Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1905-12-08
SECRETARY WILSON ANE THE
FARMER.


ton so the fact that the farmers or
A merica produced last year about
So Ais ,00O, 900 worth of various kinds
of crops. Six billions is lots of money.
What is the psltry sum of half bill
lion on which to run the government.
since after that the farmers would, II
Secretary Wilson has his figures right.
have nearly six billions left. What al
amount of fun they could have ON SIX
bilious Now it is estimated That
there are about ten million of real and |
SO called farmers in the United States,
and this would give ca ID something
over 5000. This would enable them
to 90 to the circus, which is about
their only enjoyment, and have $o99
left. If the whole family went posi-
bly, it would take $40 of this sum, leav'
ing $500 on which to sport the rest OF
the year.
During the campaign of 1896, at the
close of which VIM j. Bryan was Ie-
ally elected president, we heard OF one
farmer who had $500 in some bank
This was told as showing great pros
perity among farmers, but now we see,
acco, ding to Secretary Wilson, all OF
farmers after they have been to the
circus ought to have $500 in bank.
This is Republican prosperity, brought
.La,t bv tbo Inouronc. EOmna ios 0f
New York contributing 80 literally of
other peoples money to this glorious
result.
But Mr.. Wilson failed to tell few
| other things which would have been
interesting. He failed to tell that the
Beef Trust, and the Wheat Pit, and
Cotton Exchange, and the Tobacco
Trust, and the Coal Oil Trust. and the
Fertilizer Trust, and the Machinery
Trust, and the various and sundry
other trusts, including the railways,
had performed the same slight Of hand
trick on the farmer, that the Yankee
did upon the negro just after the war.
The story is old, but we will repeat 1t
at venture
Just after the war had closed, as we
|recollect, the negro was promised Az
acres of his old masters land and a
mule. One day, the story goes, an
kee who was down South, found AL old
negro with ten dollar bill. So the
Yankee told him ii be would give him
the ten dollars he, the Yankee, would
give him a paper by which he, the Ole
darkey, could go to town and get his
40 acres and his mule. The trade wal
arranged-the negro passed over the
$40, and the y ankee the paper. Thel
: the Yank passed quietly out OF tn
neighborhood and the darkey went t.
t town with his paper, and on showing
9 1t to the clerk who was to turn owe
the goods, the clerk read the paper AM
y it was worded as follows: las Nose
t lifted up the serpent in the wilderness
so have | lifted this coon out OF to-
l. dollars
IS AS Moses lifted up the serpent, an
i as the Yank lifted up the unsuspecl
Il ing darkey, so have the aforesal
Il trusts and the railways lifted up tn
d farmer, and his six billions have val
l. ished as a tale that is told. 1t make
If but little difference save for the pros
1t perlty of the trusts whether the farmt
'e raises of crOps,a few more or few lee
If billions, his profits are about the san
" IN the end. What one leaves the Otht
d takes, and when the year ends he ar
'r bis family decide to try to make tt
lie same old clothes last another year, al
n give little less to the preacher, an
l. in other ways economist. The way
st the transgressor is hard, likewise tf
al way of the farmer. He reads OF b
ir prosperity in the newspapers, and
ly hears OF it about election times an
rs in Mr.. Wilson's report. Dul
D. ing the rest of the time he seeks it b
i'd hind the pillow, or in the sunshine an
le the rain from four in the morning Ill
ID til late in the evening, but like
a. shadow it yanisheth,