276 FARMERS" INSTITUTES. 



But the nations of Europe give us abundant examples of the evils of land- 

 lordism, and the misery and degradation \rhich it has brought upon the peo- 

 ple of Ireland are not the lot which we wish for the American farmer. 



These fears cannot be considered groundless. 



In almost every nation, ancient and modern, the land question has been a 

 vexed and difficult one. We cannot, then, expect to escape all danger. The 

 last census was a surprise to many who had supposed that the farmers of this 

 country, as a rule, owned the soil they tilled. It revealed the fact that 1,024,601 

 farms were occupied by tenants. This is more than one-fourth of all the 

 farms in the country of three acres and upwards. It is claimed, too, that this 

 number has increased at least twenty-five per cent since 1880. In your own 

 State the census shows something over 15,000 tenant farmers; while the 

 State of Iowa, with fewer inhabitants than our own, and away on the western 

 border, had more than 44,000. Kansas had more than 22,000, and Missouri 

 upwards of 58,000." But the great agricultural State of Illinois with her 

 80,000 tenant farmers, takes the lead of the whole country. You see our rich 

 farming lands attract the attention of the capitalist. He invests his money 

 in them as a matter of profit. Prices are continually advancing, and the 

 opportunity for men of moderate means gradually diminishing. As this pro- 

 cess goes on, the power of the land owner to exact higher rents and to more 

 closely grind the tenant or the laborer daily increases. If it is thought that 

 men can betake themselves to other pursuits, the cities are yet more crowded 

 than the farms. Foreign emigration has much to do with all these silent 

 processes that are shaping the destinies of our people. But whatever may be 

 the result, we have sufficient evidence already to show that wealth is exercis- 

 ing an undue influence in this country. Should it continue to grow in 

 power, it will sooner or later destroy or greatly impair the prospects of young 

 men who have not its favors for almost any pursuit, and none more than 

 those of the farmer boy. In his ambition for a farm that he can call his 

 own without being subject to any superior he will be doomed to disappoint- 

 ment. 



The farmers of this country have a deeper interest in this matter than any 

 other class. That independence of character and pride of profession which 

 so distinguishes our genuine farmer, and are such incentives to carry his art 

 to perfection, would never be felt or understood were he not the owner of his 

 own farm and fireside. Whatever, then, tends to impair or demean your 

 vocation deserves your early attention and your earnest efforts to ward it off 

 to save yourselves, your posterity and your country from danger. 



The further proceedings of the institute will be found in the form of dis- 

 cussions following the various papers, later in the volume. 



