Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-11-19
THE FARMERS.

THE FARMERS.
Second Day of the National Farmers' Com
gress-Congressman Heard's Talk
Government Ownership of Railroads.
Recommendation Of the Congress.
SEDALIA, Mo-, Nov. 12.-The national
farmers congress was late in assem-
bling yesterday morning and it was II
o'clock before Vice-President Smith
let the corncob gavel drop calling the
session to order.
The following resolutions were intro
duced and referred: By John Church,
OF Colorado, urging congress to cede
arid lands in the various states to pro-
vide the states with systems of irriga-
ton; by M. B. w. Hartman, of Missouri.
urging the extension of the signal and
crop report of the department of agri-
culture; by Tirgie Mackay, of Kansas,
providing that the ear of corn used by
the chairman as gavel be sent to the
worlds fair for exhibition; by G. w.
Swing, of Colorado, urging a national
system of irrigation.
Congressman John T. Heard, of the
Sixth Missouri congressional district,
portation. This. he said, was subject
of supreme Importance to the farmer.
One of the solutions of this vexed ques-
ton was to be found in state railway
commissions. Missouri had been among
the first of the states to deal with the
question in that way and Missouri's ex-
perience showed that the method had
been a success. Another method Of
controlling railway corporations in
| the interests of the people was through
| a national railway commission.
Some professed, Mr.. Heard said, to
| believe the railroads should be placed
| under government management. Gov
eminent railroading he believed, would
be gigantic failure. In the first place
the government would have to buy the
railroads and that would cost $40. 000,-
| 600, 600. That would be an impossibility,
! practically, because there was in circu-
| lation only ST, 500, 600, 900. The purchase
| of the railroads would necessitate in
| curing debt of gigantic proportions
| and he did not believe the farmers or
| anyone else wanted to go down into
their pockets any pay any more debts
than they were now paying. Another
| great objection to government railway
! control was the increase in federal Of
| fceholders which it would necessitate.
| II. C. Brown, of Georgia, Endorsed
every thing that Mr.. Heard had said.
Georgia, he said, had tried state owner
ship of railways Georgia owned the
Western & Atlantic railway. Under
state control the rates were high, the
service was bad and the deficits were
| extraordinary.
| Hon. Martin Mohler, secretary of the
Kansas state board of agriculture, read
| a paper on ''The Race Under Conditions
of High Civilization" He discussed the
question whether a high state of civili-
cation tended to increase or decrease
| the happiness of mankind. He took
| the optimistic view of the question, and
concluded the higher civilization the
greater the happiness of the race.
| At the afternoon session the commit
tee on resolutions presented the follow
ing preamble and resolution which
were adopted:
| Whereas, The government of the United
| States has established as a cabinet Office q
! secretaryship of agriculture, which action
| we heartily approve; and
| Whereas, The Hon. J. NJ. Rusk occupies
| that distinguished position in the present
| administration. and has been faithful and
| cautious and diligent in consulting the best
interests of the farmers: therefore be it
| Resolved. That he is entitled to and has
the approval and thanks OF this, the elev
enth annual session of the national farmers
| congress of the United States in convention
assembled in the city of Sedalia, Mo.
| The committee also submitted its
formal report through its chairman.
Col. Daniel Needham, of Boston, and
it was read by Capt. D. s. Pierce, of
| Georgia It recommended the adoption
of resolutions pledging the organiza-
| ton to maintain its non-partisan char
acter; requesting the national congress
| to improve the river and harbor
of Savannah, Ga; demanding the
| passage of laws distributing equally
upon all classes the burdens of taxa
ton; declaring that the public domain
should be reserved for the settlement
of citizens of the United States to the
exclusion of foreigners; declar.
ing that national taxation should
| be limited to the wants OF
| the government economically and
honestly administered; requesting the
secretary of agriculture to increase the
number of representatives in foreign
| countries to push the work of introduce
| ing American corn as food, believing
that the marked success in that direc
ton attained already was warrant fol
| such request, and requesting congress
to appropriate sufficient money to cover
the expense of this increased represen.
| tation abroad; demanding the syste.
matte and thorough improvement by
| the federal government of waterways
and harbors of the United States and
| requesting the extension of the free de-
livery of mails among the farmers.
The resolutions were considered Sc
riatim and were all adopted with the
exception of one requesting the federal
government to aid the states in the irri-
CATION of arid lands, which the con.
gress struck from the report by a vote
of A to 17S.
The resolution asking congress to inn
prove the harbor at Savannah, Ga, was
loudly applauded and unanimously
| adopted, as was also that demanding
the election of the president and vice
| president of the United States senators
by popular vote.
The committee ON finance presented
a report requesting the various state
Legislatures to make appropriations for
the expenses of the state delegations to
future congresses of this character in
order that each state might have a full
| and proper representation. The report