Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 September 1890 — DEPEW TALKS TO FARMERS. [ARTICLE]

DEPEW TALKS TO FARMERS.

What Railroads Have Dona to Develop the Country—Cause of Agricultural Depression, -’ , ! -• —. .— —-—■ . Tuesday was the big day of the Stata fair at Syracuse, N. Y. The attendance' by special trains and from tthe vicinity was large, notwithstanding the badcondition of the grounds from Monday, night’s rains. Chauncey M. Depew ad J dressed the large audience. He began by calling attention to the phenomenal material growth of the country during the half century of the society’s existence.' He then said: “The. railroad first bevels oped the agricultural resources of our country, they threatened their paralysis,' and now under wiser administration on the one hand and a more liberal understanding on the other, the farm and the railroad are seen to be inseparately united as allies and partners. The blight of the one is the , bankruptcy of the other. It was after 1840 that capital began to be attracted in* large amounts to railway enterprises.: Then came an era of over-building. Rail-' roads were extended through the wilderness and across the prairie for thousands of miles where there was neither a ton of freight nor a car load of passengers. Every effort was made to stimulate immigration into the new -eduntry from the' East and from European countries. The result has been the absorption of nearly the whole of our public domain and the production of an enormous surplus of agricultural products. As a consequence' we have become uot only the largest agricultural nation in the world, but we dominate the prices of the products of the farm in all the markets of civilization.” In addition to the largely increased production, Mr .Depew found further cause for the recent agricultural depression in the attempts made by American speculators to I corner the market. These attempts resultI ed in stimulating the agriculture of all other competitors for the world’s markets. In view of the depression brought about by these causes it becomes the highest duty of the American statesmen and American farmer to look about for remedies. The first act of the farmers of the United States should be to intelligently organize,' In the present condition of the world or» ganization is the necessity of existence. Capital organizes in corporations, labor organizes in trades unions, manufacturers organize for protection. Farmers alone have failed to unite in any efficient and l practical way. In conclusion, Mr. Depew said: “In my judgement we are near the bottom of -the grave of agricultural depression, and will soon begin to climb up the other side.”