The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1911-01-20
Subsidies, Boulevards, National *
travagance, Farmers Institutes
and the 9Back-to.the.Land"
Movement.


Some of the rich men of the present
day Ere displaying an audacity I'm
stealing by law" that surpasses any,
thing recorded to the credit of the
highwaymen or old. Ship subsidy iS
one OF the forms OF this stealing. III
shippers need a subsidy, bounty, q
bonus, or a gratuity, the farmers
much rather need the same.
Some months ago the sad predic-
aments OF your farmers we're pointed
out by James r. Hill, President
Brown and others. At the very same
instant of time the callers for a ship
subsidy were shedding their crocodile
tears over the decay OF American
shipping. Everybody had the chance
to see the two complaints. Every
body saw at Z glance that the needs
Of agriculture were far more pressing
than those of commerce.
But the farmers had none Of their
number to lay wake o. nights plan
ming subsidies, or to scoop up from
their millions enough to travel the
country over interviewing presidents
and congressman in behalf OF help.
We might have supposed that in view
of the Roosevelt commission sent out
to farmers and OF the Farmers Insti-
tutes kindly showered on them by
the States that they would get any
thing they wanted for the asking
But while the farmers were being
soft-soaped by the State and Nation
the ship subsidy seekers were going
for the treasury's cash itself. The
talk that il cheap did not for mo
ment entertain them, and the result is
that they have now pushed matters
30 far that even in the present short
session OF Congress they are to be
the first that will be heard.
Incidentally, I would like to here
congratulate the people in and
around Elk Ridge, Howard county,
for their wisdom in not turning out to
greet the Farmers Institute when 1t
stopped there on December 18th. The
Institute said 1t was not at all nom
plussed by the vicinity of the town
hall, as it had arranged with the
railroad for Just such an emergency
and could trip away with no time lost.
This makes it look as If other sections
had preferred to turn the cold Shout
der to the institute also.
By way of still further robbing the
national treasury, there are row on
foot several propositions from rich
men also for firing up in various
styles the inhospitable land between
Washington and Baltimore. One
boulevard proposed called for upward
of $20,000,000 to start with. Another
present proposal for identifying the
same county proposes some $6,OOOs-
900 as starter, and we see our Sem
ator, John Walter Smith, enthusiast
tically promising to rush through q
bill to the end If desired. Is that
what he was elected for ?
In the face of President Taft's call
for economy and Of the warnings Of
James J. Hill OF the national disinte-
gragation that reckless extravaganza
will surely bring, we might suppose
that intelligent men would take warn
ing; but not 80, they seem to vie with
one another in extrayagant propos-
ais. Next comes Democratic Con-
gresham James a. Hamill, of Jersey
City, proposing a mile wide national
boulevard reaching from ocean to
ocean, starting in at North Carolina
and coming out i'm Southern Cali
fornia. Its chief object is the accom-
mediation of autoists and other pleas
ure seekers. Not until the States and
the nation are out of debt and the
last poor man is comfortable should
such a scheme be thought of. But, so
we go!
The great western capitalist, Ru-
dolph Spreckles, came out the other
day as an exception to these utopian
schemers. He said we wanted CAPT.
talists, philanthropists and the gov
eminent to assist in the back-to-the-
land movement, which embraces get
ting the unemployed of the cities
back to the land and in keeping
those on the land who aer already
there. For the past two years nearly
every big daily OF the land has urged
this movement, but, as the Chicago
Record-Herald says, it has been mere
talk and IL il time to get to work.
But the work that 10 needed first OF
all is the showing up of these boule-
ward and other proposals As the ac-
knowledged father of tine back-to-the-
land movement, I have been doing
this for years.
Then again, the popular cry for
education must give place to one for
agricultural work, and all eompulsion
toward education must be stopped.
Secretary Wilson, and other govern
mental authorities, likewise very seri-
ously point TO the land, while at the
same time Commissioner of Education,
Elmer Z. Brown, makes repeated an
nouncements that education IL falling
OF and more drastic compulsory edu-
cation must be resorted to for its
stoppage. The landward movement
viii never materialize while men like
DR.. Brown are allowed to dictate the
nations policies in the bringing up Of
the young. 1t IL he and such as he
that make OF it a mere movement OF
words.
As a rule, the agricultural press Is
also one or the chief instrumental
ties for running the farmers boys and
'gilrs OF the farms. Under the plea
OF lettering their condition there is
no proposal OF educators, sociologists
and oftimes sharpers that they do not
endorse. 1t might be thought that
they were handsomely paid to insidi-
ously work the boys and girls of the
farms. The agricultural colleges are
In the same disreptutable work. ]
say this after long years OF obServa-