Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1896-09-23
FROM cnuRcHvlLLE.

CHURcHvILLE, VA, Sept. 21.-In CONVERSE
ton the other day with one of Augusta coun-
TVS most substantial and economical farmers
your correspondent learned few facts that it
would be well to publish as an object lesson
of the condition into which the farmers have
been placed by thirty years of congressional
legislation in the interests OF money LENDERS
and monopolistic combinations. This gentle
man has invested in farm lands, farm ma
chinery. &c, capital of SIS, 600 upon which
he paid SILT taxes last year. His farm Is
classed among the best farms of the county,
and twenty years ago he cleared annually
from it $500 to $500. Because of the great de-
probation in the value of farm products ne
has for the past few years been curtailing the
acreage of crops sown. This year he raised l7S
bushels of wheat, which at 55c. per bushel,
will amount to s97 80; SIS bushels of rye at 3Oc
will amount to $3.50. He will realize upon
the markets s114.4O for this years crop OF
wheat and rye He has fertilizer bill OF
$40 to pay, and has left $40 with which to
pay for seeding. harvesting and threshing.
He raised 80 bushels of corn this year which
will sell for 1902 so at Csc per bushel. OF this
corn it will take 744 bushels to pay one hand
for IL months work at $3.50 per month. He
will have &c bushels of corn left to fatten his
hogs and feed his horses, and the wheat need
ed for family use he will have to buy. II
would make this communication to long &c
attempt to show the great depreciation IN the
value of other products of the farm. But here
i an example of the pro6tless occupation en-
gagged in by majority of our farmers IN thell
efforts to obtain living from the production
of the two staples which few years since were
the source of their prosperity. When the
amount of capital they have invested and the
amount of their annual earnings is taken into
consideration, it is plain to be sure that the
condition of the farmer is worse than OF any
other American citizen.
Now that the farmer begins to realize thai
| the class to whom he has for so long time
been voting protection in order that he might
have a home market for his products, are
! reaping clear profit of anywhere from % pei
| cent. to 400 per cent. upon what they have te
sell him, is it any wonder he cries aloud as the
Roman of old?
Il HNOw. the n6oQ 1QQameS He,
When forethink the hard conditions
| Our states must undergo, except In time
| We do redeem ourselves to liberty
And break the iron yoke forged Ior OUT a aecks
The commonweal engrOssd so by Few,
| The giants of the state, they 90 by turns
| Enjoy her and deflle her! While the rest,
However great we are. honest and valiant,
l Are hurded with the, vulgar. and so Kept
| As we were only bred to consume corn,
Or wear out wool, and drink the city water,
Il TTy1oy oa6 WtthOnt X.
| All places, honours, Offices are theirs:
which how long will you liar, most valian
call the faith Of Gods and Men to question,
The power is In our hands, our bodies able,
Our minds as strong; on the contrary, In then
All things are grown aged with their wealth
and years.
There wants but only to begin Gne business.
The issue Is certain. !"
And there viii be no uncertainty about th,
issue if the FIVE million s.::rdy farEers Of thi
l land will rise in this hos 1T their might ane
assume control of om government as it
founders made it possible sae them to do.
Mr.. E. Sancent, Of Aasssen, viii addres
rms voters of this place j siss rooms of TIL
Bryan and Sewall Club on next Saturday
evening at 8 o'clock.
1 The Presbyterian Sunday School will hold
picnic on next Saturday at point near here.
Jared l.. Jones, of Highland county, is VISIT
ing friends here.
Adam s. Hnff, who recently returned from
Ohio with typhoid fever, is going about again
Miss Maude Bird, who has been spendin
the sum mer with;her sister, Mrs. e. Hughes
returned to her home in Baltimore to day
Miss Allie Davies. of Rockingham, vii
spend the winter with her cousin, Miss Maud
Sieg, of this place.
Mr.. J. N Wilson, of Bridgewater, is yisi
ing the family of g. j. Hof.
Mrs. J. A. Templeton, of Staunton. is visit
ing her sisler. Mrs. ]. F. Tapscott, of thi
place.