The Harrison times., 1912-02-17
Socialism and the Far m,
Editor Times:

EuItOi AHNc'
For the heue6t of your readers
and the public beg leave through
your columns 90 correct the ms
information Published over the sig
nature of Y. X x, in your last is.
sue.
The Socialist platform says;
"We demand the collective owner
ship and democratic management OF
the land, tools and machinery OF
production and distribution, to the
end that every worker shall receive
the full value Of his toll, less only the
cost of maintaining the public instl-
tutions,"
Bro. X. X. x, this is plain clear
cut English language Do you want
more than the full value of your toil'
Or do you wantto prevent other
men from receiving the full value oi
their toll? What is your object in
attacking such Il demand? Does it
seem logical to you that a sys'
TEN that proposes TO give every
worker the full value Of his tol,
could also provide for lazy SHIFT
less class. t. live of the workers 2
If YOU do, can assure you that
such is not he case.
A thorough pcrusal Of the consti'
tuition and lIntlprms Of the socialist
party will reveal 10 you that your
proposition has not leg to stand
upon,
You say; and reason says that
Socialism would ruin the farmer
and when you ruin the farmer you
ruin the whole ching BY referring
TO the abstract of the Twelfth census
we find that the ruin YOU are afraid
of, and ascribc to Socialism, isstaring
you in the face today To-wlt;
The total value of farm property
in this country is S20439, ,00!, 1874
page ELL. The total value OF
farm products for one year, exclusive
of that fed to live stock, was 49,
764,177,7O6, Deduct from this
$54,7s3,757, which was paid for
fertilizers, (p. 236) Divide the re-
mander among the lO3Sl 100
workers engaged in the farming in
dustry, and you have S3l7 per indi-
vdual employed, From this deduct
interest on mortgages, taxes orient,
repairing and replacing worn'out
machinery, and it looks to me as il
this run has been jogging along
arm in arm with the farmer for some
time
Thcvaluc ofthc products Of 1879
$50 farmers, representing 5S.s per
cent of all the farmers Of this coun-
try, is less thar $3.50 per farm per
year. Up, 222I0 Not much danger
of being crowded of one Of these
farms is there, Brother \ \, X,'
The value ofthe products Of 1875
$50 farmers, representing - percent
of the farmers Of this country aver.
ayes $3.50 per year and from this
amount must'be deducted the sums
paid for hired help, interest on rents
mortgages or taxes, repairing and
replacing worn.out machinery, in
order to find the net income Of this
class oilarmcrs, The remaining ll5
percent Of the farms bring u gross
average income Of $3.50 per year,
while % pcrcent have S25OO or
more The last two classes mention.
cd belong t. the class who farm the
farmer, that is employees do their
work.
The farmers Of the first class men
toned, representing 5SS percent Of
the population are exploited to as
great an extent as the helpless
workers Of the cotton factories, who |
are paid the poorest wages OF the
employees Of any American manu-.
featuring industry Those Of the see.
ond class, representing - percent Of
the farming population, are exploit.
ed to as great an extent rs the Says |
and "Ilurkics' Of the steel and iron
industries, whose wages average |
1854 per year, pages 322ond 323), !
So you sec, Brother y, \, y, that
the farming industry is going to
ruin, not because OF Socialism, but
Tor hck ofih
Now, one thing before we leave |
our arithmetic lesson, Of the TO- |
3S1,76j workers engaged in the
farming iodustry it is safe to say
that 90 percent are victims Of cS.
ploitation, which in figures means
0,343,5SO, The total vote for the
candidates for President in 1900
was i3,0S3,GlO So you see the
farmer has quite neat majority on
the political field and cNn help him
self when he sees his way clear to do