The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-11-10
The POSITION OF TIE FARMER

speculation is rapidly superinducing
condition when the country will
suffer, and all classes of revenue pro
| ducng investment securities be dis
! astrously affected The history of
| past panics and deterioration of
stocks and other values does not in
the least deter the speculative inii
vidual from his constantly widening
sphere of operation nor from invOl-
wing fame and fortune in the allure
ments of marginal profits, which, in.
creasing or decreasing, means posi-
bic loss or disaster to the buyer or
seller. The tremendous increase in
private fortunes, made possible by
the magnificent development Of this
country. has apparently spurred on
the individual to schemes for great
er emolument and to achieve this
ambition the turn of a die or the
throw Of a card are not bad illustra-
ton. though possibly trite Of the
methods pursued. SO indissoluble are
the ties which bind the operators
and which cement the elements
which make the speculation posi-
BILE, that. like cards tied to a string
they sway and tumble when the first
falls, and ruin encompasses the mi
nority, and even the greater number
tremble in dire anticipation Monte
Carlo is a fair type of the American
stock market. and the Juggling with
agricultural values involves the far
mer in maze of doubt from which
he finds it frequently impossible to
HANGED, on paper. markets are de-
moraliZed and the grower either
holds his products or rushes them to
market. basing his hopes Of profit
on speculative prices. only to find
that the bears have cOrralled the sit
uation and that he has been made
the cushion upon which the opposing
elements have crushed.
The greater danger. however, lies
in the gigantic operations of the
stock iobber, who plays with indus
try and institutions, using them as
pawns upon the financial chess
board and involving the integrity of
individual and of state. So wide
spread are these operations that the
prosperity of the entire country is
at issue and the future of the mass
es at stake. When the crash comes.
few classes will be exempt from the
result. and then it will be the farm
err upon whose shoulders will rest
the burden of reconstruction.
In this connection the farmer
holds the key to the whole situation.
He can rest upon his efforts. secure
that the fruits of his labor and in
dustry will supply his own needs,
no matter what financial cataclysm
envelop the whole social edifice.
The fountain from which seventy per
derived, he is in a position to regu-
late the affairs of the nation. when
once he realizes his power. Today
he is the creature Of circumstance or
of the Vaccinations of the men who
profit by his resources. He secures
but small per centage of the ulti-
mate profits attending the sale of his
products when he should secure the
larger portion. He enjoys the least
proportion of the comforts and con-
venienceS of modern civilization.
while making this progress possible,
and receives but a 1.-THE of the con
Sideration which should be lavishly
bestowed by the monied interests,
which, content to corner or manipu-
late his products. ignores, to a GER
tain extent, the demands of the far
mer upon the good graces of the ma
ton. The day will come when the
agrlculturist, by combination, will
control the speculative element and
take from its hands the power it
now uses for individual gain The
farmer is the base of all wealth and
upon the foundation created by his
Drawn and thrift is built great cities
and vast enterprises. The world prof
its by his labor and millions are en-
abied to prosper thereby. Combina-
ion Is effected by every other class
OF capital and labor. yet the farmer
is the footstool OF all Evolution of
thought is progressive. however. and
the intelligence of the man of the
soil will eventually Offset the con-
ditions which may and possibly will
ultimately involve the country in tur.