The herald., 1896-02-22

| tnat. what was the result? A congestion
OF population and capital in the cities aud
IN urban pursuits, and on the other hand
deserted, depopulated rural districts. City
values were stimulated to fictitious heights
while the country property deprecated,
and despite the growth in population of
| the United States the farmers of America
| IN 1890 were worth not much more than
| they were thirty years before. In the
| older states their property has actually
| lost, and the increase in the new states
was only about enough to balance this
| loss.
"If the natural increase Of the American
farmers wealth that took place between
| 1890 and 1860 had continued until today
| lat the same ratio, l mean, and there is no
good reason why it should not have SO con-
tinued). the American farmer at the be-
ginning of 1896 would have been worth
somewhere near S12.OOO,OO0,O0 more
than he 10 today. To be sure the urban
| property would be worth that much less,
but the nations total wealth would be
fully equat to what is is with the added
advantage of being on stable basis and
equitably distributed, and all our people in
the city and country would be more happy
and prosperous.
"Just suppose the conditions of the last
thirty years had been reversed. Suppose
the government should tomorrow put a
bounty of 25 per cent-and that is only
about half the average bounty that we have
paid manufacturers-on all wheat exported.
wouldn't it cause a rush to the country.
why, every farm where wheat growing is
at all possible would go up in value and
farming would become the most prof table
business for few years in the country.
OF course there would be all outcry from
the manufacturers and the bankers, but it
would demonstrate to them pretty effectu-
ally the farmers right to protest against
the conditions that have prevailed in the
past.
A. ko xI, T,,l; b.
bounty on agricultural exports. ] am con-
vipced that it is wrong in principle, but it
Is not greater wrong than to lay an inn
port duty on the whole American people,
the greatest burden of which falls upon
the agricul turists. Nearly one-half of
Americas population is engaged in pur-
suits directly dependent on the farmers. 60
that we have for all the other pursuits and
professions only about 20 per cent of the !
population. Why this small proportion |,
should be the recipients of all the favors
of legislation, is more than | can see. |
Bounties, except in some exceptional cases, !
are wrong but if we are to have bounties, |
| believe in p iying them to that portion of |
our population upon which our material
prosperity is most dependent.
"But as | said, there is now taking place
a readjustment. The natural stimulus
given to manufacturing has led us to over
do it. We have more manufacturers, more
railroads than we will need for many
years. The consequence is, our man
ufacturers are compelled by the
fierce competition to sell almost at
cost or below. Railroads are forced to carry I
grain at losing figure. They both are
only paying back to the farmer what un-
just legislation took from him in the past
years. In this way nature readjusts un-
natural conditions. but as said, the pro-
cess Is most disturbing as we'll as slow
one. The farmer is going to prosper; there
are brighter times ahead for him, but un
der the existing circumstances it is cure
to be at the expense of the urban occupa-
tions.
"Give the American farmer chance,
and he will be ready to apply himself to
better methods of agriculture; there is
great deal OF 'sIipshod' farming in America
today; to one who has travelled over the
farms of the continent of Europe and Eng
land. thu best American farm appears
very careiessly managed Why, the agri-
cultural values of France, country that
has an area of 10000 square miles less !
than our single state of Texas, are greatly
in excess of this country. The surface of
France, including ponds, forests, roads and
everything, is worth $500 per acre. And
yet the French farmer is prosperous and
happy. The reason ID that France has de-
veloped her resources in a natural man
ner; she has preserved the integrity of her
agriculture intact, and while E iglaud has
been running her agriculture to develop her
great manufacturers, France has re sorted
to no artificial forcing, and while her
farmers have been prosperous her manu-
factures have had natural growth, and
France today is the second exporting ma
ton in the world. She ranks above the |
United States. with half our population
1.-THE crUelest part of the condition under |
which the American farmer has struggled |
in the past thirty years, has been the eth
ical effect. The city man who, favored by
legislation, has made sudden fortune has
begun to think that he is really sort of
superior being to the farmer. This senti-
ment has so grown that it has actually be-
come almost disgrace to be farmer, and
the worst of it is some farmers are begin
ming to feel the same way. Don't you
think it high time that we do something to
put that noblest of occupations, that most
natural mode of life. in its true position in
the social structure? ?"-Springfield (Ohio)
Farm News.