The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-09-18
FARMERS TALK.
This Time Was Held I'm Grove BY
the Old Canal.


Payers League was held Saturday after
noon In Magnusson's grove at South
Windhaiu. This grove IL on tho tow path
of the old canal by the banks Of the Pre-
sn mpsoot. 1t Is n most picturesque spot
and Saturday In the bright September
afternoon the glimpsss of bright hued
foliage along the banks of the river
afforded as caarming a view as could be
found In Cumberland county. There
was not a large attendance at this meet
Ing hut what 1t lacked in numbers 1t
made up in enthusiasm ss nearly all
present seemed to te In full accord with
the movement which Farmer" Mo-
Laughlin has inaugurated. There were
In all about thirty farmers present and
very few women. President II. X.
Greggs Of the league presided and called
the assemhlsge TO order. The audience
was grouped about him on the carpet of
pine needles. while the speaker occupied
natural rostrum formed by the embank-
ment by the side Of the abandoned canal
Mr. Greggs after expressing his regret at
the small attendance went on to speak of
the Importance Of the farmer to the state
and nation. He is the foundation of all
industries, wealth and prosperity. His
occupation is most honorable. II 1t is
true that agriculture Is the NEST useful.
it Ia then the most honorable. Farmers
boys should be taught to hold up their
heads In the presence Of any man no mat
| ter how high he may stand. They
should be instructed that the idea that
| they shonld seek political prefsrment In
order TO attain an honorable position 10
sooisty is a false view to take of their
occupation. He then went on to speak
of the necessity of every farmer being an
educated man. He should apply the
teachings OF science to his farm and his
profits would be much larger. The
trouble is that very few farmers thor
oughly know their business. The Maine
farmer has many obstacles to overcome
in getting his living out Of the coil hut
science will help him to do this. Nature
has placed many obstacles in his way
but man has put many more difficult
stumbling blocks to his progress and
prosperity In his path.
MIR. Greggs went on to discuss the In
equalities OF taxation which are felt more
by the farmer than by any class. The
burdens are unequally distributed and
while the farmers property depreciates in
value his burdens are on the increase.
They are willing to pay their proportion
ate part of the taxes but not TO bear the
larger share of the load. 1t is about time
that they wake up and think and act for
themselves. In the last legislature there
were only "a farmers. In proportion to
their numerical strength there should be
at least 75 In the state legislature. Mr..
Greggs said mat the tax laws should be
revised He had been life long Repub.
loan and believed that party to be the
best and grandest In existence. "I think
SO today" said Mir. GregRs, "but when 1t
comes to the existing conditions am pre-
pared to vote for any man, be he Demo-
GRAFT or Republican, who will stand for
what is right and just in the councils of
state. The trouble is with ourselves. We
don't send the right men to the legis-
lature. The Governor of this state told
friend of mine little while ago that he
was In sympathy with this movement.
He said the farmers didn't send the right
men to the legislature. The Governor did
not wish to stand as a myrtyr for reform
and SO he did nothing but am confident
that he is with us In this movement.
"We are not anarchists. There is no
need or the farmers striking. Their
remedy Is in the ballot box. If they don t
know enough to help themselves at the
polls they should suffer until they reach
the point when they learn to have re-
course to this remedy"
W. Fl. Mclaughlin also spoke briefly.
He said that he had been called "ths
farmer hustler" and he wanted to justify
the stirring Significance OF that name.
He wanted to SIZE the farmers control
their own interests. He didn't find fault
with the other classes of society. They
got all they could and ii the farmer was
fool enough to sit back and be robbed
when he had the-power TO prevent it, he
was to blame The farmer wants 20 pay
his proportionate part Of the taxes but he
Wants others to bear their share of the
burden. They say we can't tax wild
lands" said Mr.. Mclaughlin, because
there is constitutional provision against
1t. They say 1t would be cruel for us to
tax this land because it IL owned mainly
by the widow and orphan. We are glad
to know this because we always had an
idea IL was owned by the very rich. VS.
Will see about this when the time comes.
They say the farmers sell out every time
they have a chance to do 30. I don't
blame Them for saying these things for
they are Justified by the facts. We want
to send men to Augusta who won't sell
out. Thcy say We can't cut down the
salaries of the State officials which have
been increased from 90 to 20 per cent In
the last twenty years because the officials
have become accustomed to live in better
style than they used to and 1t would be
cruel to take any Of their salary away
from them. l have been told that 1t is
said by some that this farmers move
Il. III 4