The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-10-27
BOGUS FARMERS
Class OF Gentry Who Have Charge of
the State Agricultural
Departments.
And Gather in SO-Called Farmers
Congresses as Sons OF
Toll.
The Real Farmer Is Unrepresented, |,
and His Voice Unheard
There.

The farmers of the state of Minnesota
would probably not accept the Union
Advocate as a representative of their
views and opinions in all respects. Nor,
indeed, is this paper willing to set It
self up in any such character. Nor does
1t seek, as general proposition, to Of
fer advice or counsel to the agricultural
masses as to what constitutes their best
interest
Yet we cannot forbear calling atten-
tion to very scandalous abuse in the
administration of our state government
which relates directly to the farmer.
The great majority of the boards, bu-
reaus and departments into which the
executive branch of our state govern
ment is divided have to do more or less
directly with the affairs of the farmers.
Certain of these, like the state agri-
cultural society," the agricultural school
and college and others, are established
purely and simply for the farmers gain
Yet the farmers are most carefully and
ment or control
We do not now engage in the consid-
Grafton Of how small factor the farmer
is in the conduct and control of such de-
partments as the railway and ware
house commission and other depart
ments very closely related to our agri-
cultural interests in their administra-
tion, and which it is here unnecessary
to further specify. We refer only to the
purely agricultural bureaus of the state
Does 1t ever occur to the farming pop-
ulation how little they or any one rep
resenting them have to do with these
concerns? Does, it ever occur to them
that their exclusion from any control
in such matters is well-considered
scheme, much more far-reaching than
the mere inconveniency of the office
involved?
A few weeks ago we had farmers
congress, sO-called, in session in this
city. Were the delegates to that con-
gress from our state chosen by our
worthy governor farmers? And if not
all farmers, what proportion of them
were bona fide tillers of the soil? Was
the gathering itself in any true sense
or reasonable degree. a farmers's con-
gress at all? Not bit of it.
The official parasites of the state
house and of the state university. those
whose names Bob Dunn has recently
made us familiar with through his re-
ports as state auditor--they were all
there. And with them we're other .par-
asltes-mostly of the railroads.
Again: What part did the farmers or
their true interests cut in the manage
ment OF our state fair recently? No
part whatever. Look over the list Of
names of those who drew pay during
the fair from the agricultural society
and you will see the name of a repre-
sentative of every class except farmers
alone which could influence public opin-
lon-newspaper men, pedagogues, poll
tclans, lawyers, showmen and graft
ers" Of all kinds.
This is peculiarly the affair of farm
ers, not our affair. We do not propose
to offer advice or suggestion further re-
gardlng it than to apply to it the pic
turesque advice offered some years ago
to the farmers of the country in a GER
tain crisis in their affairs by Ignatius
Donnelly, hich was, we believe, to dis ,rt
some share of their attention for a
While from the. cultivation of grain, and
Just turn in and for the time being
False reasonable amount of-hell.