Show 1 I c FARMERS AND EXPORTS While the season is very backward in the intermountain region this year the crops are looking fairly well This Is the case in Idaho and northern Utah in particular and in many of the valleys val-leys of Colorado The southern part of Utah is threatened with a drouth which however may be relieved by an occasional summer shower Unless some unusual and unforeseen change takes place the farmers of Utah and the surrounding states will prosper again this year as they did last and if famines occur abroad the prices of agricultural products will help the people of this country out again this year It is to the farmers of the United States and to the miners more than to the bankers and corporations that whatever prosperity we enjoy is due True the great mechanical industries indus-tries have contributed largely to the volume of business transacted but our farmers fed 75000000 of people at home last year and sent almost 1000000000 worth of agricultural products abroad And the farmer has been able to do this not because of any financial policy of the administration which hardly could have furnished the foreign consumer con-sumer with money to buy this produce nor yet because of a tariff policy which exacts from the American farmer a percentage of all goods he receives in I exchange for his exports for that cuts I down his profits but he has been able to do it because of a surplus at home and a foreign demand This trade was not built up by the fostering care of paternalism it represents repre-sents the industry the selfdenial the long hours the hardships of the Amer ican farmer and his wife and his children chil-dren He never asked any favors of the government except an open door for his surplus and a chance to supply his needs wherever he could strike the best bargain No staple of agricultural industry is controlled by the trusts These are the offspring of that system which levied tribute upon the farmer of this country while It afforded him no protection whatever his prices and profits being regulated by the markets of the world This contribution of the American farmer to our national wealth and to the business of the world is nothing new It has been going on for many years He is meeting new competition almost constantli When there are famines abroad he finds a better demand de-mand for his wheat corn cotton and meat But famines abroad do not occur oc-cur every year Good crops at home are not raised every season It is well for the farmer to make the most of good crops and good prices when he has them Next year may be another of depression there may be drouths or floods at home and an enormous yield abroad The American farmer should not be misled into thinking that politicians poli-ticians and officials are giving him either his prices or his crops He has to work hard for the one and take his chances on both The most that politicians poli-ticians can promise him is a lower tariff tar-iff on the things he needs and consumes con-sumes and the most that the government govern-ment can do for him is tor remove from his pocket the hand that takes a portion por-tion of his earnings and bestows it upon some trust or mononolv In the sunshine of temporary prosperity pros-perity the farmer should not forget that the dark clouds of adversity are apt to cover the land at any time he should never cease to pray for relief from the discrimination of trustprotec tion or to work for the restoration of the money of the people I |