The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-05-12

farmer. What Is the trouble with the
farmer? His products are too cheap
What makes them cheap? Over-produc-
ton. 1t was thought that if you would
examination and assign them a grade and
then put those who handle them under
bonds to maintain the integrity of that
grade. all would be we'll Why did not
this costly system cure the evil? Simply
because 1t was the farmer and not his pro-
duct that needed to be examined, graded
and bonded. Great applause) You see
the law began at the wrong end, laugh
teri and costly error it has been 1 will
take the contract to have every farmer
examined, graded and bonded at one tenth
the present cost of grading wheat alone
(Applauseo Let us have law at once
that will compel all farmers to pass a
decent examination in theory and practice
Of farming and l will guarantee that you
will SO reduce the number of farmers to
double and even treble the price of pro-
ducts the first year. Great applause.)
If after that we should find productions be-
gin to increase We would simply do as
teachers. lawyers and ministers now do
raise the standard and weed out the
weaker ones. and up prices would go
again. Applause.) This is all so simple
that enc wonders why it was not presented
and adopted long ago. Why should teach
>ers. lawyers, physicians and preachers
have to undergo examinations and get
licenses before they can begin practice,
while every ignoramus is permitted to
enter the farmers profession without let
or hinderance? Here is the nub of all our
modern evils. The earth, the common
mother of all things living, is being daily
abused and outraged by a vast horde of
incompetent farmers. (Sensation.) I ven-
ture to say there is not a vocation among
men which needs the protection of rigid
examination and license one-half as much
as does the tillage Of the SOIL You will
all see at a glance that this system will
settle the overproduction question and
place It where 1t can be regulated with
ease Having graded and licensed the far
n1er himself you can take of the grade
and dockage from the product. ZAP
plause.)
But it will be asked what ere you
going to do with the great multitude OF
farmers who will be rejected under the
grade system which you propose to adopt?
This Is an all important question, but one
that can easily be answered. First, let me
explain that l would have the professions
all graded I would put the farmers in the
front rank. Great applause.) l would
have his profession head the list Cries
of right you are.o This is where he has
never been in the whole history Ct the
world, except the brief period he lived in
Eden. (Applause.) We propose to put
him back there. Great enthustasm.)
His shall be the place of honor
Heretofore he has been the helOt,
the parish, the plebeian. the peon.
the slave of the whole world.
This country was founded by the broken
down sons of nobility and wealth m the
old world and the process has been kept
up. Whenever a man of business and po-
sition finds son ON his hands who is
profigate and good ,:or nothing he puts
him on farm at once. (ApplauSe) We
shall change all9ths: When our new sys-
tenn is put in operation no prodisate scion
of shoddy artist ocracy will be permit
ted to NEEDLE with the sacred soil-except
to fertilize it if he should hc i:,cFy enough
to die. Great applauseD Now I would
rank the various professions somewhat as
follows First, lie farmer. then the me-
chanic, the TEACHER, manufactures, min
ister doctor. la Eyer common carrier and
editor. (Cheers.4I wkuld nave at least
For instance wou have lrst, second