The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-04-08
The PR0bL|.E|||M
'0F MONOPOLY
pr, John Clark's Third Lecture
iii the Thomas Course at
Richmond College. Az
AGRICULTURE AND TRUSTS
The Rise and Fall Of Farmers
! Con1bincs--Frcc Silver ( Craze
Dead, Declares Lecturer. 5

E The third lecture In the twentieth
course OF Thomas lectures was delivered
at Richmond College last night by pr.
John b. Clark. Of Columbia College I'M
der the general theme. "rhe Problem OF
Monopoly Last evening the gifted Ice
turer discussed "Agrlculture and Monop-
piles" The audience was somewhat larger
than on Tncsday night and all were
charmed with the inspiring address. me ne
sneaker started out with the statement
that the hopc OF tho country Is IN the
farmer. I1e declared that farmers can
not form trusts. because they would have
too many partners. but in one way ana
another they can combine for the good
eyen the salvation OF the country.
5 TENDENCY rs TO SMALL FARMS. s
Bonanza farming was discussed at some
length, and It's advantages and dlsadpan-
lages. mostly tho latter. were shown. I'M
: proved farming machinery whereby many
s acres can be cultivated where but few
used to be tends to encourage bonanza
farming, but In spite OF this the general
Tendency Is toward smaller land holdings
md Intense farming. Bonanza farming
tmpovershes land. intc1te cultivation OF
small holdings tends to lis enrichment,
Farmers naturally divide up. even IN
Farming. 1t Is written In the very ma
ture OF the case that farmers can unite on
4 economic lines, but not on political lines.
IA farmerss party to elect a farmer pres
ldent, farmer congressman, farmer Judges
Ind farmer officials generally 10 iinpos'
sible, but political organization among
farmers to enforce laws favorable 70 ag-
riculture, against trusta and combines
and for the general betterment OF society
Is not improbable
The speaker reviewed at some length
The rise. progress and decline OF the
Patrons OF Irusbandry and tho Farmers
ALLIANCE. Tho first named was born OF
neplorable economic conditions OF the
farmer at the time. 1t was weighted down
with offices galore with high BOUNDING
names and with numerous degrees and
vast powers for comforting orders There
were four local orders that one could
take, II man, for the small fee Of IS
II ganizntion reached a membership OF sl,-
500, 900. 1T did but little more than con-
Str degrees and make an attack upon
railroads. This attack was brought about
By the looge way in which land grants
were parcelled out to railways By the
Credit Moblier manner OF building rail
ways. By which methods roads were built
altogether by subsidies. land grants and
bond Issues. all being gohbled UP by the
construction companies. which controlled
legislators and congressman and then.
made freight rates that were r7!inols and
4 !
4 bendence on railroads. but they had a
Il Fight to complain OF too much land grab
bling. too high capitalization, and too
much bleeding In the freight charges.
INTERSTATE COMMERCE LAWS.
IF Tho one result OF this movement on
The part OF farmers was The Interstate
Commerce law and farmers did more good
z BY this one act than they did harm by all
their many plumbers.
The speaker reviewed the hard times
Following what is known In history as
q Initiation times. In those times farmers
bought lands on time at Initiation prices
and had to make deferred payments on a
gold basis, and this brought on the Farm
ers' Alliance, which sought but one thing
and that was to initiate again. The speak
er was humorous In reviewing the history.
OF the Alliance and this took him to the
& organization OF farmers political party
which eliminated in a platform adopted
ut Cincinnati in 1891.
PLATFORM PLATITUDES.
THAT platform demanded many unrea-
kOnable things, but the main contentious
wcr. for more money and all sorts OF
money, anti trust laws. and rigid anand-
ment OF the laws pertaining to land. The
money question troubled farmers most
or ali and they went mad over the
cuantitve idea their theory being that
contraction always puts down the prices
OF farm products. while expansion puts
them up again. and by their platform
the farmers showed that they didn't
know much about money. To initiate a
currency. said the speaker, Is to keep the
man In debt but to ruin the creditor.
therefore 1t is tamperlng with tho rela-
tlGns between creditors and debtors and
creditors are not monopollsts either.
The speaker described the wild sub
treasury scheme that was 80 much talk
ed of by the Populsts and in a very.
humorous strain showed what disas-
trous thing It would have been had 1t
gone through.
BIG CROPS TO THE RESCUE.
The big crops OF 1891 and pratty gem
orally ever since then. knocked out the
populIst yagaries The 81 crop was worth
S7OO, 100000 more than any previous crop.
and, so while Senator Peffer was nursing
n scheme to have the government lend
tho farmers OF the country 100000, 600,
Providence gave them 500. 100000 that they
didn't have to-pay back, and that broke
the backbone of the Populist party. The
fs,btreasury scheme was luckily craze
& of short duration.
The speaker here reviewed briefly the
next currency craze, that Of free and UNI
limited coinage OF silver. and he was
appiauded when he said:
''And luckily that. too Is about dead
GOLD DID 1T.
The free silver falacy. DR.. Clarke said,