The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-02-22
THE STATE MUST LIVE



Nothing less than the strongest
and most obvious personal interest
may be counted upon to effectively
unite large bodies of men for politi-
cal action.
Ninety per cent of all sales made
| by our farmers are in hard and ruth
less competition with one another.
| The construction of railroads in
the west, after the civil war, caused
farm lands in the east to shrink in
value and thousands of farms were
abandoned, as their owners went down
under competition induced by extern |
sion of this means of transport.
There are millions of rich farmers
and millions of poor ones; and each
one of these millions in some part of
our country is pitted in mortal COM
bat against another of those millions
in some other part of this vast Union
of states. No one of such may know
the time of his doom; which may
) come as a thief in the night from
three thousand miles away. through
| forces aided by easier transportation,
or some shifting in rail rates, made
in order that the consuming public
may buy more cheaply the necessities
and Injuries of life. So one farmer
goes to his death that another may
arise, phoenix like, from his ashes,
while cities grow and wax fat.
1t is quite impossible that even the
most representative body of farmers
which may ever be assembled can pro-
mote any active policies of govern
ment which will not split their own
ranks asunder.
So it was when they marched under
the banners of popuiism; and every
convention of farmers held in any
part of our country, from those days
/ until this hour, has never failed to
4 advocate some active policy which, II
! attempted in a national way would
drive near half of their own class to
oppose them.
q Our national statesmen who at
q tempt to act as attorneys for the
plaintiffs to advocate some farming
i interest will do well to know the true
q style of their case, as, unless success
Il IN such cause will promote the com
9 mon. good of all classes they vii
Il surely find, despite all good inten
4 tons, that they but act as counsel fo
3 the plaintiffs in the case of farmer!
81 against farmers.
3 The measures to dismember ant
s. regulate the packers and the emerg
q ency tariff are among the more i'm
. portant introductory DEGREES latel,
81 rendered in that never ending suit o:
= farmers against farmers, and thos.
3 DEGREES cast immense costs and attor
q neys' fees on rural production.
& Little was heard of this now cele
8 brated case of farmers against farm
81 ers until our government, some thirt.
& years ago, took over the job of adjust
3 ing in detail rail rates. But tn
Il Websters, Clays and Calhouns of on
8 time are ever appearing as attorney
q for the plaintiffs, or defendants, il
Il such suit.
3 All parties to that suit soon die o
81 sheer exhaustion, and Father Tim
s gets their lawyers; but new partie
= are brought in and other Webster
Clays and Calhouns arise to hackl
and brow-beat a swelling tide of new
q witnesses, who are sworn in by tn
2 platoon. Thus we force our states
: men to spend their time hucksterin,
x as pettifoggers before some countr,
2 squire.
: Rome burned while Nero fiddled!
x Since the fall of 1919 more tourist
z visited Florida than in any like perio
Z in it's history. They spent man
: millions with us for our farm Pre-
Z ducts and in investments. Durin
2 the time a general increase, on
! mileage basis, had occurred i'm tn
= cost of travel, but as we were neare
2 the great centers Of population tina
; California, hundreds of our tourist
were heard to say that the increase
NJ rates and government tax on ticket
Dr. Influenced them to come to Florida j
preference to California. So highe
rail rates sometimes benefit som
farmers, as during that time we pr
fitted at California's expense; Will,
& with a less rate per mile than W
&c have, she has pounded our orans
= business very heavily for many year
and put our cantaloupe growers on
of business when she reclaimed th
Imperial Valley by irrigation som
sixteen years ago.
In every respect California is on
: greatest competitor. But may spea
q for one who while Graded in a eountr
home from which the laundering @