Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1891-03-10
FARMING uAsr AND WEST.

In view of the recent discussions In
the Country Gentleman of the matter 81
our national land policy, a friend call.
cur attention to the follosing para
graphs Va Prot lrv~cr's address AZ the
rr,,nt annual meeting of the ,onnecii-
cat Boaui of Agriculture:
Ilarl timc. are no, local, but cover
the whole country. The disturbances
la New Englani have been enormously
enhanc,,l by the attitude II the national
go,ernmeni toward. immigration. which
excludes skillc,i labor that comes under
contract, on the ground that " would
comlste With labor already here. Agtl-
culture u most distinctlycly an Ameti-
can vocation la New kngiand; Yet the
government invite. immigration In this
line aud offer. immigrants a farm a. a
frcc gifi. u they will only come and
start la competition With our farmers
Fortunately Tor our Institutions as well
a. for our citiscus the gccd lands are
nov about al given away.
The competition In growing crops !.
not all the New England farmer has
a.. lndirrct Compstition of inctrssing
value of land which coat hls rival Moth
Ing. 'rhi. gave an unthhfiy farmer at
~. Wcsi an advantage over thrifty
one here. Hut nov that i about played
cut. NJ morc grvst cNpanse ~ unoccu-
pied bat fertile prairie awaits the pho
necr. We arr ALREADY beginning to feel
the reaction: some arc comiug back and
Others are inquiring. The rapid .stiling
of the West and the new methods ~
harvesting aud handling the crops and
transporting the grsin stimulated over.
production there, and the New England
farmer found hi. products selling at Low
~ aud loser pticcs bcCsu." of the new,
dcrcc aud rspidly growing competition.
the by one b. had Ia abandon the grow
log IL this or that crop, bcCauss th"
Mr.t rruNdci him beyond ~. paying
polnt. Rut I wi.h to kccp II before you
that the, have pushed the competition
until they arr nov suffering even morr
than Ws arr. 1T me cite su illustration
iusi nov thrust upon our attention, that
!. bath dnmatic aud pathetic In h-
tcstugrs
Ia.t year plcCe ot lsnd called Okla
homa was oIsu~i 10 pr--empiiou. Long
bsfor, the dsy ~ oI.euing people trgan
ta arrive. rrufcssloual .quatters, actual
"a s~r croSd, camls-i ruand about ", 80
impatirut that thsy had to - held In
rhsrk by United states troop.. II has
h,,cn compared to sn army In VI multi
tude. Nll wcfr la eager readiness, ani
= hen the momsnt came aud th" gate.
serc opened. . spectacle sas presented
the lie - which the Nurld has never
zen l-furv ani Shich can never - sc.u
as.ln in thl. country. The imp-tuous
crowd rushs.i on the land and spread
nut lie q mighty huUd. Somc hal even
pru,iIr,i themselves With f-,t rae. hof.-
=. to t-rat their competitor. Ia the fran
tie rsc- for Ch"isr locations. lhrY
struggled. thsy fought; somr Nrrr lill-
e,i in ths mad scramble tor trv- Land, 80
infatuated hal mcn h-Vome With ihls
tica of getting something fur nothing.
had .scn muyh 20 fruntisf lii" and ~
life b-yuni the frontier, ani ! Nas In
ten..ly Interested Ia that drama. NJ the
time was on q di.iant tTip Ca busiu~ss,
aud hal abundant leisure Ia th" lous
railroad ride to rad full and graphic
sr,gauuts printed Va the daily paIsrs
~lAnug headline. told ~ "m~u rushing
ta baili homcs, bat Ia NiNh d-scrip-
tions - the exciting scramhlc the qulri
settler. hoping Ia bulli q home whcrr
hr might rai.e hi. family aud die iu
t.tc-, cat small hgur~ as compared
sith the professional sguattsr aud land
.rsgulatur. ~1m- ot the very ness
paper. that we're 80 eloquent over that
crush for homes" had also touchingly
uath-,lc humiil-. ou IA. abandoned
tarms ~ New England" u l. interest
log 90 -, hos th- very men Who have
i-.n hslt.-i a. beautifully by lncl"
sam, Who have b-ru tel With more than
the msr, crumbs that have fallen from
hi. table. are nos turuing to th" sau"
suurvc fuf mor- brlp. They Ask e. D.
mad. prosperous by legislation. Ga"
1T wants the guSsrumrut to huN ani
coin unlimited silver aud then scatter "
anothsf sanis more grv"nhacks. another
ask M. government tO build elevator.
aud buY aud handle grain; another
y ant. The government Ia lend money on
land mortgage. another ask Ia r-tab-
u.h special branch 20 the .ab-trvasufy
a. AlSano. money on growing crops,
.ort of grand farm-pssn-broker-shop,
rtc.. etc.-almosi anyihlng rather than
,Omc back to a square compctliion With
EASTERN farmers.