The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1892-03-05

save as viewed from the stand point OF
Of THE adage. that history often repeats
itself. The uncertainty # the OutioOk,
the uurenabihty OF III predictions, the
lack OF confidence between man and
man, tho unhealthy rivalry IL atari
the top round on the ladder OF lite. all
cause men to sacrifice their conscientious
scrnp'ss III the contest. and often to tor
felt their integrity. He that maketh
haste to be rIch shall rot be iuuocenL'-
this haste begets a spirit of selhshLe ss
. greatly at varla nee and Inconsistent With
the first laws laid down for our 9uI,iauc,
in the affairs of life The business III ~.
scans the daily reports az the mIikeS,
to CLEAN something on which to 10 sse
future calculations. The prices of grain
may be quoted Tor months 10 come. et
these are subject 10 constant change. Ii
he looks over his business avC 'uuts 70;
the past year, 1t tails To inspire any con
tideuce tor future action. 1t lie makes
large ventures he feels that DE Is taking
| "a leap in the dark. iuI lie knows not,
whether i'll six months, he will be 4
millionaire or a pauper. There is u class
winch | might mention here, which
seems to be alarmingiy on the Increase,
and to which Increase the present condi
tious are exceedingly tavolaHl.. | mean
the class that lives by It's wits That
unScrupulous horde OF irrespoi sibles
who are taxing brain and energy, in
devising schemes to defraud the uusus.
pectiug, and who live i'll ease aud seem
ing comfort on their i'll gotten gains.
But for the class We represent there is |
claim a material difference from the man
of business, according. to the genera
acceptance Of the term Ii we look back
twenty years, is there not much to cOu-
| graduate ourselves Oh? The methods
and practices then i'll vogue would not
do to day. the pillow our fathers used
| has been relegatcd to The waste place
| behind the b trn, or has been delivered
TO the Junk dealer. The modern nipple
ment, turning its smooth folded iuTGu"E.
has taken the place of the greeu lines
that marked the burrows OF our fathers
The neat binder delivers cur harvest IL.
golden sheaves The horse is utilized
| in cutting making, loading and unload
ing our hay crops. The corn husker
lately introduced, bids tai" t. revulu
tonne that most dlsigTredo!e Oi all
farm labor. The silo system o! prtpir
ing food for the use of stock in winter,
has been fully demonstrated to be eouIp
mical as well as heathtul, and must soon
become general among dairy men. The
=
impulse TO dairyiug, thereby DIM, ishurg
the labor to the individual without
reducing his profits. Increasing laI gsly
the out put OF butter OF good quality.
| While there is much useful machinery
constantly being put Oh The market, that
| aids considerably III tiI IN management,
| | still venture the asScr liur, that there
| are more valueless devices under the
| gulSa of labor saving machines thrust
upon the farmers attention than i'll all
other cllings combined. The reason for
| til IS may be in the fact that so much of
the labor OF the farm is sJaStetul, or
else farmers are considered more gullihle
| as class, SO the average farmer has a
| stock of comparative valueess devices
possessing merit possibly an Inventions.
| but of no practical value To him. While
| in some things We have materially ad
| vanced, in other respects we have retro
graded. In the tin es past we used TO
believe that supply and demand reguiA
red the price of farm products. Blu
now our grain gamblers hold prices t.
srit their interests, except an occasional
shortage when prices take a kite flight,
which is soon covered without producers
being benefited. We know less of the
prospective grain market to day than did
our fathers We have a practical illus
tration of this in last years wheat crop.
! The daily newspapers informed us, OF
the worlds shortage. We felt cJmpla
cent with plethoric gamers, and
assumed to dictate prices. Hold Your
wheat circulars were spread broad
| cast over the country. The wiseacres of
our own Club predicted prices one third
| IN advance of the prices attaindble
to-day. Fifty per cent of the wheat crop
of 1891 is yet in the hands of its growers
a ten cent rise in the market, would over
tax transportation, and the ialacy of
high prices is fast disappearing
And while we are taking account of
| stock financially, we have other, aud
perhaps more important interests to con
slider. Are we advancing morally? The
| question is an important one. l. there
a higher plane of business integrity
reached to day? Is the tpstdirH OF the
average business man OF to day what it
was in the times gone bye? l. the edu
cational influence of our su-called agri-
| cultural fairs elevating or debasiug? Is
there not too generally a pandering to
| depraved rather than refined tastes and
Instincts; is not morality at discount;
and the fair degenerating into jockey
| club, with the usual following OF small
ware !akirs, supplemented by gambling
tables, betting book makers and pools,
while the generous offer of premiums,
| brings competition almost world wide;
and professional premium takers gather
| in the cash, if the managers are for
| tunate as to be able to pay them? In
any event the hoard OF the average small
| boys cash is gone, as it generally must
be sacrificed at the fairs. We believe
| that at every fair held, the balance has
been against it financially to say nothing
of morality. We would discourage
| jockey clubs, and agricultuI al trots, as
being a nuisance and derogatary to true
| agricultural interests, would recommend
| Institutes and farmers meetings such as
| Woodlawn last summer as Of more Irac
tical value then all the fairs that have
been held in the county.
| Our Courts of Justice are not making
the advance which the enlightened spirit
of the age demands Cases that shou d
never have reached the docket, are per
mitted to drag through weeks of value
| able time, and citizens are compelled to
attend as witnesses at the sacrifice of
| business and time, neapiug up expeuS Sc
on the county of which we well
know. Those who happen to own land,
have the privilege to pay the lions sh are
| thereof. Therefore we also feel privi
legged to enter our protest against un-
warranted expenditures.
But to return to my text, which b,
| the way seems to cover more grou II
than | feel willing to tax your patien,.'
to listen 70. However | but follow thy
precedent set by the clergy,-the poorer
the preacher the longer the text.
| We have confined ourselves thus far
to review of the past. That we canuot
recall. The present is ours of the future
we may speak later. We enjoy these
monthly gatherings; the good cheer, the
hospitality OF each in turn, the discuss
ion OF subjects of economic and political
interest; the interchange of views on the
practicability of new grasses or cereals
all have their place. BIT have We done
what we coulG? Is there not u wid,r
| scope of usefulness?
Perhaps We have the reputation % |
representative men locally i'll our avoca
| ton, and might take the initiative IL
| new fields OF experimental work aud |
on questions which concern alike all
| fiGmers We seem to be affected with ex
| CesSive mOdeSty. and hesitate to take |
| decided steps i'll measures of reform, for |
| the encouragement of those who rep"e |
sent us in Halls of Legislation, for the |
| breaking up of the gambling in grain, d |
practice Iuimical and disastrous to our |
| interests as farmers. Resolutions com. |
mending those battling III our Interest
are tabled or are killed virtually bt |
| dragging through series of months. |
Perhaps | may have earned the reputa
ton OF a grumbler or Pathfinder But |
| is not what | have stated history? Our |
| Club has been in existence twenty years |