The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1908-09-25
.YRlAG DEFENSE FOR The
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF EQUITY.

the oppression that has driven them
down heretofore and to help them to
place their homes their women and
their children upon the high road to
Prosperity so that they might add hon
or and credit and glory to the glori-
Gus history Of old Kentucky and 1t
can only be done when the man up
on the farm feels that he is accor-
ded a square deal and a fairly good
chance in the race for the almighty dol
lar in this day and generation.
My friends many people say in crit
Using this organization that there is
no need for an organization OF farmer
WhenI give you the facts and the H.
CURES and tell you that the manufac-
lures of this country are earning up
on their Investments per cent; that
the bankers of this country are earn
ing upon their investment 12 per cent
that the railroads of tine nation are
earning upon their investment II per
cent. and the great American farmer
is only earning upon his investment
the small sum of per cent.
| say to you that it is hign time for
an organization of the farmers of
this nation and that something has
been radically wrong in the conduct
of this Government.
say to you that when the producer
of bread and meat in this country, the
producer of wealth in this country, is
at such a disadvantage with all the
other branches of business in the ma
ton that it is high time that some or
ganization lie ours kshould take up
the battle-cry for the organization Of
the farmer and do thatwhich viii put
him upon a plane of equality with
men in order lines of business in the
State and the Nation.
Organization and cooperation is the
dominant spirit of this age. There is
no branch of business there is no pro-
fession save the farmer, that has not
been organized for their protection and
until the American Society of Equity
came into Kentucky TO preach the
organization of the farmer the Ken
lucky farmer was the only man who
was not organized for his protection.
In his behalf | appeal for public
sentiment that will concede TO the far
mer of the State and of the nation the
same right that other lines of bushes
and other professions enjoy. | believe
that the American people and the
people OF Kentucky are liberal-minded
enough to concede 10 the farmer of
Kentucky that which has been con-
coded to every other profession and
every other inc of business and upon
that basis, upon the basis of that
sort of fairness, appeal to you for
your support and for your influence in
behalf of this great organization.
The farmers of Kentucky are the
pioneers in this movement. We have
taken up this battle cry. We have
carried it into the great States of the
Northwest the great producers of grain
of this country. We have organized
the tobacco grower in Kentucky and
the grain grower in the Northwest.
We want to tae itk up in the Southern
States in the cotton fields. We want
to protect the chief crops of the farm
ers in their respective State so that
they may receive a fair return for their
investment, and may bring peace and
harmony and prosperity into the home
of every farmer in tn nation.
When that is done the business of
this nation will prospr as it has never
prospered before. The laborer, the fal
mers, the merchant, the banker, every
line of business and profession will
snare in the prosperity when the far
mer of the nation receives that which
Is his due in the tillage of the soil.
My friends. | want 10 say to you
that | believe that the farmers Of this
country must work out their own saliva
ton. II can lie done through the or
ganization Of the American Society
of Equity. A great phi 'osopheI once
said self-activity is the indispensable
condition of improvement Without
self-activity we can expect to go back
upon the basis where we have been in
the past; when we lose sight of this
organization we can expect to be the
prey of the trusts of this country as
we nave been in the past and | appeal
that every farmer in Kentucky SHOULD
take up this maximum of the philosi-
pher and take it into mis- heart an6
memory and be governed by il that
Sc f-aciivity is the indispensable con-
dition Of improvement.
My friends. | want to say to you
that the American Society of Equity
stands over and above all things, for
law and for order in Kentucyk. wan
10 say to you, my fellow-citizens, that
when you go to find a class of citi-
zensnip in the State or in the nation
that is clean and moral that has law