The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-04-21
pFLUDED FARMERS.

An interesting story. with n lesson III
II is that which comes 10 MS from Hunts
Vile. Ala. Many OF the towns in that
locality have recently been linked To-
eether by long-distance telephone ser
vice the system centoring al ilun'sNiiie.
or course il was seven days wonder
that man in Huntsville could speak 10
another man ono hundred miles away.
Now It so happened that about the time
that the long-distanoc telephone was es-
tablished the price Of cotton went down.
and as a farmer who was sufferer by
The decline, could discover no other rca-
son for the decline. he decided that u
was due to the telephone. Accordingly
war was at once declared against the
telephone line, and numbers Of the poles
were cut down. one Of the lines has been
the victim OF this supeistituuon at least
a dozen times. and a farmer after break
ing the wire ln two tied one end TO his
wagon and pulled down seven miles OF it.
The courts may grant injunction, the
story goes on. but so thoroughly aroused
arc the farmers. that nothing short Of
armed guards strung from pole 10 pole
will prevent the tearing down Of the en-
tire system in that district.
This is an extreme case. and the story,
we doubt not. is exaggerated, but it
serves to show 10 wha- desperate ox-
tremes somo people will 30 when they
get a cranky notion into their heads.
During Mr.. Clevoland's administration
there were several bad crop years and
Il was q common saying throughout Ger
tain agricultural districts chat Cleveland S
administration was I'm some way respCn-
sible for the bad crops. But these hallu-
cnations. after all, are not much worse
than others Of the farmer. lie believes
that the corporations Of the country are
his enemies. and that they are largely
responsible Cor tho small prices that he
obtains for his products. lie also be-
lieves that the country needs more
money. and that free silver would in some
way put more money into his poke lie
believes that it is quite possible for the
Government TO enact laws for his benefit
that Will make two blades Of grass grow
whore one grew before.
We do not mean by this 10 say that the
farmers at large are as ignorant as those
Alaban farmers who destroyed the tele-
phone inc. But We do mean TO say that
She sold standard and the corporations
have a. much to do with depressing the
price OF farm products rs the Huntsville
telephone line has. and that the farmer
would accomplish sust as much 20 his
ADVANTAGE by smashing the sold stand
ard and the corporations. as The Alabama
farmers accomplished 20 their advantage
in tearing down the telephone wires The
farmer has been humbugged Those DEM
arogues who preach 70 him about his
misfortune and promise him prosperity
by legislation would. II they could Get mis-
vote thereby. be just as industrious in
trying TO convince him that the te'e-
phone lines Of the whole country are re-
sponslble for all his ir 'ubles. The farm.
or has listened 10 those demagogues foi
years and years. but somehow ne has
not vet found them out lie looks on
them as his best friends. and those vino
tell him the plain truth. those who tel
him that hard work. Judlcious manage
ment. attention 10 business. and not le-
gislstion, will make him prosperous. are
BET down as his greatest foes.
Ehen the Virginia farmer laughs at The