The independent., 1903-02-05

out vi ali lHlS Jue Idi tueI gets leSH
than so cents. Thus making a pack
horse and scape goat of the farmer for
all the other industries.
Rockefeller is in the oil business
with it's hundreds of bi-products.
Steel and iron, banking, railroads, and
almost everything, the government
protects him in these industries by
tariff laws that keep out foreign COM
petitors and the government gives him
the use of millions Of money beside
without interest.
While Mr. Huston is compelled to
pay trust prices and earn his own
money under foreign competitors
brought over by the government.
This is what Frank Sherman Pee
says about contract labor. LOOK at
it: The government will not permit
farmer to say to a foreigner, Come
over here: | will give you job draw
ing manure" no, the foreigner would
be transported to the country from
whence he came, and $4,000 fine and
Imprisonment would be the farmers
penalty for violation Of the law. Al
the same time the same government
says to the same transported lmnll-
grant, Come back here and Uncle
Sam will give you job: not only that,
but will set you up in business. l.
you will only come you shall have 100
acres of land free and clear from all
incumbrance. Back comes the trans
ported foreigner, virtually under con-
tract with the government while the
farmer who offered him job at draw
ing manure looks through prison bars.
Our government is giving away an
average of over six million acres a
year to foreigners for the last ter
years, has not only reduced the value
of our farm by half, but has degraded
agriculture as a business. Almost to
level with these same ignorant for
eigners, whom our government has
been setting up in the farming bust
ness by tens OF thousands every year,
while as | said before, farming in
the eastern states, generally speaking,
is little better than unremuneratiye
toll. | defy anyone to produce from
the history of the United States such
a disgraceful piece of business by the
government at Washington toward
any industry under the flag.
The price of farming lands is the
only condition by which to judge Of
the prosperity Of agriculture, and that
has been steadily on the decline since
1870
What do you think would happer
in this country, reader, if the govern
ment should begin setting up foreign
erS in the manufacturing business. The
manufacturers would be up in arms
in a hurry, and their arms would be
charged with powder and shot. A
farmer is as much manufacturer as
man who owns woolen mill, certain
ly he is. His sheep under his manage
ment converts grass into wool, while
under the management of the manu-
facturer wool is converted into cloth.
If it is wrong for the government to
set up foreigners in competition witt
one business it is equally wrong to
establish them in any other business,
SO much for Mr.. Speer with lots more
equally as interesting, but for lack of
space and time.
The distilling business is only
sample of all the Others-fOr Whicn
the farmer furnishes the foundation.
or raw material, that feeds and shell
ters all the people.
Mr.. Van Vorhis' idea of letting the
banks issue their own notes at any
time and in any quantity they please
with a government guarantee to make
them good would be the final death
knel to the farmer. The government
back Of money means taxation; l.
means that the farmers farm is back
of it. This is the difficulty now.
This national bank money is too
cheap; it enables a few manpulator2
who get it for nothing to buy up tha
earth while the farmer is compelled to
earn it over and over ten times as
compared with the banks manipula~
tors and spectators. 1t gives one
man money and makes the other earn
it. JOHN T. MARTIN.
Pitt field Pa.