Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-08-18
Democratic Argument and the Farm

| erS.
| The Democrats know that in order
| to gain control of affairs in the State
| they have got to convince several
| thousand voters that it is for their
| best interests to change their politi-
cal affiliations and support the Demo-
| cratic ticket. There are four classes
of voters to which they direct their
| appeal. These are the wage earners,
| the Independent class, the business
man and the farmers. | think they
| are putting their dependence on the
| farmer more than on any other class.
| In this they show their usual short
sightedness, for if there is any one
class of our citizens that has reason
TO look upon the Democratic party
| with suspicion and disgust it is the
farming class. And if they are to
succeed with the specious arguments
| they are making surely they must
think that the farmers are most sus
ceptible class. when they ought to
know that they are the most intelli-
gent of our citizens.
The one great reason for our agri-
cultural population to be indignant
| toward the Democratic managers is
the way they treated Mr.. Gardner.
Although ! have been member of the
| Grange for over thirty years and
much admire Brother Gardner, / did
| not vote for him, for ! know that if
| he were elected he could not be any
better than his party.
When the Democrats nominated
| Gardner in 1908 the farmers were led
| to believe that the party recognized
| the necessity of choosing its leaders
| from the great producing class. instead
of from the politicians and thousands
of them rallied to his support. The
result was that Mr.. Gardner received
more votes than any other Democratic
candidate in the State here ever re-
ceived for nearly thirty years. More
| in fact, in Kennebec county than
| Plaisted received. running on the same
ticket. Now if Plaisted could not pull
as many votes as Gardiner two years
ago. what possible prospect has he of
succeeding this year?
The large vote given to Gardner
raised the hopes of the party that sue
cess was within reach. Upon every
principle of right and party usage the
friends of Gardner had every reason to
ceive the nomination and win the prize
which they thought was within their
reach. But no. with their usual
shortsightedness they turned down the
Grange candidate and substituted a
man who is politician. If this was
not sufficient reason for every fair
minded farmer to distrust the Demo-
cratic party, easily his faith must
vanish when he considers the element
of the party that engineered this un-
righteous deal There is no part of
the Democratic program as outlined
above that in any way appeals to a
single farmer that l have talked with.
The question of high prices does not
disturb the farmer in the least, for he
knows that the price of the products
of the farm that he has to sell are
relatively higher than that of the
| articles he has to buy than they ever
We're before. Let us add one or two
items in addition to those which APP
peared in the paper last Saturday, as
they are very interesting reading
The farmers are raising more oats in
the State than they have for many
years. If he should take 20 bushels
of those oats to market in 1896 he
could have purchased with them nine
yards of ingram carpet for his wife;
now he can purchase with them 16
yards; then he could buy 50 yards of
cotton flannel. now 80 yards: then 75
yards of'AmOskeag ginghams. now 1877
yards: then 20 yards of A Pepperel
sheeting, now lis yards.
Then the farmers are engaging more
a tn t,.,,<
them on the skim milk and small no
tatoes. In 1896 a 300 pound hog
would exchange for 81 pounds of No.
Z Rio coffee, now for 361 pounds of
four times as much as then. In 1896
it would buy 22S pounds rice, now 572
pounds; then pa pounds sugar, now
669 pounds: then &c pounds of For
mosa tea, now 1872 pounds: then 1OS
gallons of Kerosene now 271 gallons:
then 500 pounds barbed wire. now 1860
lbs, So you see he Is even getting
the better of the sugar trust, the
Standard Oil Co and the steel trust.
Just before the Cleveland admins
tration, or in 1891, the writer bought
so good sheep for $3.50. The entire
expense of the flock for one year. food.
taxes. interest and shearing was 1892.
Total income $258. The flock was
Kept good and after the Wilson hill
went into effect the same products of
the flock was $171, and I sold the
rock in the fall for $3.50 each. or 500.
so Democratic threats to lower the
duty on wool does not appeal to a |
single farmer who raises sheep. Thus
the whole Democratic argument, as |
far as the farmers are concerned, falls
nat and upon unwilling ears.
MEMBER OF THE GRANGE.