The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1896-10-28
rnE po.NornINa THEORY

The st. Louis Globe Democrat con
tains an article Of over two columns of
noupariel on "AgrHrian Problems. +"
II comedies and describes the great
fall in agricultural prosperity, and yet
offers not single remedy. The writer
says:
There are obvious reasons why it is
well TO take candid and sober view
of the facts ia the case of these people.
The average citizen IN other occupa-
tions does not realize the change that
has taken place in the vocation of the
farmers during the last twenty years,
or more particularly within the last
ten years. Full information upon the
subject is accessible in the census
reports and other official documents
to say nothing of the continuous story
told IN the daily newspaper. The fall
in prices of agricultural products can
ohly be expressed in figures that seem
incredible. Notwithstanding the
doubling OF the acreage under tillage
and OF the aggregate production, the
increase In total value is so slight that
we may almost say the returns in pro
portion 10 the amount OF land Guilt
waited and the amount OF labor en-
ployed, have been reduced cne.half
This signifies as to most OF such prod
ucts a cost Of production in excess Of
the market value.
Yet after his two columns Of descrip-
ton Of the farmers troubles the writer
says
II theGe agrarian problems could be
solved by the convenient method OF
gong TO the polls and voting upon a
single proposition as TO the policy OF
finance or revenue, We should not
need ID be disturbed about them.
But they are OF an order of issues that
can not be disposed OF in that way.
rney ate not political, so much as they
are social and morai; and yet in a
country ike ours. where the opera
tiuns ot gpverL meut are so closely re-
lated 10 the interests OF the people,
such questions can not be kept out OF
! politics Our statesmen will have 10
! grapple with them in the ordinary
course of events, but will hardly be
able alonei 10 settle them. They in.
volve the adjustment of controlling
economic forces TO an improvement OF
service, not according TO the fantastic
| nOAiOhn VI NhI oOSiuAinNnf nOI AuEOhRl
any coercive and destructive progress
but with full recognition of the rights
of all classes, and in a spirit of uni
form justice and enlightened beneyo
lence.
This is but one more instance Of the
do-nothing theory and is applied by
the various metropolitan papers OF the
Globe Democrat class not only TO the
far ners, but to the laborers, the fac
tory men. the railroad men and
everybody else. Their misior.
tunes are commiserated but they
are told they must not do anything to
mend them. II they do this they are
anarchists, II they do the other thing
they are a mob, and So il goes with
everything they propose. Thus they
are exactly in the position of the
slaves before the war-if they took
any action fer their own benefit they
were candidates for the whipping post.
The fulsome boast OF the Republican
party used to be that il was the posi-
tive party; that ii was the leader in
any beneficial action. It's bcastful
course has been reversed. 1t is now
among the pull backs that in every
age clog the wheels Of progress.