| Show FARMERS IN POLITICS The Farmers Congress which has been in session the past few days in Sedalia Mo resolved to maintain a nonpartisan character This was wise if we understand under-stand from the resolution that the farmers will not act separately from existing parties par-ties But for farmers to keep aloof individually indi-vidually from partisan actionfrom choosing choos-ing between the Republican and the Demo cratio organization that one nearest their views and objects would bo huerile indeed in-deed THE HERALD notes with pleasure and I without surprise the passage of resolutions resolu-tions among others for equal taxation the reservation of the public domain for citizens citi-zens of the United States the limitation of taxes to the actual needs of the government govern-ment and opposition to trusts and monopolistic monop-olistic combinations These are Democratic Demo-cratic doctrines but they are practically suited to western agriculturists The demand de-mand for limitation of taxation to tho cost of an honest and economical government is a declaration of war against the policy of protection which tho Ohio election elec-tion has now made Ithe vital issue before the nation And this policy of protection has for ita handmaiden the manufacturing monopolies trusts and combinations It is these which furnish the sinews of war to the Republican narty So that the Farmers Farm-ers Congress at Sedalia whilst declaring itself nonpartisan with regard to independent inde-pendent action proclaimed a candidacy for initiation into the 33d degree of Democracy Democ-racy so speak The fact is the agricultural ISSACHAK has had more burdens put upon him than he can carry any longer with patience and L he is getting tIred of the business He S flndf that the bewildering millions and bil lions that are heaped up at New York Philadelphia and Boston to exhibit the countrys amazing growth in wealth and I its prodigious prosperity have little interest in-terest for him He never was a favorite of the Republican party and he has seen his I Interests his position and his influence I over public affairs sink lower and lower under a sectional policy whicn has exalted I the manufacturers and bond holdera and I mortgagors of the northeast into a pitiless governing power that incessantly wrings the life blood from him Here and there as hae bsan the case this year an abundant abund-ant crop may crown his labors enabling him to pay off a part of his indebtedness or to make delayed Improvements Yet as a s general thing the farmers have made no progress but on the contrary with the exceptions ex-ceptions noted the agricultural interest Is steadily growing worse off The protected industrial section turns out a larger manufactured manu-factured product year after year and grows more rich with every Increase but I I the farming interest increases its product without increasing its wealth Work as hard as they may tho great mass of western west-ern and southern farmers cannot keep their heads above water because they must pay hundreds of millions a year to enrich the prosperous protected manufacturers We hope the Farmers Congress whose r resolutions we have quoted will not allow al-low an occasional year of prosperity to render them apathetic their political duties du-ties but that they will go to work now to prepare the minds of their fellowcitizens for the great work to be done at the polls I in i November of next year I |
