Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 60, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 October 1916 — FARMERS AND PROSPERITY [ARTICLE]

FARMERS AND PROSPERITY

Speaking before the Farmers’ National congress at Indianapolis last Tuesday, H. E. Stockbridge of Atlanta, Georgia, president of that body, talked at some length on the prosperous condition of the country as related to the farmer, and among other things said: “We are told by misinformed parties that the farmer is a mere incidental beneficiary from the general prosperity resulting from the foreign war demand for American products. Careful study, however, shows no justification for such assertion. “It is a fundamental law of economics that the origin of wealth lies in the productive industries. It is obviously true, therefore, that the greatest of all productive industries the production of crops—-must be chiefly responsible for the increase in wealth and the present national prosperity.

“It is primarily the products of our soil which have made profits for our merchants and have overburdened our transportation facilities. Those who have argued to the contrary have simply mistaken effect for cause. A single fact will demonstrate the correctness of this conclusion. The total export of war munitions—of which we hear so much —for the last fiscal year was barely 1 per cent of the total value of all our manufactured products. “It is inconceivable that this 1 per cent —however profitable its production may have been—could be responsible for present general agricultural and commercial prosperity. If these conditions really are the congests of peace the lesson shpuld be clear. If the American farmer, for whom and to whom we speak, owes his present exceptional prosperity to the fact that In the whole world we today stand alone as the one really great nation, free from the unspeakable throes and devastation of war, it behooves us as citizens to demand —and enforce the decree—that our own country shall not be involved in this cataclysm of insane strife. “This paramount issue of the time has more direct and vital significance to the farmer than to any other class of citizens. When plowshares are beaten into swords or guns, it is most largely the farmer boy who becomes the man behind the gun. It is a truism that tn peace the farmer feeds the world and in war he fights its battles. These facts not only justify, but at present demand the earnest consideration of the men who represent the great agricultural interests and class involved. Reason dictates that we endeavor to locate the danger and then protect ourselves against It. Mr. Stockbridge, touching on the subject of the danger of war for this country, referred to Mexico, and said: “I conceive that the threat of most imminent danger lies with our neighbor south of the Rio Grande.” He praised the present administration for Its manner in handling the situation, but took occasion to condemn the facilities for mobilizing and equipping an army, which, he asserted, had shown themselves to be weak. He declared that the European war had shown that successful warfare, offensive or defensive, depends greatly on the degree of industrial preparedness.

“Preparedness being merely another term for efficiency,” he said, “we come to a consideration of that indispensable form of efficiency in which we are most directly interested— agricultural preparedness. “The present prosperous condition of American agriculture is the best possible proof of a degree of efficient management on American farms. Since this congress was last in session several national laws have gone into effect which are in a material degree responsible for present conditions.”