The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-03-05
The Eyes of the Fool.

The eyes of the fool are at the end of
the earth, so said Soloman If our states
men and the boastful great dailies are
measured by Soloman's rule the crop of
tools which would be gathered in would
be something astonishing. These two
classes of fools are always scanning the
horizon in search of danger and never
see or suspect the greatest danger which
threatens this nation and people is right
at home, i'll our midst.
A case i'll point is the terror and alarm
which some of these danger-warners man
ifest, iE the opening up to settlement and
cultivation by the Russian government
the fertile wheat country of Siberia, by
building railroads and offering aid to
settlers.
Russian emigrants are carried at rate
OF less than one-fourth cent mile. They
receive free land on the homestead prin.
ciple. In case of extremity, grants of
money are made, without interest, up to
100 rubles. All settlers are exempt from
taxes for four years.
What contrast this treatment of the
Russian government of its people with the
United States government. The Gar
protects his people from the greed of Shy
lock, loans them money without interest
to improve their homesteads and exempts
them from tax until they can establish
homes IN the new country. How did
this government treat the home builders
who were encouraged to settle on the wild
praries The United States government
furnished money to build the railroads
and gave the roads to band of shylocks
1t gave the same school Of sharks, one
half of the land lying contiguous to and
extending for ten miles on either side OF
the railroads. The lands were surveyed
and marked off in forty acre tracts at gov
eminent expense. The land agents OF
these railroad sharks were permitted to
loan money at 20 per cent interest to the
struggling settlers and take mortgages on
their land and liens on all personal prop.
erty. The railroads which had been made
tree gilt by the government, were per
United to rob the settlers out of every.
thing they could possibly raise, both grain
and live stock. These unsuspecting
honest and industrious home builders
were turned over to a gang of hungry
wolves unprotected and entirely defence
less.
And now Shylock's newspapers are
telling the American farmers that another
great and dangerous rival will soon rise
AGAINST them in, tho NJ,
The world. Let our government do as the
Russian government, loan the farmers o
these new regions money without interes
and give them transportation on the rail
roads as low as the Siberian farmers anc
the American farmer will take care O
himself His danger does not lie in tn,
competition with foreign lands, but RICH
at home where his own government ha
let loose band of human wolves upoi
him, who have devoured him for thirt,
years. Our statesmen and newspaper
see all the dangers which beset anC
threaten the American farmer in foreign
lands when the fact is they are right a
home under their own noses.
1t American farmers who were induced
to settle on the western praries by tn,
opening up of the country by govern
ment subsidized railroads since 1862 wer
treated by the government with the SAM
consideration which the Russian govern
ment IS extending to the Siberian Settlers
in ten years every farmer west of tn,
Missouri river would possess a free anc
unincumbered home and the great IVES
would bound forward in prosperity will
unparalleled strides. But the policy O
this government since it went into tn,
control of the Rothschilds after Lincoln
murder has been to protect the none,
sharks, not the people.