The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1892-01-22
IheFarIner In Politics.
ADDRESS 81 LINTON sATTERTHwAIT, ESQ
At THE FAR9iERs' INSTITUTE, WOODS
Town. JAN. I. 1892

ADDRESS BY LINTON sATTERTHwAIT, ESQ q,
At THE FAR8iERs' INSTITUTE, WOODS
TOwS, JAN 7, 1892.
II | am asked what the farmer has to do
with polHics. / would answer, nothing"
Under our system Of government there is
no place for the farmer, the merchant,
mechanic, labOTius or professional man
as such. All are citizens of the same
community, and though their Individual
interests may apparently conflict. govern
ment exhausts its functions when it
watches over and protects the interests of
all. Ia the lofty language OF the pream-
bic Of our national constitution, this gov
| eminent was formed to establish Justice,
ensure domestic tranquility, provide for
| the common defence, promote the general
welfare, and secure the blessings Of liberty
to ourselves aud cur posterity." No bet
ter statement Of the legitimate aims Of
government was ever made. In it there is
no suggestion Of separate class interests,
no justification for a class legislation.
Whenever a Jaw is enacted for the exclusive
benefit Of a class, Injustice is done to other
classes. Whenever q law especially bsne-
fetal to a class can be sustained by the
light Of reason, it is because it is also ia
vorable to the general welfare. Upon no
other ground can it be justified or excused.
Whatever in the shape Of legislation the
farmer may in justice ask Of the merchant
aud manufacturer. the merchant and man
ufacturer would, if fully enlightened,
grant unasked. When the farmer demands
that articles made in imitation of and de-
signed as substitutes for his products,
shall under a penalty, be plainly marked
when sold, his demand is in line with the
interest Of the general public, who are
thus protected from a fraud. But when.
as in our n~eighboring state Of Peunsylya-
MIA, he secures the enactment of a law
prohibiting altogether the manufacture of
an article, simply because il interferes
with the marketing of his products, he
oyerSteps the proper bounds Of legislation
and stands sponsor for an act OF tyranny.
When he asks as lie may with perfect JUS
tice ask, that common carriers be restrained
from discrimination in their charges
he but asks for that which is just
TO the State as a whole. We may have,
therefore, an unfsiling test for all proposed
class legislation. lift will benefit the gen
eral public, we may allow it, but if its ad-
vantages are to be exclusively for the class
| that asks it, to enact it would be a fraud
on the rights Of others.
Since class legislation IL, therefore, op-
posed 10 the genius Of our institutions, il
follows that there can be 10 place for = sep
arate, permanent political party founded On
the interests Of a class. However usefgl
separate class movements may sometimes
be, as a temporary expedieut for TightiDg
a wrong, in the nature Of things they
always must be as they always have been,
-evanescent. Without wishing u exIFsss
hostility to the Farmers Alliance party in
certain sections of the country, ! neys8be-
less must say that that movement zzs
from the first doomed 70 early failure By
its own inherent weakness. No matter
how real the grievances from which relief
is sought, no matter how just the prOp14sd
relief may be, a political party fs1gdsd
upon class distinctions eznuot long eur.
yiye. Tie philosophy Of pclitI n Is against
it. The wrecks Of once prominent political
organizations which strrw the path Of
political history, prove the truth u this
assertion. To secure peTmaneBcy, a po-
litical party must espouse a cause which
appeals to the interests Of all, and its men,
bership must embrace all classes. A
farmers political party, therefore. as a per-
manent organization. distinct from and in-
dependent Of all other organizations, is an
impossinility. Attempts to form one will
only result in wasted energies. Aud yet !
believe a farmers organization, whose pnr-
poses should be to secure good govern
ment through existing organizations and
whenever necessary, to take independent
action, would be a blessing 10 the state.
| believe the farmers Of New Jersey have a
most important mission in politics. | be-