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rights, for farmers have rights — by the virtue of the 

 property they own, taxes they pay, and votes they cast. 

 When we consider how cheerfully they have submitted 

 to — nay, often cordially supported jneasures for the ad- 

 vancement of our varied industry, it is surprising thej'' 

 have not asked more for themselves ; and when they see 

 how^ these have advanced with rapid strides, while they 

 have been stationary or retrograde, what shall be said ? 

 Were the 46,904 owners of farms and their 68,636 em- 

 j)loyees united upon any plan, their requests would cer- 

 tainly be heeded. 



But the desired end may be secured without one class 

 of citizens arraying themselves against another, the in- 

 terests of all classes are in the main identical ; every 

 man, w^oman and child in the commonwealth, has an in- 

 terest in any project which will improve the quality and 

 increase the quantity of food. Our manufacturers, from 

 ■their peculiar location, will think more of this subject 

 in future, foi- they soon will meet witli sharp competition 

 from the rising establishments at the West and South, 

 and they w^ill fmd it quite enough to transport coal and 

 raw material to this corner of the Union, and carry their 

 goods or wares to distant markets, without sending a 

 thousand miles or more for provision for their workmen. 

 They must have some material advantages in order to 

 continue to make their profits ; one of these should be 

 cheap labor ; cheap labor depends upon cheap food, and 

 where shall they obtain the cheap food ? Shall it be from 

 our own fields, or from the West ? If from the West, 

 Western manufacturers will have it still cheaper. It has 

 been a pet theory with many of our leading men, that it 

 is cheaper to bring provisions from the West, than to 

 raise them from our own soil, and an enormous expense 

 8 



