The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-07-25

4 Les DN IN FARMING.
It is p fixed and unyielding principle OF
the laws we inherited from our Anglo
/ Saxon ancestors that man shall not be
/ judge in his own cause. There never was
a principle embodyins more wisdom and
/ good sense for 10 is absolutely impossi-
HE FOR the average man to decide ques-
ton justly, l. his own interests are in
volved. Here is an illustration Of ii:
The writer was at the house Of On edu-
Gated and highly intelligent farmer one
day last week lie had childs hammock
i'm his hand. to which he called tic farm
er's attention. This hammock. said he.
cost fifty cents yet IL seems impossible
that IL can be produced for such sum.
When you and were children, SAID he.
II we had asked our parents to buy us
hammock they would have told us we
were crazy; that such luxuiics could be
had by the children OF the rich only. But
now every mechanic can have haminocks
for his children. This said the writer, is
an illustration OF the blessings OF that
chearoning in the prices of everything
that the past half-century has brought
tho world, which frce-silver men descant
on so deliberately as the misfortune OF
lie world.
The farmer replied he agreed that low
prices of everything but farm products
were for the 'reht OF maj kind but ne
thought that farm products ought TO be
hieh. and he favored legislation that
caused them to be high. This was not
said in jest 1t was said in the most Sc
rlOus earnestress.
The writer replied that he could sec
no more reason why the interests of
mankind demanded that farm products
should bc high thsn they demanded that
anything else should be high. Il produce
10 farm products" said he: yet | must
have farm products for my daily susie
nance and there are millions on millions
OF people in my situation. We produce
many things which you must have, and
you get these things under the march OF
progress at exceedingly low prices. 1t IS
only fair. If we have 10 sell low, we should
be enabled to buy low Can you not per-
ceive that every dollar you coerce Us TO
pay for your farm products beyond what
they will naturally bring without legisla-
ton, you are forcibly taking from our
pockets 70 put into yours?'
The farmer utterly rejected this argu-
laent though he did not answer it.
The writer pursued the subject after this
fsshicn: you have a piece Of land.
said he. NOW. you are entitled to al
that you can produce from that land by
your own labor, but society owes you alb
soluteiy nothing except protection from
trcspass or interference while you are
producing your crops, and protection IN
the use and disposal of your crops after
they are produced. If you wish 10 send
your children 10 boarding-schOol for a fin
ished education. or If you wish carpets on
your floors, and pianos for your parlors
YOU must get them in exchange for what
is produced by your labor on your farm
The farmer almost lost lis temper at
these suggestions. "rhe American farm
er. then, is TO be locked Oh as entitled to
no more consideration than the Indian
with his patch Of land and brush wigwam.
and the American farmers children are
70 have the same fate as the papooses Of
the lL6ians." said he The writer replied
that he could see no reason why the chill
dron OF one should stand upon a different
footing from the children of the other
That if the Indians children got cduca-
tion and refinement. it must be as the re-
suit of their parents labor. and if the !
American farmers children got it, it |
ought equally to be as the result of their |
parents labor. The farmers Indignation |
was in no degree Gained by this reply. |
and the conversation ended as it began. /
with the farmer thinking that legislation |
ought 10 do something that wOuli make |
the tanners crops bri0g him more money |
than they viii bring him when thrown |
into open competition of the world.
Now this. We insist is a striking Illus
tration of the impossibilty Of any man
being judge in his own cause. We insist
that the propositions submitted by the I
writer are the most ord.i AIRY ones OF
con mon and elementary jrstice: and yet
this farmer was utterly unable to per-
ceive any justice in them. when they
tended to reduce the amount of money
that he hoped TO receive for his crops.
The farmer must learn that he must
look TO his land and his labor for every
thing that he would enjoy. and that II
is beyond the power Of legislation to
bring him any Of the comforts that he
covets. Legislation can do him much
harm. but ii can do him no good.