The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-02-25
THE STATE MUST LIVE
XVI

to complain because high express
rates on seven crates of cabbage,
shipped from Seville, Fla, to Rich
mond, Va, only left the grower S1.20
per crate.
To stress the force of his complaint
he also informed the Senate that the
farmers are the backbone" Of this |
country.
The senator and | divide on those |
cabbage, but we unite on the "back- |
bone," even if it is now nothing more
than a gristle.
Perhaps the difference between US is
merely temperamental. He hopes tol
see the millions of tons of the nations
cabbage, which sell at the average
price of S32 per ton, sent in small
crate shipments by express no less
than 700 miles and still leave fine
profits. l am not so hopeful as the
senator, though quite as friendly to
cabbage Some times one may get
too much of good thing; l did when
grew cabbage.
Cabbage are grown in every state
of the Union and most northern
states are in luck when they can
move them 500 miles by freight in
car lots and net $40 per ton, and they
can seldom hope to crate and express
them in small lots over 200 miles and
get any return whatever. Cabbage
can be bought here now at SIS per ton
and there is no market at that price.
There has been recently formed in
the Senate what is called the farm
bloc" and Florida's senior senator is
member of that bloc, while her
junior senator is a chip off the same
bloc.
That senior senator was for some
years my chief on the democratic ex-
ecutive committee of this state, and
many years ago it was my pleasure to
present to the court the motion on
which that junior was admitted to the
bar. They are both kindly good men
and have long been my friends, but
what they do not know about farming
would fill many books.
Senator TrammelPs speech about
those cabbage is in entire keeping
with the knowledge of the members
of that bloc about our nations
farming interests, which, no doubt,
they are all anxious to help. These
farming interests of ours are too vast,
varied and scattered for any man to
acquire in a life time a thorough
knowledge of them.
The good intention of a lawmaker
avail nothing to the people if he does
not we'll understand the subject to
, which a proposed measure relates
For
"a little learning is dangerous
thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian
spring;
"There shallow draughts intoxicate
; the brain,
"And drinking largely sobers u.
again."
This is both poetry and truth; and
never more true than when applied to
our law makers. Our Senate is
charged with immense responsible.
ties, and the functions of our govern
ment are so needlessly extended that
no senator may hope to do more than
master two or three subjects out of a
hundred which come before him in
his six-year term; and their constitu-
ents, by badgering them about petty
matters, generally prevent them from
having any time for real study. They
get most of their information from
the malcontents and those whose folly
has led such into trouble, so Ajax is
called upon to put his shoulder to the
wheel.
The great silent masses whose pru-
dence and industry exempt them from
most troubles do not write public men
until heavily oppressed. Doth the
wild ass bray when he hath grass
or loweth the OK over his fodder?"
But while the masses were silent
and satisfied the neer-do-wells, NAL.
contents, labor unions and organized
class interests get in their deadly
: work.
Our government has fostered al
such; and by it's direct sanction some
: three million call eight hours day
, Thus encouraged, more millions ii
our cities now match eight hour:
7 against the farmers twelve-hour day
hence our farmers are now hare
pressed, and reversal of old policies
rather than temporizing with new
ones, is the best hope of their friends
If the functions of government be
reduced to that minimum which is es
sential to the welfare of the state, yet
the time is now at hand when wholly
disinterested expert advice must il
some way be made available to oul
lawmakers; who will do quite as well
as we may expect, if they can but
learn how to correctly select and value
expert opinion on multitude of sub.
jects quite beyond the capacity of any
one Solomon, or Bacon, to learn
Otherwise, we will have, perhaps
sooner than later, nothing but moi
law.
All bIe b,,cipacS porxy avoilc i+ca1f ~