The gold leaf., 1909-06-10
Contributed.

Contributed.
There are various and sundry reasons
constantly being expressed by mouerl,
SOlomOns. as to the cause OF the hdIu
times experienced by so many rural
people. and the firm belief that every
tiller Of the soil would be Independently
rich if some body had not imposed
on him, will never be eradlcated from
MANY minds 1t is time Tor thinking peo-
ole to bring the subject to the bar OF
reason. and common sense ana explain
to the unthinkiDg part Of our farmers:
why so many people are SO dead poor
when they toll from the rising OF the sun
till the going down OF the same. ar
mers are almost the only class OF people
who cannot be imposed on very much
except by himself, or some member Of his
family. II one has not stamina enough
to prevent his family from living a seal
skin life on a muskrat lncOme-to use
very hOmely simile-hard times VIII be
the burden Of his song till the end OF time
When one deals with mother nature,
and gives her q fair showing, she VIII
pay one hundred centst to the edollareyery
time. If man does not know how to
farm. he might take some points from
some one who has proved his right TO he
called q successful farmer; but il he does
know, and makes fine crops, and has to
sacrifice them at starvation prices 1t Is
his own fault, and all the props, ana
braces in this wCrld will be no protection
to him until he has manhood enough to
say IL will live on bread alone before
will spend my produce befOreit is made.
The man who makes his own provisions
every thing that can be produced in his
sectiOn-and then puts in spare time on
market crop is never the man that Whlnes
about hard times" and howls for or
ganiZatiOns to protect him. Brother
Farmer, you need to organize with your
own family. Let the law be written on
your doOrpOst i'll great flaming charac-
ters: 'NO money spent in this Organi-
zatiOn until it is made.
We so often hear that farmers must get
together and organize, and put up their
produce to meet the increased eXpendl-
ture of living. Men do not scruple to
call down dire anathemas on all Trusts,
and in the same breath try to form a
farmers Trust that would prove more
far reaching in its evil effects than any
other that could be formed. We have q
perfect right to require Il reasonable liv-
ing profit on our products, and we will
be sure to get it il we manage right, but
men who band together to put up the
price OF the necesaries OF life so that they
may have money to spend in every con-
ceivable extravaganza, are more guilty
in the sight Of God than the multi-mil-
lionaire who has bartered his soul for
gold The latter does not claim to be
anything but a parasite, OF which the
world would be well rid, but farmers
the most important men under the shin
ing sun-cannOt hold the positions to
which they are entitled unless their
hands are clean every whit.
You all remember in the fall Of 1907 it
was noised abroad that cotton was GO
ing to be held for l. cents. You also
know that it did not reach that price,
but the action of our most sOuless Trust
never did as much harm as the belief that
cotton would sell for - cents. Every
thing the Southern merchant and man
ufacturer possessed, Immediately, went
soaring skyward, and people who had
cotton We'd with each other to see which
could spend the most OF their expected
fortune. The effect was extremely dis
astrous to the wage Garner, who had
nothing to SELL but the strength in his
right arm. lie tOiled day in and day out
for things conducive to our comfort, but
he was given no showing whatever
when farmers were trying to get even
with organized greed, and the latter
turned the screws a little tighter on them
to meet the farmers increased demand
for farm products.
The farmer that can stand alone is the
only one that is worth a hill of beans in
an organization, or any where else for
that matter, but one had better go slow
before one gives his conscience into the
keeping of any living man. If man is
offered the worth of his crop, he will feel
mighty small to be compelled to get
the consent of others before he can sell
and perhaps at last have to sell for a
smaller price.
FARMERS WIFE.