Show agricultural depression I 1 it has been suggested and we should not be at all surprised if politics were at tho the bottom of the suggestion that i I 1 committee be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives for the purpose of investigating the causes of tho present depression in agriculture the maine F farmer armer an agricultural paper of considerable prominence in the new england states has this to say with reference to the work of the proposed committee wo we would suggest that the work of this ibis body should bo be to determine whether there is a depression farmers of enterprise tact skill and bushiness bu capacity are generally prosperous if the farmers of kansas after having their farms given them hopelessly mortgaged the same for machinery and teams with which to grow and harvest their crops is that a depression that the government is responsible for if farmers of new england and tale east cast are so blind and sluggish so slug gisli as to still run in the deeply worn ruts of a former generation is that depression if the superabundance of productive population annually brings forth crops so bountiful that a bewildering surplus remains above the wants of the people can we call that depression cranks croakers and political bummers rs we shall ever have with us but in ili no are they fit subjects for cong congressional res investigation not a word could bo added to this forcible characterization of tho the demagogy that would attempt to manufacture discontent for the purpose of getting a partisan advantage and it is all the more noteworthy on account of the source from which it comes the specious arguments of the freo free trade reformers evidently dont count for much with mith the farmer ho ile remembers the free wool bill and the wholesale reductions in the agricultural schedule of the mills bill far too well to take any stock in the promises of the free trade party protection is good enough for him as it was good enouf enough h for his fathers in the time of washington and jefferson |