Marble Hill press. (Marbel [sic] Hill, Mo.) 1881-1923, 1897-10-14

OIheTS ndu plduteuJ nut uOeS IL LlaG-
ter. 1t is enough to know that he
made more by an hours labor than
ten thousand wheat growers of the
west could make in two years.
Under these circumstances it is
no wonder that Farmer Keene
should be inclined to paint the sit
uatiOn in hues the most rosy. 1t
has restored his prosperity, and it
is natural that he should feel that
everybody's prosperity has been
restored. Having made two or
three millions on a turn of the plow
in the Wall street wheat farm, it
would be strange, indeed, if Farmer
Keene did not look with hope on
every passing event. His enthusi-
asm is such that, resting from his
toll for a brief hour, he has been
coaxed into giving bis views to a
reporter for The World. We should
be lacking in discrimination if we
failed to give our readers taste of
Farmer Keene's notions. We,
therefore, present the following:
You see, the farmers and those whose in
terests are allied TO them represent more than
20 per cent of our population. Now for three
years the farmers have made very little mon
ey. They have had to practice the most rigid
economy in order 10 survive the depressed
times. They have limited themselves to ne
cesSities and INDUCED in no luxuries. But
while they have been suffering the United
| States have all the time been richer from their
labor. Our agricultural exports, represent
| ing some 70 per cent Of our total exports
have been constantly increasing the balance
CT trade in our favor.
The fact is that the United States have had
90 per cent Of the population working tor the
country for three years past for the smallest
compensation--a mere living. Now every
thing that we have for sale is bringing such
high prices that the farmers are getting rich
and general business is expanding under the
freer distribution of money, One hundred
million dollars worth OF our securities have
come lii this fall.
Mr. Edward Atkinson, who is an
older hand at statistics than Farm
er Keene, rates the farmers them
selves at 40 per cent Of the popula-
tion-they and their allied inter.
ests constituting at least 60 per cent
of the population. But even if
Farmer Keene has inadvertently
made mistake here. it is amply
compensated for by the truthful
statement that follows, namely, that
while the farmers have been suffer
ing the country has all the time
been growing richer from their la
Dor; that "the United States have
had 40 per cent of the population
working for the country for three
years past for the smallest com
ponsation-a mere living"
Herein lies the kernel Of a great
truth, but Farmer Keene does not
pick it out. The fact is that the
farmers have not been working for
the benefit of this country, but for
the benefit Of our European bond
holders. The country has not been
enriched by the operation, but has
grown poorer except in those favor
ed districts where the bonds and
securities are massed. The country
at large has grown poorer in pro-
portion as the income of the farm
ers has been cut down. That the
government itself has grown poorer
is shown by the fact that it has
been compelled to add three hun
dred millions to it's bonded debt.
So that even Farmer Keene must
perceive that the farmers have been
working altogether for the benefit
Of those foreign interests that are
antagonistic to the welfare of this
country.
We must take exception to Farm
er Keene's further remark that
"now everything we have for sale
is bringing such high prices that the
farmers are getting rich" If Farm
er Keene means that the farmers
of Wall street are getting rich, we
have nothing more to say; but if he
intends the remark to apply to
those who toll IN the fields, we say
to him that he is mistaken-sadly
mistaken. We could wish, indeed,
that it were true, but it is not true,
even of the wheat growers; while,
as for the rest, we have only to re-
mind him that the cotton growers
are getting nearly 2 cents pound
less for their cotton than they gota
year ago.
That is the situation. We wish
it were otherwise, but we are now
dealing with actual and substantial
facts, and neither hope nor expec-
tation helps matters. Thus far, the
farmers of the south have worked
for less this year than they recelv-
ed last year, and therefore it is idle
to say that they are enjoying or
sharing in the remarkable prosper
ity that has come to the farmers
who dig and delve in the shade Of
, Wall street.
But We are not criticising Farmer
Keene. 1t is the most natural thing
in the world that farmer who can
dig two or three millions out Of
Wall street in u few days should
feel that prosperity is in the air,
Under snch circumstances ii is i'm.
possible for him to look cold facts
in the face with any degree Of pa
tience. Everything Is rosy and
hopeful, and he is to be excused for
lifting up his jocund voice in the
newspapers.
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