Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-06-13
The Farmers Started 1t.
The Lewiston Sun, answering an ed
torial in the Kennebec Journal say,


torial in the Kennebec Journal. SAYS:
AS to the dates of the Journals letters
II they show that the farmers of Maine
got fooled before those New York pro-
motors got into the game. will The Jour
psl tell an It knouts about who did start
the agitation in Maine?
hs a4eit tlil45et owners. for in
stance. Did the rich timber land owners
so far as The Kennebec journal happens
TO know anything about any of them
nave anything to do with this particular
case OF foollng the farmers Or Is the
journal prepared to say from its own
positive knowledge that the timber land
owners of Maine have been keeping still
during this reciprocity agitation?
To those who not in on the inside
facts ii may well look more reasonab Bile
that the timber owners are at the bot
tom of the OPPOSITION than the farmers
TO get the farmers to oppose reciprocity
with Canada is to fool the farmers; for
protection against Canada has not made
the farmers of Maine rich. Indeed il
seems necessary to go way back. about
50 years, TO the period when we did have
reciprocity With Canada to find the farm
ers of Maine generally growingg i'm pros
perity. The farmers, unless they are
fooled, cannot hug the tariff wall against
Canada; for 1t hasn't made them rich and
happy. But see how rich the timber
owners arei Not many years after the
politicians succeeded in killing reciprocity
with Canada, timber lands in Maine were
sold by the State at nominal prices
During the succeeding decades the Gov
eminent of the United States put PEN
atty on the buying of lumber from
Canada; the price of lumber was pushed
up TO more than double: the timber
lands bought for a song became as val
liable as gold mines 1t is familiar fea-
ture of recent valuations of Maine that
timber lands show about the largest
gain, al the same time that farms, out
side of Aroostook, have gained about the
least. No wonder If the owners of the
timber-land gold mines are watching to
prevent any leaks from their lodes; but
the farmers haven't any such gold mine.
The farmers have had to grub along,
working hard to make living, even to
selling off stock and stripping wood lots
the farmers have had TO work hard to
barely hold their own, while the timber
land owners have had only to sit still
and let wealth pile in on them. Not
strange If these easy millionaires are
bracing up to hold tight the cinch the
Government gives them on the people of
Maine and New ENGLAND: but when the
farmers get to bowling for the loss of
something they never had, 1t is plain
enough that the farmers are fooled.
The Journal will tell, and furnish the
proof The farmers heard of the pro-
posed reciprocity plan as soon as did
the other victims. Before the Kenne-
bee Journal said one word against the
farmers from Aroostook to York.
Some of them were inclined TO severe
~ upbraid the Journal because it did
not take a stand against the treaty.
Many of them were bitter toward the
administration.
The editor of the Journal wrote to
Congressman ,Burleigh asking what
the Maine delegation We're hearing.
and the laconic answer came back:
"A flood of letters and kilograms from
all over Maine AGAINST and not a
word FOR the treaty. The editor
delegation would stand on the question.
and for a suggestion for the course of
the Kennebec Journal The reply
was:l MAINE delegation must stand
solidly against the treaty if senator's
and representatives obey the COM
mand Of the people they represent,
You viii know how TO handle the
newspaper end of it from the light you
receive there"
From that day the kenebec Journal
has stood tas did the Democratic
Maine Legislature ACCORDING II
IT'S LIGHT.
SO far as the editor of the kennebet
Journal knows no cumberland ownel
had anything to do with this partic
nlar case Of footing the farmers" w,
have received but one communication
from a tiInber-land owner, and tina
was nor published, but returned. S
they have not been exactly "keepin
sun" neither have they been as aetiy
as the sun would imply.
The Suns inside facts" seem 70 !
suspicious wholly, or founded on II
insInuations Of its nearest I. con eont ,en
porafye yye should q Fealiys Ike n p
come sof ,shss 'is1side facts" the su
s.nts II r4i@ saGsTsta
The sans editor Is as old in years Z