The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-07-30
IMPROVE THE FARMS


Kansas farmers the late Senator Plumt
advised them to hold and develop theil
lands. This should be canonized as true
gospel by every farmer in the state. Il
was not word lightly spoken, but came
from his great, generous heart as the
best heritage he could leave to those who
had Eonored him. 1t expressed the
germ thought, and gave the keynote to
| the ideal conditions which he would
bring to every home and tireside 1t
involves wealth, independence and home
comforts. 1t means every appliance for
| intelligent cultivation of the soil. 1t
| means d facilities for educating the
young, and it means books for the
instruction of all. 1t means an agrees
sive, progressive people, competent to
choose and accept the best forms of
self governm ent. With the eye of
prophecy he saw the blessings which
are coming to the agricultural class be-
fore the close of the century. A pioneer
in the state himself, knowing her re-
sources of soil, climate, variety of pro-
ducts and convenience to markets, he
estimated the millions of wealth which
lies hidden so near the surface that the
hosting, milling and refining of the
golden treasure. He knew that the
fruits of labor would not only bring
an annual reward to the husbandman
but that the enhancement in value of
every acre cultivated would be double
compensation for the time and money
expended.
Here is the fact which will bear re-
peating thousand times 70 the Kansas
farmer While his crops and focks and
herds are growing his acres are also
growing IN permanent, intrinsic value.
The five, ten or twenty dollars per acre
paid for the raw or partially improved
quarter would hardly be partial pay
ment on what it will bring when every
quarter section is occupied and under
cultivation. The treeless, ,,rass-covered
quarter of today will be the ''old home
stead of the next generation. 1t
will be priced for its fertility,
its fine improvements and its
tender associations. The sons and
daughters will parcel it out be-
cause they can no longer go west. |
Very soon this ample provision for our
surplus population will be thing of his |
tory, and the backfow will be a new but |
potent factor in bringing increased value
to good, arabic lands. Subdivision into |
smaller tracts and higher state of cul- |
tiyation will greatly increase the pro-
duct.
Coming along with this is the increas-
ing number of non-producers, who are |
to use the surplus, thus affording what |
will be new to American agricultural
home market for everything. The
aensely populated portions of the
world are nowhere self sup |
porting in the staples of |
life, and to this we are coming. 1t is |
simply a school boys calculation. Lo-
cate the annual increase in population
on our remnant of unoccupied acres and
the man is now living who will see our
entire product taken by American mar
ketS.
The adjustment of our carrying facil-
ties to new economic forces is one of the
iuties of the hour. 1t may be that
quick transit by steam power will give
way to the lightning speed Of electricity.
Dur wastern states are especially con-
;erned in cheap transportation. The
ong, expensive haul Of our products
overland to eastern markets and At
antic ports has been a constant and
heavy drain on the profits of western az
iculture. \ home market is of first i'm
Dortance. Next to this is low tariff
ate on the surplus. Our new water
cute via western gulf ports insures
III foreign freiehts. Every
iollar saved is dollar toward the max
mum price justly due the farmer. Tn
ii this Is secured the conditions are alb
formal and unjust, and the west will
demand it as their natural right.
Kansas has the greatest cause for CON-
,laint because she has suffered most.
She has been the victim of organized
'obbery from the day of her settlement.
'o-called basing lines and freight pools
nave been the shallow preiext for the
nfamous steal, but like all forms of
tyranny they will skulk away as the
PEOPLE become enlightened Neither
,oois or combines VIII stand before an
people. and they are the court
If last resort. We Will have the rates
o which our geographical position en-
titles us and we ask no more.
In an equal race Kansas agriculture
viii bring to her people the measure of
which our lamented senator
lela was their birthright
The worklngmen We're told last sum-