THE RURAL NEW-YORKE 
NOV. i5 
778 
THE PIE HUNTERS’ PROFIT. 
A TALE OF PLUNDER. 
Being an account of the Farmers' Movement of 1890- 
1900, viewed from the standpoint of a citizen of 
America, A.D. 1930. 
( Continued.) 
“ Do I understand that all sorts of things were taken by 
the government ?” 
“ Yes; the original bill provided only for grain and cotton 
—products that will keep. The farmers of the West and 
South, however, found that they could not carry the bill 
without the help of Eastern farmers, and these Eastern 
farmers demanded an equal share in the supposed benefits 
of it. It waB, therefore, necessary to compromise and 
make the bill include a storage place for all farm products. 
We had, therefore, cider mills, canning factories, slaughter 
houses and creameries all conducted by the General Gov¬ 
ernment, and each one worked by government employees.” 
“ What plans did the other section of farmers have in 
view ?” 
“ Their idea, in brief, was that the country would right 
itself just as soon as the interest-paying class could com¬ 
bine properly and cut down expenses. At present, they 
said, thousands of men were working hard and honestly at 
a losing game because they worked at cross purposes, with 
a mistaken idea that individualism gave one more freedom 
than communism. The cities were strong simply because 
the people who lived in them knew the secret of united 
action. County communities must learn to get over their 
spites, their jealousies and suspicions before they can hope 
to give united support to any measure. This was the plan 
of the minority party. Begin at the district school, they 
said. Reform that and teach our boys and girls the things 
that will enable them to hold their own with the town- 
bred children. ‘But in the meantime we shall all be¬ 
come serfs,’ said the other side. ‘ No ! no ! ’ was the 
answer. ‘ Let us organize to save those who are in danger 
of losing their homes. Let us organize a vast Brotherhood 
and buy, to begin with, all the deserted farms in Vermont 
and New Hampshire. Let us then get our friends who are 
living on hopelessly mortgaged farms, to give them up and 
go to these States to live. In this way we can obtain po¬ 
litical control of them, and secure in both houses of Con¬ 
gress representation for the Debtors’ Party, besides giv¬ 
ing the country an example of a perfect community.’ ” 
“Why, wasn’t that sensible ?” 
“ It was, from our point of view, but in that age they 
could get very few to agree to it, because the farmers who 
had money were not ready to invest it in such a scheme 
without good security, and the poor, the unfortunate and 
the sick who would have been benefited, could give no se¬ 
curity at all. Cooperation and brotherhood, therefore, 
had very little chance, while most farmers firmly believed 
that some form of legislation would cure all their ills.” 
‘‘Well, what was the result of this Sub-Treasury scheme?” 
“At first it promised remarkable results and we all felt 
that our day of salvation had come. Money, such as it 
was, certainly became more plentiful—we did not stop to 
consider whether it was worth as much or not. Many 
farmers turned their crops into cash at once, eager for the 
novelty of the new system. As we were confident that 
good times had come again, most of the money was 
promptly spent for articles that had long been desired. 
Then a new feature of the scheme began to develop. Spec¬ 
ulators had been working quietly among us securing the 
produce certificates that were freely offered as legal tender. 
It was not long before these gentlemen controlled a large 
proportion of the crops. They could thus secure produce 
at 75 per cent, of its value, the government stored it for 
nothing, and by regulating the supply dealt out to the 
public, they made a price to suit them. The result was 
that the consumers paid more than ever before for their 
food, while many farmers received less than ever for their 
pioduce; while the government helped to swindle its own 
people.” 
“ Then this merely helped those who had money to invest 
it to better advantage.” 
“ Yes. The successful farmers, and those with money 
ahead, all became, in a sense, speculators. The very cheap¬ 
ness of the money was a point in favor of the lending class, 
first, because more people wanted to borrow, and, second, 
because the lenders could lend cheap money and demand 
payment in dearer money. No matter how plentiful 
money became it was found that the man who would not 
be energetic, patient and economical, could not get out of 
debt.” 
“ But what about the government ownership of railroads 
and coal fields ? ” 
“ That was the greatest surpris9 of all. The people ex¬ 
pected a tremendous struggle before this could be brought 
about, but to their surprise the railroad owners and ex¬ 
press companies readily agreed to sellout to the govern¬ 
ment at a very reasonable cost. A new Department, that 
of Commerce, was established at Washington and one of 
the great railroad presidents put in charge of it. Things 
went on very much as they had done before with about the 
same men running the trains and handling freight,the only 
difference being that they were now paid by the General 
Government instead of by private corporations. Their 
wages were, on the whole, greatly advanced and as rates 
were greatly reduced the government began to lose money 
on the operation, and to look about for new ways of rais¬ 
ing revenue. After some discussion it was decided to put 
a tariff tax of $200 on every foreign immigrant that arrived 
in this country. This was done because it was evident 
that our population was reaching a point where a very 
rapid increase was no longer desirable, while foreign coun¬ 
tries were sending all their criminals to our shores, and be¬ 
cause of a general demand for a reduction of the tariffs on 
manufactured goods.” 
“ Well, did the government make a great success of the 
railroad business ?” 
“ That depends on the way you look at it. The govern¬ 
ment was all right just as long as it represented, in any 
sense, the people. But it soon began to dawn upon the 
farmers why the railroad men had been so willing to sell 
out. But there goes the bell for supper—talking has made 
me hungry.” 
The night promised to be so beautiful that the ship’s 
steward decided to serve supper on deck. A number of 
large arm chairs were brought up from the cabin. These 
were provided with wide frames like lapboards, which 
could be spread out or folded up by merely touching a 
spring—the frame when open providing ample room for 
plates and cups. John and Mary secured two of the chairs 
and placed them in the most comfortable place they could 
find. Each chair was provided with a speaking tube 
which reached to the ship’s pantry. The order for supper 
was spoken through this tube and almost immediately a 
little truck bearing the food, ran out of the pantry and 
made its way to where our friends sat, The power which 
propelled the truck was so exceedingly well regulated, 
that it stopped directly before them so that they had merely 
to place their food on the chairs. The little truck at once 
ran back to the pantry to serve some other passengers. 
“Well, John, I’ve found out all about the young men,” 
said Mary, as she passed the tea. 
“ Have you ? Well, what’s the mystery? What murder 
have they committed ?” 
“ Murder ? nonsense 1 They are both very much in love 
with a young lady, and both are too bashful to tell her so.” 
“ How is she, pretty?” 
“ Add their two descriptions and divide by ten, and you 
have the most beautiful creature that ever lived. But let 
me tell you the most remarkable thing about it.” 
“ All right, I will 1” 
“ Well, this beautiful creature lives iu Prospect.” 
“ Why, that’s father’s African town.” 
“ Certainly, and what is still funnier father seems to be 
her guardian—at least, her parents are dead and father 
looks out for her.” 
“ Why he never wrote us about that.” 
“ Strange, isn’t it ? Well, both of these young fellows 
are desperately in love with her, and she doesn’t seem to 
know which one she likes the better, so they seem to have 
decided that the one that spoke first would have rather the 
better chance. That’s the secret of the telephone rivalry. 
Now then, I propose to ‘carry the war into Africa ’ by ap¬ 
pealing to father to advocate my young man’s claims to 
his ward.” 
And I shall do my best to have him say a good word 
for my young man.” 
“All right I But I know how to handle father better 
than you do.” 
“ Unfortunately, that’s true, but I’ll do my best.” 
The next morning, after breakfast, John hunted out Mr. 
Duncan and asked him to continue his historical reminis¬ 
cences. The elder man seemed pleased to find an atten¬ 
tive listener, and after finding a comfortable, shady place, 
he continued : 
“As I said, the farmers who demanded legislation, were 
surprised that the railroad men so readily agreed to sell 
out their interests to the government. The new system 
ran fairly well until the second Presidential election. Then 
the trouble began. It was found that holding an office 
under the government was a much easier and surer way 
of making a living than trying to run a poor farm. There 
were several applicants for every office and those who once 
got into the offices were determined to hold on to them at 
any cost, so the office holders began to form an organiza¬ 
tion with the object of keeping themselves in power. It was 
a one-sided organization you see, just like all the others.” 
“ But you don’t mean to say that there were enough 
office holders to control an election, do you ?” asked John. 
“ Have you considered how many office holders there 
must have been ? There were postmasters and mail 
carriers, workers in the government storage warehouses 
and railroad men. Take the second class alone. There 
were 3,500 counties in the country and each one found work 
for at least 150 workmen in the storage warehouse. Put 
all classes of government employees together and add 
those who hoped to be employed and their friends and 
relatives and you have enough to carry at least ten States 
at an important election. The second Presidential election 
after this change was made was fought on this question. 
The government employees, the manufacturers and the 
money-lenders were all arrayed against the farmers and 
common people. It was a close contest, but the employees 
won and thus began preparations for perpetuating them¬ 
selves in office.” 
“ But that plan seemed reasonable. What made it fall ?” 
“It failed simply because the people went into it with 
an entirely wrong spirit. Too many of them wanted sim¬ 
ply to obtain revenge or to even things up with the moneyed 
men by taking a part of their money away from them. 
There was too much of the old one-sided organization about 
it. The people wanted cheap railroad rates, but there 
were too many who were weak enough to be bribed by an 
office. These men started off bravely, shouting for ‘ re¬ 
form ’ as loudly as any. The railroad men quietly saw 
that such men secured good offices and that was generally 
the end of them, so far as the reform movement was con¬ 
cerned. I am sorry to say that there were few men strong 
and brave and pure enough to endure the storm of abuse 
or the crafty office-bribing of the money power. It is true 
that the government owned and controlled the railroads, 
but the railroad men in turn came to control the govern¬ 
ment. The simple fact was that the farmers demanded 
and obtained these things before they were fully qualified 
to handle them. They were not qualified because their 
organization was one sided and to an extent selfish—they 
combined to secure justice without teaching themselves 
just how that ‘justice’ should be practiced.” 
(To be continued.) 
IVomans IVork. 
IN THE SANCTUM. 
Special-topic publications are fond of impressing upon 
their readers, early and often, the desirability of their class 
to all who would follow any special work. It is insisted 
upon, for instance, that he who would make a success of 
raising poultry must take a poultry paper, and similarly 
with other branches of business. 
* * * 
No doubt there is much truth in this view of the matter, 
even if we regard only the fact that thus a large amount 
of information bearing upon the same subject, is acquired. 
But it is the general opinion, we think, that the matter for 
the special columns in miscellaneous publications is drawn 
largely from these special publications above referred to. 
Hence, we have been somewhat amused, of late, in noting 
the amount of matter in these that is culled from the very 
papers which are supposed to be so dependent on them. 
■* * * 
A LATE issue of one of our best poultry papers contained 
in a single page four extracts from the poultry columns of 
standard agricultural papers. Does not this bear rather 
hard upon the somewhat common notion that these 
columns are not so thoroughly reliable as might be desired ? 
* * * 
An issue of a monthly entertainment paper that came 
lately to hand was found to be to a great extent made up 
of borrowed ideas for home and public entertainments, 
culled largely from the household papers. 
* * * 
A SOMEWHAT new housekeeper’s journal which has just 
come to us contains, besides some excellent original mat¬ 
ter, no less than 20 extracts from various papers, these ex¬ 
tracts making up half the reading matter of the issue. 
Among them we have been, to say the least, “ interested,” 
to find a column extract from our own household depart¬ 
ment, which is kindly credited to a Western paper 1 
* * * 
It does not need saying that the matter in such papers is 
good, for it is selected from the best, but it rather does 
away with the idea that the special departments of the 
various papers are in any wise lacking in value. Indeed, 
it would seem that they are invaluable to some of their 
contemporaries. » * * 
We all gain help and inspiration from our exchanges; 
but let us be as consistent as the nature of the case will 
admit. * * * 
One friend writes to know whether we have room for 
some comments which she sends, and suggests that, if not, 
we can surely find room for them in the waste basket. 
We have said many times—though it seems necessary to 
repeat it—that we always make room for good ideas from 
our readers. Nothing so adds to the life of a paper as to 
have its readers take a keen interest in it, comment on its 
articles, aud even criticise it when they differ honestly 
with it. * * * 
Discussion of any topic is the surest means of getting at 
the truth concerning it, and thus it often happens that the 
columns devoted to discussion are the most valuable of all. 
In the study of facts regarding the outside work of the 
farm, discussion forms an important part; why should it 
be any less so with regard to the work indoors ? Seldom 
does one housewife visit another without gaining some¬ 
thing new through the interchange of ideas. Shall this 
not be all the more true when the various friends step into 
The Rural’s kitchen, dining-room, nursery or parlor ? 
Will they not both get and give help ? How can it be 
otherwise ? And it is a duty we all owe to one another. 
|Ui.occUaneou.o' 
In writing to advertisers, please mention The R. N.-Y. 
Packer’s 
T ar Soap 
Is one of Nature’s Remedies, and 
the Ideal for Toilet and Bath. 
Composed of Vegetable Oils, 
Pine-Tar and Glycerine. 
Complexion. 
It is a luxury to uso as well as perfectly 
pure, while many soaps are notoriously 
dangerous. 
Skin Diseases. 
It is auaturul lutin', with re cognized 
curative properties. 
N i l cQprt/ “ No mother who lias ever used it for her babies 
HI ofcJI y • would willingly do without It.” 
—Christine Terhune Herrick. 
ndir a nO ocaip. equal It, citherns a remedy for 
Scalp Diseases, Dandruff and Baldness, or as a delightful cleanser. 
25 Cents. All Druggists. 
B-tf" Sample (A# cake) ’.0 cents, stamps, if The K. N. Y. Is mentioned. 
PACKER M’F’fl CO., Bo. 100 Fulton Street, REW-YORK. 
