New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-22
THE FREE SEEDS SCANDAL.

! For once, legislative delay offers an Oppor-
tunity for good results. The last Congress neg
lected TO pass the Agricultural Appropriation
bill until the very end of the session There
was then not time for it to be signed by the
President and so it failed to become law. Per
haps he would not have signed IT, had there
been time He would have been justified in re-
fusing TO sign II, for it contained one provision,
forced into it against the best judgment Of the
best men. sufficiently evil to condemn it, and
because Of which the failure of the bill is cause
for sincere rejoicing. The new Congress must
now draw up and pass new bill. IN doing So
If 1t will altogether omit that obnoxious prOv-
sion, or so modify 1t as to make 1t innOcuOus-
if. indeed the latter can be dOneit will de-
serve the hearty thanks Of every lover OF sound
Government and of every hater Of shams and
impositons.
The evil in question is the indiscriminate free
distribution of seeds at public expense. In its
inception. the system had it's good features. 1t
was intended TO distribute TO agriculturists for
eign and other rare seeds which they could not
otherwise readily obtain, and to secure from
them in return reports upon the results OF the
planting But these purposes are no longer
served The system has degenerated into a
mere giving away of ordinary seeds, for no other
end than to save the recipient the slight expense
of buying them-and 10 secure his vote for the
reelection of the Congressman who sends them.
Now. il is q nice thing to get seeds without pay
ing for them. But it is not to be supposed that
the farmers Of this country want to pose as beg
CARS, or as the receivers Of aims. Nor is there
the slightest good reason why such gratuities
should be bestowed upon them. The farmer
has no more title 10 get his turnip-seed at the
public expense than he has to get his hoes and
shoves in the same way, or than the city work
ingman has to get bis -four and sugar.
The system does not, moreover, properly serve
even the iegitimate ends named 1t Is admin
istered too indscrimnatey TO do that The
farmer does not always get the kinds OF seeds
he wants, or the kinds he ought to have. He
may want turnips and get tomatoes; he may
ask for sorghum and get sweet peas In that
way many are led to make Improbable plant
.ngs because they've got the seeds and might
as well use EN-: while in many other cases the
seeds are simply thrown away. More than
that thousands Of dollars worth OF seeds are
never delivered to any recipients ut all, being
mailed to former constituents long since dead or
removed to other places That postoffice is by
no means solitary which reports that 1t Is "ali
cluttered up with packages Of seeds consigned
to men who have been dead for years.
The late Secretary OF Agriculture, be 1t re-
membered TO his credit, was opposed TO this
whole wasteful, dishonest and scandalous bust.
ness. He tried TO make an end Of It, but was
overrued by Congress, unhappily and most TN
wisely. The present Secretary is understood
10 be in favor of retaining II only so far as it
can be restored to its original form and func-
tons. Perhaps that can be DONE to some little
extent. The value Of certain so-called nitro
geneous plants fog the enrichment Of the soil