The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-12

the time when they undsrtost 10 sstsosh ana rrotsc,
liberty By organic law. therefore the Government
the United after existence Of more than
hundrsd years result Of the experiences OF the Old
world adapted to the environments Of the New. and
brosdensd BY the further experience and wisdom OF
It's own citizenship And a. the Department OF AGri-
culture 10 eth in experimental stage. IL deemsd
only prudent ssGsey to ascertain what lite psrsnss
synonymes in the older Governments or The globe
are accom- plishinE."
SO Mr.. MoRToy has inquired what " four
OF the oldest nations on the earth are doing
to conserve and encourage successful agri-
culture" and he commends the results to
agricultural colleges, experiment stations.
and practical farmers In these words:
~Tt Government ls no. -f. % -S desirable COPY alt
The I,rms ap,insndfio, Witch prsvaf IN tie World
he rIano, nay IN r. fatsn and osnfrf'd 10
n b Of up'rshi Sneene eirf.n' 1t s our
duty and destiny to seize the good and reject the bad
ssit may be discovered In all the departments Of
all forms Of human government"
It was the destiny OF tho United States
that the Department OF Agriculture should
cost S3S23.5O0 for the year ending June 80,
1894, but we cannot think that It was tho
duty OF the United States to squander that
amount upon mammalogists and hippolo-
gists and seed packers and fibre investi
gators and vegetable Psychologists and lrri-
cation experts and bug hunters. Mr.. Nor
TON has a creditable zeal for reducing
expenses. He proposes that the practice OF
making the Department OF Agriculture
seed dispensary shall ultimately be abol-
ished; and his estimate Of the appropria-
ton for seeds for the next fiscal year is
slO4.92O less than the appropriation for the
same purpose last year: and he proposes
that only new or improved varieties of
seeds be bought by the department, and
that these be distributed through the ex-
pertinent stations. Tho practice should be
reformed altogether. and the department
reformed out OF existence. Mr.. MoRToN's
estimate OF the appropriations for the next
year is So 233 $40 O6, decrease OF ST. OSo 65G04,
but he obtains these figures by dcducting
the $745OOO appropriated by Congress for
State experiment stations, an appropria-
ton which. lie insists. ought not to be in
cluded in the appropriation for his depart
ment. His estimate shows n net decrease
Of s369.656.94 For this piece OF economy he
deserves commentator. He doesn't ask
for new buildings, because these are hard
times. but he says that new buildings are
needed, and clearly the Government will be
asked before long to make an expensive
home for this expensive humbug, Ito ac-
commodate." as Mr.. MORTON says. the
department OF this time, and the developed
department OF q century not yet born"
The department Is developing with q ven
geance. 1t spends moro than $50. 900 year
for printing and binding already. and 1t will
grow to be severe charge upon agriculture
and every other industry. IL 1t Is encour-
aged. But great Ia humbuR, and it pre-
vailed when the Department Of Agriculture
was established.
In view Of the protective botch called the
WILSON bill the following observations OF
Mr.. MORTON. n tariff reformer OF old date.
are almost pathetic:
"Ths Of the virtual closing Of tho markets for
American products in some parts of the Old World may
possibly be attributed to the high tarn duties upon all
products and commodities which foreigners desire to
sell in the markets Of the United States Aud thus tho
question will again be presented to the ArBsrIcan
mindi Can any country sbu. onf the commodities
and products OF other nations without shutting IN
value equal to that Of the things shut out''"
Mr.. MORTON doesn't fail to include in his
report tho usual tribute to the beauties Of
agriculture. In this case the tribute has
certain purple pomp OF the undoubtcd that
suggests the hand OF Mr.. MoRToNs chief:
"And, as every citizen understands perfectly well
that no architecture. ednce, however symmetrical
beautiful and perfect its superstructure be per-
manent and enduring except it's ions be sodly
and well laid everybody knows that the successful
perpstuaton OF tho Industrial activities OF the Ameri
can people s based. and possible only upon intell
gent and fecund agriculture"
Farmers ought to be happy. Everybody
tries to Halter them.