CHAPTER VL 



POWER OF THE FARMERS* 



WHY FARMERS DO NOT WIELD POLITICAL POWER. 



We have shown that heretofore our legislative bodies 

 have been composed of professional men chiefly. There are 

 a number of reasons why this has been the case; the 

 principal one being that we are all too much inclined to be 

 led away by what has been vulgarly called the gift of gab. 

 A good talker, that is, one who is able, from a natural flow 

 of words, to talk glibly, albeit without argument, naturally 

 leads the masses the world over. Lawyers are, notably, 

 sophists, and many of them sound reasoners and deep think 

 ers. Their education gives them such training that they 

 naturally wield great influence. Hence their vast prepon 

 derance amdng those elected to do the legislation. 



Another reason why farmers have not secured a proper 

 representation is, that, as a class, they are not a reading 

 people ; and yet there is no calling in life, requiring contin 

 ued manual labor, in which so much of that invaluable ele 

 ment, brains, can be exercised, or where so much is accom 

 plished in this direction by natural thinkers, as that of the 

 farmer. He may pursue any given train of thought while 

 plowing, driving his team along the road, and during many 

 other of his occupations, which the mechanic or artisan can 

 not do. 



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