The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-08-20
CONCERNING THE FARMER.
The Situation as He Has Found It in
Both Ancient aud Modern Times
Organization Needed to Better His
Condition.

Both Ancient and Modern Times
Organization Needed to Better His
Condition.
EDITOR GOLD LEAF-In your issue Of
last week you gave US an able editorial
on the Tobacco Situation. | was especi-
ally pleased with that part in which you
referred to the advice you have SO often
given the farmer to raise his supplies at
home. In section of country blessed as
ours is with soil that with little
encouragement in the way OF manure will
produce, and climate that will develop,
all kinds of grains, grasses and fruits
known to the Temperate Zone, it is reck-
less speculation at least for the farmer to
fail to raise his bread and meat at home.
But are there not other causes behind
all this misfortune that are also in the
power of the farmer to change and by
changing make himself independent not
only in the production of home supplies
but in the regulation of these other causes
that are operating to his disadvantage?
To answer this question intelligently it
may not be out of place to investigate
the conditions that surround the farmer,
and to do so may take us back in history
to find out whether these conditions are
new or how long they have existed, If at
all, and in doing so we first look into
Sacred Scripture and there we find an
account of the first corner OF the wheat
market. Jehovah, in His goodness and
for a wise purpose, enlightened the mind
of Joseph to that extent that he was
able to forecast the future, to interpret
dreams, etc, and in explaining to the
king the meaning of dream he rose to
be kind of cabinet-adviser to said king
| This particular dream seemed tofOrecast
famine OF seven years duration, after a
| fruitful season of the same length of time.
| In his dilemma the king naturally asked
| for and took the advice of his wise in
| former, and this advice was to economic
the crops of the plentiful years by taking
! charge of the surplus. This they pro-
| ceeded to do by establishing government
| granaries to which the farmers were COM
| PEELED to carry their crops yearly, as in
| this day They We're told that the taking
| OF their crops was to benefit them and
| be for the good OF the dear farmer. 1t
| does not seem to have occurred to the
managers of this deal that they ought to
| have paid for this wheat as they took 1T,
| especially as the cause assigned was that
it was to save the life of the whole peO-
| pie, and as in this day a large part OF the
! people were not farmers at all. Now the
| plan of taking care of this food stuff was
wise one, as it came from the source OF
all wisdom, but mems savarice will or
often does circumvent Gods goodness,
| and the sequel to this story proves it.
! The farmers worked hard, surrendered
| their crops. got no pay that we read of,
| and finally the famine came and we are
| told it was sore in all the land. The
river Nile seemed to have gotten hitched
| somehow and failed as before to overflow
| the land. so that the farmer had to apply
| to the combination and trust for relief.
| Doubtless they thought they were emit
| tied to at least part of the stuff they
had labored to produce and that fit had
been stored, as they were told, to save
| the life of the whole people, that they
| were among the number and ought to be
| allowed to draw from a treasury which
| they themselves had filed But it was
not to be as they had thought. They
| were cOOlly informed that they could get
food but that they must pay for it. This
| they proceeded to do until their money
was exhausted then Joseph kindly in
formed them that he would take their
teams and other chattels. When these
| had given out they had to sell him their
lands and finally became tenants at a
| regular fixed rental of one-tifth of all
their crops and became the slaves OF the
crown, and we are especially informed
that while these hard terms were laid on
the farmers, the priests were exempted
from it's operation. Now we believe
Jehovah had planned to save people but
we don't believe it was ever His intention
to enslave the working bees and reward
| the drones for simply being drones. Why
should they have been the favored class
when they had not turned their hands to
raise the grain that had saved the lives
of the people? Now the question arises,
did the law of supply and demand oper,
| ate? We answer yes. The farmers had
all the demand you are looking for, and
they had by their industry created the
supply. But over and above the law of
supply and demand for products is the
higher law of supply and demand for
| money Give any set OF men the control
of this higher law or allow them to
manage the finances and they have, as
Joseph did, absolute power to raise or
lower the prices of any and all products.
Then add to this the privilege OF combi-
nation as we have it to-day and the
producer is at the mercy of that power.
One of the strongest evidences we have
against the excessive crop idea is the fact
that while the price of tobacco in the
hands of the farmer is ruinously low the
manufactured article maintains it's high
price.
Ii these Egyptian farmers had been
wise they would have been so completely
organized that in place of the humble
appeal for bread they would have de
manded their right to part of their
own property and by united effort their
honest demand would have been effectual
But this was not their idea. Their idea
seems to have been to talk and complain;
and the same spirit prevails to-day
among them. If they would learn the
lesson OF unity in organization their sal
walton might be near. Failing to take
| this course they may keep up their howl
until Gabriel blows his horn and they
will find themselves at the mercy OF
Others. And it may be that the same
cause that brought ruin upon these
Egyptian farmers will produce the same
effect on ours, to-wit: the final confsca-
ton of their collaterals and lands and
they become the tenants at will on lands
that should by every principle of right be
| theirs.
MAMELON.
A Good Liver.