CHAPTER I. 



THE FARMER LOSING HIS POLITICAL POWER. 



That the farmer of America is rapidly losing his 

 chances to have a controlling influence in the political 

 concerns of his country is patent to all who will give the 

 subject any consideration. In the United States, forty 

 years ago, the farmers composed 70 per cent, of the 

 industrial population. And even twenty years ago 

 the cattle farmers and agriculturists outnumbered all 

 ot];iers. To-day they are in the minority. In Canada the 

 agriculturist vote is still in the majority ; but even in 

 this new country we fear the farmer is losing a lingering 

 chance to save his class from political annihilation. In 

 proportion to numbers and to capital invested in agri- 

 culture and cattle farming, compared with numbers and 

 amounts invested by other classes, there should be over 

 one hundred farmers representing their various con- 

 stituencies, sitting in the Dominion Parliament, and 

 looking after the interests of the agriculturists. Instead 

 of that number, not more than thirty-nine can in any way 

 be classed as representing the farmers. Of the whole 

 number of the last United States House of Representa- 

 tives, only seventeen were farmers, or i to every 470,000 

 of that occupation. Even in 1870 twenty-six farmers, or 

 I to every 228,000 of their number, had a seat in the 

 House. In our State and Provincial Legislatures, the 



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