Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1916-02-04

The farmers of this country
have done more to change the
course of humanity from barbar-
ism to civilization than any 9th
er class. They have, furnished
the raw material to make the
raiment for the civilized world
and food for all mankind. Every
ounce of food is a witness to their
power and every yard of cloth
tells of their work. Their indus
try is the foundation of COM
merce. The manufacturers sue
cess and the bankers security is
based on their products. The
trains on our mighty railways and
the ships of the sea rush to the
hungry multitu les the food to
feed them, and yet the farmers
are getting behind in the process
sion. For at the beginning of
our existence as a nation 80 per
cent of our wealth was in the pos
session of rural population. In
1860 the total wealth Of the Un-
tied States was SIG, 900. 900, 900.
The farmers owned $4,000, ,000,-
600, or one-half of our total
wealth. Our wealth is at pres
ent estimated at $40, 900, 900. 900,
of which $41, 900, ,0OO,00 is farm
property. but all of this SAL, ,O00,-
900, 900 does not belong to the
farmer. Foreign and American
corporations, land companies,
rich individuals who do not till
the soil, and people engaged in
other vocations own $14, 900, ,000,-
600, or about 81 per cent of the
farm wealth of the United States.
This leaves in the possession Of
the real farmer $27, 900. 900. 900
worth of farm property and this
is owned only by a part OF them,
for in 1910, 81 per cent of the
farmers were tenants, and it is
safe to say that since the 1910
census our tenantry has increas-
ed to not less than 40 per cent.
In little more than fifty years
the wealth owned by the farmers
has changed from IS per cent to
20 per cent. SO in the name 'of
justice. in the name of all that
is near and dear to us, in this
the greatest country under the
sun, | ask what are we going to
do to save our country from a
system of slavery on the farms
far worse than any system Of
slavery ever known?
This is the vital issue which
must not be obscured by any
other question. This is the is
sue that must be faced, and must
be settled. And we, as produc-
ers of wealth, and the ones upon
whom our nation must depend
for prosperity in time of peace
and for soldiers in time of war,
and for the necessaries of life at
all times, have a right to demand
of our Congressman and Sena-
tors a system Of rural credits
with direct government loans at
a low rate of interest without the
Intervention of any other money
ed interest, that will enable us
to reverse the system of tenantry,
debt and mortgage, and bring
about the ownership of independ-
ent homes. And today. we place
the creed of our patriotic fore
fathers in the forefront of this
mighty organization and say to
every public servant that ''he
who is not for US is against us"
We know no party, nor parti-
sanism. What use? All parties,
all partisan organizations, have
known their loyal spirits, have
known their betrayers. I'm the
word unspoken is the silence of
God" and in the non-partisan
judgment of those who place
country above class. above per-
sons, is the seat of the mighty
like the arm of omnipotence it.
self.
The time calls for men. While
Washington prayed in the SHOWS
of Valley Forge, Robert Morris,
a plain, practical banker, put re-
sources behind the pitiable, strug-
Cling, starving Continental army.
Washington was not the radical
that Thomas jefferson was;
Thomas Jefferson was not the
iron man we had in Andrew
Jackson, but in all of these, ac-
cording to his talents, we had a
man who disdained class and
stood for the people-the human
rights upon which love of coun-
try rests. We cannot measure
all by one yardstick. Strength
and genius differ. but he who
does in a time of need that which
he can do is the patriot. and may
the Almighty pity those who