The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-10-22
GOV. O. M. ROBERTS
TALKS ABOUT THE FARMERS INFLU-
ENCE IN POLITICS
In an Open Letter in the October l Number
of the Southern Mercury-Lean-
ing Against Third
Party.

The farmer has been left out. Like
others he bears the burdens, but does
not get favors from the government as
others do. He has been meek, given
to forbearance under injuries. 1t is
written, "Blessed are the meek. for
they shall inherit the earth" AT last
they are beginning to understand that
this blessing is not burdened with the
injunction that it be shared with 9TH
ers. Therefore they are now, as 9TH
ers have been before them, seeking to
be put on an equality by getting their
share of the bounties from the govern
ment. This is all natural enough in the
course of human events. They have
numerous examples set them, that
will furnish them with potent argu-
ments by which others got favors that
may be equally as satisfactory to
themselves as they were to Others
who succeeded in getting favors from
the government. The arguments
mainly were, depression in their bus
iness-public good to the whole people
by benefits to one class. They are
stereotyped in the history of this
country. And they may add another
argument, that farming is the founda-
ton stone upon which the fabric of
the country's prosperity is built.
They have an example set them
in another respect, by those classes
of persons who have obtained favors,
which is combined perseverance
without cessation. If one mode OF
action failed they tried another, and
kept on trying until success crowned
their efforts after long years of earnest
work. Importantly, If not always a
virtue, is sometimes q substitute for
merit in a cause.
They had an example set them
by those who succeeded, in still
another respect, which was in the
mode of action by which their
objects were accomplished and
that was by acting on and through
the political parties already estab-
lished. Not one of them ever sue
ceeded by separate party, raised up
and organized in antagOnism to the
established political parties. Even
free socialism did not succeed as a
separate party in the North. 1t
served the purpose of increasing its
numbers and intensifying their en-
thusiasm, but it's success resulted
from it's submergence into one of the
old parties. There never was sep
arate party for protection to manu-
facturies, for ship building and ship
lines, for wool growing, for sugar
making, for making butter
with cows milk, for bounties
on exported fish, for national banking,
for internal improvements, for grant
ing pensions. for internal revenue, for
postal exchange, for exemptions of
federal bonds and treasury notes from
taxation, and for other things too
numerous too mention. 1t is well to
understand how things have been
done, in all practical transactions, as
furnishing some guidance in any new
enterprise of similar character. The
farmers have gained much already
under the old recognized plan of oper-
ating through the old parties. There
is department of agriculture
established that has been en-
gagged in facilitating the Transports
tion of stock, in curing their diseases,
in quarantining against infectious dis
eases in stock, in furnishing seeds as
well as other useful and ornamental
things, i'm making rain for the nour-
ishing of the crops and grass, and in
numerous other things.
1t is mainly through the farmers
influence, acting upon the established
old parties, that the transportation
tax has been regulated by railroad
commissions, established by the United
States and by the states. All things
constitute a very fair start in getting
favors from the government. Still
they are for the most part incidental,
and not direct benefits conferred on
their prod ucts, in the way of bounties
or exemptions from burdens. Cannot
they devise some plan of attaining
their objects by strategic indirection
as other classes have done? A back
handed indirection is a favorite mode
of action by the government. Ex-
amples A protective tariff, ship
lines, r ciprocity treaties, a tax on
oleomargarine, a heavy tax on spirits
and tobacco, as moral suasiOn to cur
tail their use, heavy tax on the issue
of state banks, to give national banks
the monopoly in the banking bust
ness, and the like.
Now as you know, am opposed to
this whole business of governmental
favors to classes, directly or indirectly
granted still, it is but lust, If the
government is to be made a mere in