134 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



am not so particular how you spell the word, either. It is wicked 

 that men and women suffer for the necessities of life and are de- 

 prived the opportunities to live broad, enjoyable lives as a result 

 of these unnatural conditions that have been created as the chil- 

 dren of criminal greed and wicked selfishness. 



Our colleges should teach the truth about these great combina- 

 tions that war with justice and humanity, and help in the crusade 

 against the new slavery of human beings. 



Now, I submit to you that it is your patriotic duty, more es- 

 pecially as farmers, who are so directly affected, that you concern 

 yourselves about these grave problems, I repeat, we are cowards 

 if we pass them on to our children for their solution. We are re- 

 sponsible for them. We should settle them. There is no difference 

 in their effect, except in degree, in the steel trust, the harvester 

 trust, the glass trust, the meat trust, or any of the great monopo- 

 listic combinations. They fix arbitary prices which you must pay. 

 You are not consulted. You don't even have the Yankee's privi- 

 lege of "dickering." The price of your live stock is made by the 

 same sort of a combination that makes the price of steel. The 

 difference in the price, therefore, of hogs on hoof and on the hook 

 is entirely too great. You are concerned in the question of trans- 

 porting the products of your farms to the market, and in all the 

 intermediate transactions. The whole problem is the one of the 

 distribution of the products of the soil. You have the right and 

 the power to insist that the distribution shall be equitable and 

 that you shall receive your just share. 



That is the thought I want to leave with you. I didn't come 

 down here to talk about the beauties of the farm. You know all 

 about that. And it is a beautiful life. It is worth while to be in 

 partnership with nature. You are confident of good faith on the 

 part of your horses, your cattle and other live stock. It is only 

 when you meet your fellow human beings that you must be on 

 your guard. It is the selfishness of man that works injustice. 



Now, my friends, I don't know how it is with you — how you 

 feel about this thing — but I tell you there stands before you a man 

 who will fight till the curtain drops for this equal division of the 

 soil's products, so that all men may have the largest measure of 

 happiness and comfort in this life. "I expect to pass through this 

 world but once; any good thing, therefore, that I can do, or any 

 kindness that I can show to any fellow human being, let me do it 

 now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way 

 again." 



