The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-08
COMMENTS ON MEN AND
 MATTERS OF THE WORLD

to be extensive schemes whereby certain jockeys and certain bookmakers reaped mutual profit. Although such a state of affairs has been hinted before in various parts of the country where there are large tracks. 1t remained for the Califor- mia Jockey club to disclose what is said to be the most extensive system of collu- sion that has come to light in some years. Just at present this seems to be a land of investigations. Just because Mir. Brts- tow has practically ceased his labors that is no sign that every one else should quit and the merry game of chasing rascals continues unabated. One cannot but wonder sometimes if Americans are more addicted to graft than residents of the old world. Although our newspapers are crowded every day with scandals of this kind it is seldom that news of a similar nature comes to us across the water, and if such extensive boodlng were going on over there we would be certain to hear of 1t. But when graft overtakes horse racing it touches the quick and sports men are very effective in netting out punishment to offenders. Doping horse is bad enough, but selling out" by wholesale is really painful state of moral degeneracy that should be abated.
 Now that our farmers have organized themselves into trust, have bought au- tomobiles with which to withstand city tourists, and have had telephones install- ed by which the hired man can be sum- moned from any part of the estate where he may be working, it really seems that the noble lord of the soil is getting wise and addicting himself to modern condi- tions and has arrived at that stage where he can give bunco men the grand ha! ha! with facility and dispatch. In fact, ev- cry day or two newspapers chronicle some new achievement of farmers that raises them still higher in general es- teem. For instance, they held up bank the other day that was threatened with acute "defuncture" and thus saved their money from crash. Although poets and other sentimental people rant about the power of the horny-handed sons of toll and wonder what would become of the world without the farmer, yet the vacuosity of their thought cells results in a feeling that there is always cer- tain rural simplicity associated with a man who tills the ground. This idea is being rapidly dispelled now and before many more years the man who produces grain to be cornered and cotton to be manipulated will take his stand with those other financial giants who are some- times called magnates. It is really ap- palling to think what would result if farmers were to complete their proposed trust. Uncle Sam would face the worst crisis, perhaps he has ever yet overcome. The man who works wires in the market would not be In the same class with the man who has the grain stored up and would not part with it until his price was paid. But it is to be hoped that agricul- ture will long remain exempt from such sordid combinations In the first place, poets would have to go out of business and the air of the country would so closely resemble that of town that it would be no pleasure to make visit dur ing the summer months Instead of en- toying rural delights one would merely see another trust magnate at work and the surroundings would be so affiuent and sumptuous that even the wild flowers would be outshone by the splendors. of wealth gathered by the farmers trust. \,
 P. c.