Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-12-19
BUSY DAY FOR PATRONS.
Continued from Page four.)
gress towards truth is made by difference |
of opinion. The fault lies in the bitter

gress towards truth is made by difference
OF opinion. The fault lies in the bitter
ness of controversy"
obstruct the enforcement Of the liquor
law. ] did say. and l repeat it here for
what 1t Is worth. that it appeared to me
there were more young men in Maine
that drank Intoxicating liquors than In
many other states where l had been IN
which the laws relative to the liquor traf-
fic We're enforced. and with the lax en-
Icrcemeht of the prohibition law in Maine
would rather my boy would take the
chances of growing up temperate
man. respectable and respected in some
Of those states than in Maine under con
ditiOns such as I have witnessed in re-
gard to the nonenforcement of the law.
Patrons. this was my individual opinion
then; 1t is my opinion now, and all the
censure will not change it. At the same
time l honor the man or men elected to
Office to enforce the laws that do their
full duty, and have no use for those
come law breakers themselves de-
nounce such action as vicious in its eff
fects.. teaching disregard of all laws.
and leading along the pathway or anar,
chy. 1t makes no difference what nav
think is the better way to regulate the
liquor traffic; that is of no consequence,
only as matter of opinion: but whether
it applies to high or low, prince or peas
ant, enforce the law!
AGRICULTURE.
Tie greatest Industrial interest O;
Maine Is agriculture, as it is and will
continue 20 be for all time if given q 1air
deal In the adjustment of our industrial
anairs 1t Is the greatest in the nation,
and always Will be. 1t lies at the base.
ana Is the corner stone, the sub-structurc
on which manufacturing, commercial, DO
litical. and professional interests depend
Tor support and prosperity. Anything
that promotes agriculture therefore ad-
vances The interests OF every legitimate
tIi'ins.
Hon. James Wilson. secretary of agri
culture says. Should there be no relapse
from the present position a wealth pro-
duccr. three years hence the farmer will
find that the farming element, about IS
per cent. oil the population, has produced
an amount OF wealth within III years;
equal to one-half the entire national
wealth produced in three centuries. In
10 years farmers have sent to foreign
countries d surplus of 81. 100 ,0tV, 100, leav-
ing an apparent net balance of trade dur
ing that time amounting to Sa,O92, 40 100,
afler an adverse balance against manu-
features and other products not agri-
cultural. amounting to $5i3,CO0,cOO. has
been offset. This wonderful and aslound-
ing record leads to The ln,iui:y, has tic
nation fostered and protected This inter
est as other interests have been fostered
and protected; or has L. allowed unjust
discrimination in trade, in transporta-
tlOlS, IN laws, IN CONTRADICTIONS ana
trusts to take from the farmers what is
justly their due. to swell 'ile enormous
profits of railroads and other mOnopJl CS,
such as Standard Oil Truss and United
States steel trust the International Har-
rester trust, lite and 1ire insurance trusts,
the express company trusts. and thu u
sands of other trusts anu combinations
that exist?
Each ten years the United States takes
at great expense, an inventory 81 all the
proprty. of the people of he United States
and II is especial valuable 10 tbo people
to examine tins inventory as taken and
recorded in the census returns. as II re-
veals without partially or concealmcnt,
the relative prosperity and growth in
wealth OF the varied interests OF our
country.
With all the vast amount in growth in
development and ncr..ls, IN annual pro-
duetion Of agriculture. We md that ia
$50 agriculture represented $50 per cent.
at the entire wealth OF the country. In
1900. 49, per cent. in 1870. d per cent.
r 70 IN in i so pr ern cent IN wa are ,ss
,auscs. and why have they not retained
and increased their wealth in like proper
ton To- other classes? II these causes can
be found 10 be the want of business a5ili-
~, extravaganza. wasteful and unthrifty
habits OF the .arm..rS themselves. or IL -
found 20 be the results OF combiln lions Of
men and capital IN trusts and combines.
excessive charges In transportation ana
storage COMMISSIONS. unequal prices III
exchange of products. unequal taxation.
local and national. or discriminating laws
any or all of these. Or Whatever causes.
then the duty OF the farmer Is clear, 1t
- L. go enc, gcticaily to woT': ami r.
move the causes and demand justice
GrcIt Nurihctn Railroad. seems 10 real
izc. as few others do. the Importance OF
aEricutur" to th3 general welfare of the
country. In Il recent address he salG:
Within - years We must house and iced
in some fashion .O,0O0.OD of additional
population. ard by the middle of this
century there will be approximately two
and half times as many people IN the
United States as there arc to-day No
nation in history was ever confronted
with sterner question than this pros
pect sets before us. The first step is TO
realize our dependence upon the CultlVa~
ton of the soil. The next will be TO con-
centratc popular interest and invention
and hope upon that neglected occupation
Agriculture. in the most intelligent mean
ing of the term, is something almost uu-
known in the United States"
Mr. Hill concludes his remarkable ad-
dress with this stateSman-likc utterance:
IF We are to walk safely III the way OF
wisdom there IS much to be done. IT Is
tine to begin. Their" must be natIonai
revolt against the worship OF mlnulac-
ture and trade as thu only forms Of pro
gressivc activity and the false notion that
wealth built upon theSt. at the Sacfl!lcc
Of fhc fundamental fern OF wealth pro-
duction can endure. a clear recognition
ON the.part of the whole people, from the
highest to the lowest. that the tillage OF
dhc soil is the natural and most dcsirA-
BILE occupation for man, to which every
thing is subsidiary and to which all else
must in the end yield. is the first redul-
site With public interest firmly fixed up
on the future, the country in mere sell
preservation must give serious attention
10 the practical occupation of restoring
agriculture ito its due position in the ma
ton"
Now we are told by those who havs.
rcceiv ID enormous profits by reason OF
| the impotency of the general public III
| times past. that We should study the
real needs OF agriculture and keep the
Grange in line with the legitimate needs
Of agriculture for which it was establish
| ed" or in other words. leave the manage
ment of these great economic questions
| to those who have reaped so richly IN
| times past on account of the very reason
| that we have loft the management OF
| them to the great injury of agriculture
| And they ask. almost demand. that we
| still continue to interest ourselves only
| in the plcIing. narrowing. and sowing.
| while they do the reaping for us.
| Let us see if are wide of our lngiti-
| mate mark as charged by these woul.i-bc
| advisers Our grand Declaration of Pur-
| poses tells us, I'VE emphatically and sin
| cerelv assert the oft repeated truth
taught in our organic law, that the
| Grange national. State. o. subordinate.