means of increas-
ing production or profit from cultivation
and other forms of farming industry,
the insects. birds and animals iniurious
Or useful to agriculture; the preservation
and economic growth of timber-thesc
are some Of the subjects upon which the
public money is to be spent in aid Of the
farming classes. The divisions of micro
scopy and chemistry in the Department
OF Agriculture may respectively be taken
TO symbolic the intended minuteness and
thorOughness of the Government patron
age of the nations leading industry.
The suppression of cattle and hog dis
eases, the further investigation OF food
authorizations, the inspection Of exported
tobacco, the study of domestic and for
eign agricultural statistics, and the re-
searches for larger foreign markets, are
also TO constitute part of the official agri-
cultural work of the year ahead. Farmers
who wish TO know what the Government
is doing or finding out in their line of in
dustry, may also obtain, gratis, a constant
and valuable supply of agricultural litera-
ture by simply asking TO have their names
and addresses put on the mailing list of
the Department at Washington. An edi-
ton of $4,000 copies of the illustrated an
enual report on Agriculture, together
with 90,009 copies of the illustrated report
on the diseases of the horse, is also to be
distributed among the Senators and Rep-
resentatives OF Congress for the use of
their farming constituents. Whether the
defeated members Of the last Congress, or
their successors, are TO have control of
the distribution of these reports to the
rural voters, is matter of fierce eonten-
ton among the politicians. with the
chances decidedly in favor Of the defeated
members.
OF less immediate interest to the GEN
eral farmer are the general aDpropria-
hons for the geological and typographical
surveys of the unsettled public lands of
the Far West, and for the investigation of
the irrigation question in the dry regions
de may be more interested in the weather
reports, for which generous provision has
been made against the day shortly to ar
rive, when the Department of Agricult-
ure is TO take charge of weather obserVa-
tions and predictions.
y severer law for the exclusion of pau
per and criminal immigrants from the
United States indirectly touches the
farmer by atfording him hope of some
little abatement of the pest of tlamps.
OF the Sl50,00G, ,00G, more or less, TO be
paid for pensions during the next twelve
months, a good round third will go TO
people living upon farms, and i'm this con-
nection it Is worth nothing that Govern
ment experts declare that there is a much
smaller proportion of unworthy pension
ers among the rural districts than among
the town population.
The agricultural statistics of the census
of 1890 will not be delayed nor curtailed
for want Of funds, and both farmers and
law makers are likely TO profit by what