Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1896-03-04

Siraimia FREE gress.
Encouragement for FORMERS.

The following is extracted from the Pres
byterian philadelphia of January Sth:
"Forty-two per cent. of the population OF
this country are engaged in farming, and so
have to feed the other fifty eight per cent,
besides feeding themselves. This they DO,
aud from the surplus export 800 100000 oil
farm products to other lands. The total
exports from America of all kinds are about
$500 ,OOO. 900, so that nearly seventy per
cent. of the exports were directly from the
farms. The mortgages upon American
farms are only sixteen per cent. of their
value We are ready to acknowledge that
our farmers work hard for all they get, and
have to economize to make farming profit
able; but after all is there any class of toni
ers and investors in our country 50 prosper
Gus as these figures shows? They are the
most independent class in the country, and,
taking them all in all, the least to be pitied. "
There is a species of demagogues in this
country who either from ignorance or mean
ness are always harping on the expressions
of the farmer by other classes the banker,
the merchant, the lawyer, the tradesman,
the politician except this dear
lover of the rural population who is engaged
in chanting their sad condition. In many
cases this object is plain-namely, to get an
Office for which he is running and for which
he is electioneering. His tune is Absalom's
80 that | were made judge in the land "
And if he were, his reign would be very
close resemblance to Absalom's brief rule
from the day he spread that tent on top OF the
palace in Jerusalem lat Ahithophel's insti-
gation) to the day that he hung in the oak
with Joab's three darts through his body.
We want no such rulers and judges -
Their motives are seliishness and their talk
foolishness.
In every distressing and painful financial
crisis through which our country passes the
honest and industrious farmer is better off
than anybody else While banks are sus-
pended. rich men breaking, stocks and bonds
of railroads and other corporations "shriv-
eed like parched scroll" he has under his
feet good terra frma that belongs to him, a
house over his head, and platform like the
Georgia farmers who said his had four cor
ners on which stand respectively his corn
house, his meat house, his home and his
barn and stables. He has enough TO eat
and to spare, and it is good and fresh his
surplus milk butter and eggs will buy his
groceries il not bis clothes also; his lite in
the pure air gives fine average healthiness
10 him and his-his doctors bills are usual
" small he sleeps well because he takes
good exercise and eats few luxuries and per-
haps 40 poisons; and if he is a religious
man and does not drink whi~key, he will
very commonly be free of debt and indie
pendent, if neither rich nor living in splen-
dor
Let him take good religious paper, a
good agricultural periodical, sensible, not
too partisan secular paper of high moral
tone, buy and read AT least few good b 'oks
keep systematic accounts and study his
calling "a he would lesson at schonl, de-
termined To excel in it, aud he will have a
good Coincidence - liz ral soul hat will
abe made fli, aud The blessing of God will
be upon hi- uberuace.
Let him stick TO mother earth, and listen
to 40 temptations to trust himself and his
dear ones to the uncertainties e % 'ea he
was not not born 20 navigate