The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1912-11-27
IS THE FARMER DE,
FIClENT IN PRIDE?
Does He Lack Approaching Of Calling
Farmer Of Shelby Visits Re-
publican and Makes Query.
DOES HE VOTE INTELLIGENTLY?
Does He Fail to Work With His Fell
lows and in Consequence Get the
Short Of Things Generally

Short Of Things Generally
One of Shelby county's good farm
ers was in this office recently ant
while here the conversation drifted t,
farmers and their ways. This partic
ular farmer thinks that farmers do no
have the pride in their calling tina
they should have That they do no.
know their own rights, and do no,
demand them. That in their politi
cal action they are governed by senti
ment, caprice, any old thing except re-
gard for themselves and their calling
That their capriciousness and lack OF
real understanding produces among
them lack of cohesiveness, of abili-
ty and willingness to stand together
for what they are entitled to and
should have.
He illustrated what he meant by
referring to the record of the farm
ers with respect to the protective tariff
He AYERS that for many years after a
protective tariff was levied, the farm
err realized no benefit from it, That
home production was so great the
home demand could not take it all,
so the price was fixed by what the
surplus could be sold for abroad. Re-
Gently home demand has overtaken
home supply and home prices have
been trife above world prices. So
soon as this condition came about,
campaign for free trade in farm prod
ucts was inaugurated, and we have
just gone through national election
in which millions of farmers voted to
take from themselves the measure of
protection which was working to their
advantage
AS showing what farmers may do
who are alive to their rights, he in
stanced the farmers of Germany. The
German nation is ruled by farmers
The aggrarian party is the farmers
party. They put high tariff on ev-
erything the farmer produces. Ag-
ricultural products are much higher
in Germany than they would be but for
the tariff. They also put an export
bounty on German beet sugar. In con-
sequence of which sugar sells for ten
cents pound in Germany and five
cents outside The sugar sold out
side gets a bounty sufficient to bring
the price to the grower up to what he
would get if he sold at home. Tariffs
are levied on German imports of man
ufactured goods. The German farmer
is willing to protect the manufacturer
but insists upon fair treatment for
himself.
This farmer is also out of patience
with his fellows because they permit
themselves to be assisted by town
people whenever they 60 into any
farmers enterprise. For instance,
when farmers institute is held, town
people are asked to contribute most or
all of the funds. The state contrib
utes as well for the institute, to the
county fair, and to numerous other
strictly farm institutions. He holds
that farmers would get along much
better, and would be benefited ire
mendously in their pride and self re-
spect if they would pay all these ex-
penses themselves.
AS showing again the ultra con-
servatism and short sightedness of
the farmer, the action of rural
township in Muscatine county may be
instanced. Some time ago the county
voted to consolidate it's schools, and
appropriated $4,000 to erect central
school building. After the building
was erected, the anti-consolidatio
men came into the majority and now
they refuse to use the central build
ing. It has been sold to bidder for
$3.50, and an action at law has been
commenced to prevent the transfer.
This farmer holds that only through
education and the dissemination of in.
formation with respect to the farm
and it's great economic Importance in
the social scheme, will farmers come
to a realization of their rights and
their duties. 1t may require another
generation to bring this about. But
it will come When it does come, the
farmer will get his own. He will arise
in his newly acquired self respect and
knowledge of his Importance and
rights and take his place as the ma
tons ruler, to which place he will be
entitled by right of numbers and i'm
portance.
OF the present population of the
United States, 81 per cent live on the
farms. If this vote could be practic-
ally consolidated, the farmer has