Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-01-18
AS A FARMER 1 PROTEST.

ing, but it is divided into two parts
viz, North American news and South
American news. The North American
news is divided also into Central Amer
lean news, Canadian news and United
States news, SO that the presidents
message would have to be boiled down
a good deal to fit the space left for it.
l find the full text of the message,
however, in an American paper and re-
greet exceedingly that the president
should give the impression to citizens
of the United States as we'll as foreign
powers that the lavish use of squash
seeds by the agricultural department is
responsible for the great financial de-
preston and lack of employment
among tho laboring classes.
AS farmer, feel that this is stab
at our agricultural interests which Is
i'll deserved and almost certain to pro-
duce pernicious results.
Never in the history Of the republic
has the executive gone out OF his way to
deal such a savage blow to the farmer.
1t is generally admitted that we are the
producing class. Others manipulate ma
terials, buy, sell or manufacture it, but
we produce by means of our toll that
which not only feeds the world, but af-
fords honorable employment for specu-
lators and dealers in futures.
Without wishing to speak harshly Of
Mr.. Cleveland's opinions or to bring a
blush to his sensitive cheek, would
like to inquire if there are not other
causes of greater Importance than this,
- II, n&H, 1N,,fo
condition of business affairs at the close
of the old year and the beginning of a
new one.
The farmer makes mistakes, it is true,
but you cannot pervert his judgment
with pumpkin seeds. He feels kindly
toward those who send these little gifts,
but he reserves his opinion. If the pres
ident was led to believe that those who
receive garden seeds in the states Of
New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois
and Iowa last spring thereby bound
themselves to indo1se certain principles
this fall, he was in error and should not
allow his chagrin in November to crop
out in his message.
AS the proprietor of an upright farm
in the great commonwealth of North
Carolina, l resent the idea that as a
class we can be depended upon to yield
our political support to the party sup
plying US with the latest seed of the full
dress or crook neck squash!
We are perhaps ignorant of the meth
DDS employed by professional men and
politicians of the post graduate class.
We are often victimized by men whose
leisure and social opportunities permit
them to study methods by which we
may be made to suffer, but over two
years ago we passed a set of resolutions
and a musical preamble, of which was
the author, wherein we pledged our
selves to ignore the shackles by which
we had been tacitly bound to the party,
be it Democratic, Republican or Scat
tering, which seemed most free and
open hearted in the matter of mangel
wurtzels and the seed of the Little Early
Low Flat Drumhead cabbage.
OF course we shall grieve if congress
should hold the same opinions as the
president regarding the malignant and
dangerous use of seeds, both as a cor
rupter of the farmer and depleter of the
treasury, but we shall comfort ourselves
with the recollection that good many
of the seeds never grew anyway, and
those which did go produced plants as
different from the picture on the wrap
per as the average party record is from
its platform.
But find that quite a number of
men both here and at home do not agree
with the president on this point and
attribute oar disastrous summer and
autumn to other and quite different
causes. In some cases 1t was due to in
dividual extravaganza. For one,
know was not SO economical during
the past year as might have been.
also had money which I should have
placed in circulation instead Of hoard
ing it. I can see now that should
have bought a COW with it. Then
would have had the COW, and some poor
man would have had the use of the
money. There are many reasons why
stringency came into our midst. The
seeds of vice and extravaganza sown
broadcast may be in measure to
blame, but the seeds of the Trophy to-
mato and the Early Little Dwarf
Scrambled Scotch kale are not at fault.
As farmer I can place my hand on
my heart apd say, if it be the last word
l eyer utter, that aside from what /
have already stated l am as innocent Of
bringing this financial distress on the
country as tho child unborn. know
lots of other farmers who can say the
same thing.
Then why should our seed supply,
poor as it is, have to be shut off in or
der to bring about prosperity and
plenty2 OF course we are ignorant of
craftsmanship. Craftsmanship and a
familiarity with it are gifts.
We can only know what ails the coun-
try through the eloquencs of statesmen
who come and speak at the schoolhouse
In the fall of the year. They beseech
us to be at the polls instead Of blowing,
and then they forget to vote themselves,
being too busy asking others to exercise
the divine right of suffrage two or
three times q day to exercise 1t them
selves.
We are really the victims of too many
1nfeaty statesmen. AS farmers we
are led to believe that hard times de-
nand change of administration, and
misfortune Is hailed with delight by
his class of educators because 1t Injuries
he administration at the time In pow
n. Men are selfish and unreasonable;
hence the farmer who don't know what |
s going ON till too late is made sui
'erers-s