Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1911-03-03
Why Not Consider?

standpoint to note the develop
mantS in the general trend of af-
fairs. The farmer. without argu-
ment. is the bulwark of the ma
ton. The fruits of his labOrs
feed the hungry, struggling null
titudeS. The distribution of his
product, be it greater or less,
stimulates, accordingly, all the
avenues of commerce.
The great host of parasites,
from producer TO consumer, all
sip their annual toll as he I'M
leads his yearly output. Upon
his skill, his energy, and his ev-
er-varying prospects is focused
the financial eye of the country.
He makes pretty good thermOm-
eter for the variations of railroad
stocks, bank rates, manufacturing
capacities, and business in gener-
al. He is, in fact. the pry-pOle
Of the nation. When his prosper
ity is waxing, we have good
times; all avOcatiOnS are flush
with business; everybody has a
dollar to spend, and spends if,
knowing it isn't difficult to re-
place. But, when his fortunes
are waning, he is compelled to
curtail, in rigid economy, not
only all luxurieS, but many alb
sOlute necessities. This curtail
ment dispatches, directly or indi-
rectly, its chilling sensation into
every nerve center of business.
until every man, woman and child
feels "hard up"
Taking a retrospective view
along all the channels of business
capital and labor, we find the
railroad paddy and the farmer
are about the only fellows left
unOrganized. The paddy draws
about the same as he did twenty
years ago. The farmer still tax
eS what they give him. and pays
what they ask him-same as 20
years ago, with the exception of
the more up-tO-date localities that
have organized cooperative ele-
vatOrS, lumber yards, creameries,
etc. These infant organizations
IL they were general the country
over and bound into one great or
ganizatiOn, would make a fearless
giant, whose beck and con would
be catered to with the greatest
respect.
Every organization emblazons
Its invisible motto: In union
there is strength" Such an or
ganizatiOn, unlike organizations
founded for the control of prices,
could leave that to supply and
demand, and still find plenty to
dO in a frae-for all fight for a
square deal and the elimination
Of special privilege. To do this
i would need shake the sandy
foundation of all questionable pol
tiles.
In these days, when people are
realizing that rigid party lines
are, as a means, used for a rut
to be fallen into; when principle
and the man are chiefly TO be
sought for; such an organization
of the agricultural interests
would be no shabby balance of
power. When the representatives
Of such an organization demand
ed a parcels post as a help to de-
fray the government postal ex-
penSeS, and as a blessing to ev-
cry class of American citizens.
with the exception of possibly a
few express company millionaireS
would our entreatieS be pigeon
hOled from year to year?
When our demands for this.
which foreign nations have en-
JOyed for years, became vexatiOus
ly discOncerting to express COM
panleS, would We accept the
spoonful of soothing syrup adj
mlniStered to us in the way of a
reduction in express rates under
the hypOcritical pretense of CO.
operation of express companies.
as though they had been alien
strangers all these decades?
When an administration, of any
color Of politics, asserted before
going into power that their plank
of tariff revision meant "reviS-
ion downward, of course" dare
it raise the wall higher on all
manufactured articles and by rap
Id, Stealthy strokes floor it on
all our raw materials?
Would the representatives of
such an organization stand idly
by and not only witness the rup-
ture made in the wall for grain,
but foster and facilitate the pas
sage of the lOng-fought ship sub