Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1902-03-19
Wenner1und,
JEWELER and OTPICIAN.

JEWELER and OTPlClAN.
Philosophy Of Theophilus.
Prinsburg, March 10, 1902.
MR.. JIMM1NNY CR1CKETTs: |
I have led Van Dreser's COW on
many foreign excursions, but this cold
snap compels me to put her under shell.
ter, and while she is chewing her'cud
philosophize about the American far
mer and his connection with the class
struggle. At the time that the ruling
class were the feudal lords, the farm
ers did not pretend to befree, but were
serfs belonging to the soil. Part Of
the time they worked for the lord of
the manor; their tools were of the most
primitive kind; yet they made living.
Today they have the appearance of
freedom; their tools as compared with
the old doing the work of twenty; yet
the result is practically the same
making living. On an average the
farmer of today is not better of than
before machinery was introduced. In
favored spots, where the fertility of
the soil or the advantage of climate is
above the average, we find compare
lively wealthy farmers. Where not
thus located, we find agriculture bare
ly returning wages to the workers. In
some of the most densely populated
districts of the eastern states we find
deserted farms; while in the south,
where agriculture once was the lead
ing industry, overgrown plantations
are met with everywhere. The center
OF agricultural activity today is in the
Mississippi Valley where in the richest
soil of the continent production is car
ried on at the lowest possible cost.
And even there only few years ago
farmers complained that they carried
on the business at loss, till short
age of crops abroad, increase In the
output of gold, and continual foreign
wars created'an unprecedented demand
for their products and insured better
prices. ! said the farmers appeared
to be free; let us see if they are so in
reality. Years ago all the farmer
asked was to be free from heavy storms
or insect pest, and to have rain and
sunshine in season. To be sure, he
was always better satisfied when the
party he belonged to was in power,
but still he never really thought that
his success or failure as farmer de-
pended on politics. Now he has seen
times when crops we're abundant, ma
ture had been bountiful all around,
granaries were bursting, while herds
OF cattle and droves of swine were
ready to be butchered; but when he
came sell his products and exchange
them for necessities or pleas ures he
found himself the victim of new cal
amity, as merciless and unavoida able
as any caused by nature. He had
produced too much; his product could
not be sold. But when at the same
time he heard the cry of suffering mer
and women and children who were dy
ing for want of the very thing he ha6
| to sell, it dawned upon him that hi:
troubles were not the fault of nature
but were social. I wrote to you in {
former letter about the condition O
the workers in the factory, who suffer
because they no longer control thei1
tools of production. The machines
are capable of producing much mor'
than the old handtools, yet the worker
is deprived of the increased produc
because he is not the owner of the ma
chine. The machines are expensive
yet it is necessary that the worker
should be the owner of the product il
order to be free; so it naturally fol
lows that the workers must own tn,
machines in common. Is it not pos
, sible that similar process has takel
place on the farm as in the factory
1 have tried to show that the size o
the market reached by each factor!
had grown continually larger with tn
cheapening of production and the i'm
provemeut OF transportation. 1Bhowe.
that the owners of the machines wer,
different class from the workers.
, referred to the fact that all productio,
is to change something found in tn
t earth into something useful to man
. Then it must be taken to some plac
where there is a demand for it. Tn
trouble with the wage laborer is tina
the instruments of production are no
his own. Now compare his conditio,
, with that of the farmer. He owns TIL
and, but his wheat and stock Will,
; on the farm are not produced. The.
must be produced where the demand
; is, and at the proper time. When h'
tries to finish production, that Is, K
bring it to the place Of demand ct til,
) time needed, he finds that the essentia
Instruments are in the hands Of an
other class. The elevators, railroads
], telegraphs, stocky ards and packing
/ houses belong not to him but "a. an
: Inkhar and khn % r,,no,,a ,..,oi 80.