The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-02-23
THE FARMER AND PROSPERITY

The discussion at the Deer Creek
Farmers Club recently, on the ques-
ton of how the present wave of pros
perity has affe cted the interests OF the
farmer, was one which is food for
serious thought. Under the rules of
the club no political matter can be
mentioned at their interesting meet
ings, yet if we examine their proceed
ings carefully, it could be seen under
meath the surface that there was a
strong feeling that the present
National Administrator had not the
interest of the farmer at heart. Nc
matter what the politics might be, il
was within their province to discuss
conditions as they found them.
No one can question the fact that
the present wave of prosperity has
not reached the tillers of the soil and
under the present legislation it never
will. For this. the farmer has no one
to blame but himself. He deliberate,
ly allows his hands to be tied and then
groans from the tightness of the
knots. Instead of trying to loosen
them, however, he will go on in the
same old way. When election day
comes he will vote the same old ticket,
because, possibly, he does not believe
in the free and unlimited coinage Of
silver or possibly fears that free trade
is not constitutional. He is willing
and eager to grasp the situation when
it affects any one else, but when it
comes to his own matters he will close
up like clam and stay closed. He
will stand by and applaud the action
of the government, when the Treas
ury officials come to the relief OF a
lot of money sharks on Wall street
and yet see his next door neighbol
sold out of house and home on account
of prohibitive tariff and a combina'
ton of trusts and attribute it to the
poor wretch's bad management. He
will never go deeper and investigate
the true cause as to the reason that
prices of everything he has to sell are
less than production while almost
every necessity Of life has been re-
Gently advanced, in some cases, near
ly one hundred per cent. Herein
lies an inconsistency which is almost
uncomfortable. but every one of us
know that it is true.
Why the farmers do not get together
and demand some remedia! legislation
is question past finding out. The
kusbandmen compose nearly one
half the voters of this country and
yet their wishes and desires have not
one whit of influence in shaping
national legislation. The fact of the
matter is that they never ask let alone
demand, anything. All they get out
of this government is few seeds
which are begrudgingly distributed by
the Secretary of Agriculture to help
some Congressman stand in with his
constituents, and we came very near
forgetting, horse book on how to
cure distemper. This is a pretty
state of affairs but who can contra.
dict single assertion we have made:
Take the canning industry Of this
county for instance. 1t is threatened
with total humiliation, and on what
account? Nothing in the world ex'
cept the tariff on tin plate has enabled
a trust to be formed which controls
the entire markets, and cans have
gone up to such a fabulous price that
there is no longer any profit in it for
any one. And SO We might go on ad
infinitum.
We reiterate that the farmers can
only blame themselves. They should
get together and if necessary form a
trust of their own in order to force the
proper legislation. They are the
original creators of all wealth, for
from the soil only can wealth originate.
They could demand and compel the
proper recognition and until they do
that no relief can ever be expected.