The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-05-26

WALL STREET BRAGGARTs.
The fortunes and great accuMuIa-
tipns of money in this country depend
entirely on the labor Of the farMeis.
Without their products to ship abroad
the country would soon be without
gold and bankruptcy would stare ev-
cry banker and promoter in the face.
1t is the farmers who supply the vital
force that keeps the mills running the
mines open, the railroad cars fun OF
freight. The value of exported farm
products during 1893 was 1878, AS, S3l.
Take that much from Our export trade
and ships would have to be laden WITH
gold every week to Europe or imports
cease. Much Dragging is done by the
plutocrats of the east concerning tie
increase in foreign uade, but they
never mention the fact that it is the
farmer, and principally the western
and southern farmer, who furnishes
the material for that trade. They IN
innate that it is the great men OF the
east, the captains Of industry" who
make our foreign trade. They sLrIt
around as If they were lords of crea
ton. They control the government.
The army and navy is at their call. If
some poor foreigner fails to pay f,r
the goods ordered the practice is es-
tablishe1 of sending ne.rship to col
lect the debt.
But these braggers are not the men
who create our foreign trade at all.
1t is the men out on the plains OF tie
west and on the plantations of the
south who plant the corn, wheat and
cotton who make our foreign trads,
and il they should fail in their Dusi-
ness for two years the whole world
would be swept with famine.
& Yet these men who make prosperity
possible, who create the wealth, Mhc,
make the foreign trade, furnish tfe
power that turns the wheels in the
manufactures, that sends the great
ships across the seas with their prs-
duce-these men let the braggarts OF
Wall street brag on, run the govefL-H
ment, control transportation and treat
them as If they were scrfs and slaves.
What does Wall street care for a
farmer? It looks upon The farmer as
part of the soil which the street is to
farm for what can be got out of him.
And the farmer vvtcs> for Wall
street! He asci ibes unto the deni-
zen there all glory ana power. The
importer and exporter are the great
gods he worship and reads about ay-
cry day in his paper. lie is going to
vote for ship subsidy to still lur-
Their exalt him. That is, some OF the
farmers. A good many of them be-
gan to see things in the true light ten
or twelve years ago. More Of them
are getting the seal IS knocked off their
optics lately. They are forming COM
panies to build elevators. Some OF
them are even so audacious as to buy
seats on the boards of trade and sell
their own corn, wheat and cotton.
Wall street had better keep an eye on
the farmer. He is showing symptoms
Of desire to have some of the glory,
the honor. the power and the money,
himself. The farmers are going 10
Springfield on tho Fourth of July.
Wall street better watch out"
SSSS<&
The proportion of di Jorces to mai
riages IN 1902 in eight states reporting
statistics is as follows: Maine, / to
so; New Hampshire. 1 to S.3; Vcr
mont. to- 1906 Massachusetts,, 1 20
100; Rhode Island, l 70 80; Ohio,
to 8.8; Indiana. to 7.6; Michigan,
to 1100. Those statistics are tie
proof of the dcgeneracy concerning
which The Independent has been
warning it's read.rs for the last four
or five years.