Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1909-10-29
PATHETIC FIGURE IN HISTORY
Farmers Drawn Has Created Nations
Wealth and His Blood Paid
for Its Expansion.

What is said by Mr.. Watson relative
to the American farmer in an editorial
in his Jeffersonian magazine, has been
true and is yet, says Texas Farm Co
Operator in an editorial However. the
education that the Farmers union has
given and is continuing to give. has
been along lines that are intended 10
cure these evils and to place in the
tanners hands the control of both
ends Of the line. and thus protect
himself.
II the farmer can once get in shape
to Fix his own prices at such a figure
as will always give him reasonable
surplus as compared to what the man
ufacturer and the merchants get for
their share Of the true value Of his
product, he can afford to pay that
which the other fellows demand for
their manufactured stuff, for he will
nave the money. At the same time
the difference in the buying and sell
ing price will be nearer justice than
1t can ever be If the uneconomic sys
TEN is to be continued. Free the
farmers from the bonds that have so
long bound him, and you will see an
awakened conscience in him that will
readily point out to him the true path
way that will lead him to ease and
comfort Remove the strain and the
true man will know how to come into
his own.
The most pathetic figure in Ameri.
can history Is the farmer. His Drawn
has created the nations wealth and
his blood paid the price of her indie
pendence and expansion; his sons built
the cities and his daughters rocked
the cradles of the men who have
wrought most gloriously in every field
OF endeavor; yet he is the pack.horse
Oh our system, the outcast from gov.
ornamental consideration, the victim
OF stupendous exploitation, the ever
lasting dupe of place-hunting politi.
clans, the patiently submissive serf Of
complicated and heartless class legis.
lation.
| theoretically, the farmer has nc
enemies; practically he has no friends
Everybody loves the farmer, SO far
as professions go; the editor, the poll.
tician, the legislator, those in power
love the farmer with loud-yoiced de
votion; but this affection ends when
1t has Vociferonsly declared itself and
got what it wanted from the farmer.
The friends Of the farmer never
seem to be able to do anything fol
him. This is doubtless due to the
fact that he doesn't need anything
The friends Of the railroads are AWAY:
doing things that help the poor, down
trodden corporations; the friends o.
the national banks are indefatigablt
and successful in getting favors 70,
them; the sugar trust, caught stealins
millions, can move right along by tn,
aid OF good congressional friends, anC
get renewal of its licence-to-rob; tn,
manufacturers association is blessed
with friends who can even kill a Kan
sas treaty when it threatens to love-
the 90 per cent. net profits of a New
England hosiery mill, but the farmer
who has more friends than anybod,
and no enemies at all, never can ge
anything done that will pull of a sin
gle horse-leech that is sucking BIZ
life-blood. A pathetic figure truly 1.
the American farmer. Despoiled b,
the politicians, plundered by the gov
eminent the blind dupe of intrencheC
capitalism which controls both the DO
litical parties, the farmer is the wors
treated man in the union. He cam
"holdup" the consumers, as the trust.
do; ne cannot go on strike as the city
laborers do. On the contrary, he Il
held up" at both end Of the line
when he buys and when he sells. Il
he is a purchaser the other fellow tell.
him what he must give; when ht
sells, it is not he who says what he
must take. The laws have been in
formally contrived that The trap of the
! tructo ootoboc 81 f.. A. .