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The Rural Publishing Co. 
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New York 
The Rural New-Yorker 
Weekly, One Dollar Per Year 
Postpaid 
Single Copies, Five Cents 
ihe Business Farmer s Paper 
VoL. LXXVI. 
NEW YORK, DECEJIBER 8, 1917. 
No. 4459. 
When is the World “ Safe for 
Democracy 
SOURCE OF TROUBLE.—Among all the many 
important articles that appear in The R. N.-Y. 
nothing more important has appeared than “The Fac¬ 
tory System in Farming,” on page 1315. For many 
years I have been a student of the corporate devel¬ 
opment of economics during the last hundi’ed years. 
I am perfectly sure that most of our economic 
troubles come from giving, by law, not only in this 
country, but in the world at large, too great exten¬ 
sion to the corporation principle. That system is 
privilege, in that it grants powers out of all propor¬ 
tion to responsibilities—limitation of liability, in 
other word.s. Now, sucli privilege is only justified 
when it is for pul)lic l)enofit; it is never justified for 
private benefit, for tliat is simply using the powers 
of government for the advantage of private individ- 
decade ago, Talcott Williams, writing of corpora¬ 
tions, pointed out that farming and farm lands were 
the only tilings in America that had not come under 
the corporation principle; but that it was uncertain 
how long that would prevail. Just so. The wonder 
is that somebody has not tried to fasten the “factory 
.system” upon farming long ere this. We are sup¬ 
posed to be waging a war to “make the world safe 
for democracy,” i. c., equality of opportunity under 
the law. This world, whetlier administered by Ger¬ 
mans or any other people, will never be “safe for 
democracj’” so long as the corporation principle is 
permitted to range outside its legitimate limits, 
corporate privilege for public benefit, only. Cannot 
people see that the real cause of the present war is 
the over-organization and over-centralization of Ger¬ 
many? And that sort of war will alwa.vs threaten 
mankind just so long as the distinction is confused 
between things public and private. To defeat Ger- 
freemen! The sooner America frees herself from the 
thrall and sets the example to the nations of the 
world the sooner will this nation and all the nations 
become “safe for democrac.v”—equality of opportuni¬ 
ty under the law, and freedom of self-direction, ia 
home and state and church and economics. Keep up 
the good work. a. w. Littlefield. 
IMassachusetts. 
A Change to Industrialization in Fanning 
DIFFERENT OUTLOOK.—I have read the 
tlioughts of A. B. Roberts on page 1315, and 
they were mine in the near past. I have noted all 
the editor rennirks in connection, all of which onl.v 
adds to the ai)i>alling conditions imminent. All 
minor considerations sink into Insignificance when 
we .seen that it will be impossible. Inside of a few 
decades, for tbe urb.-ui dwellers to get enough to 
eat, even if they have money, which is unlikely. 
Press Illustrating^ Service 
Packing the Orange Crop at Jaffa, Palestine. Fig. 651 
ual.s, which, in turn, is class legislation. The cor¬ 
poration development has vastly increased wealth, 
but at the expense of self-directing manhood. “Ill 
fares the land, to hastening ills a prey, where wealth 
accumulates and men decay!” Just as true now as 
when Goldsmith wrote it! The time has come to 
call a halt upon the mi.sapplication of the corporation 
principle; else we shall become a nation of serf.s, di¬ 
rected by a few powerful heads of corporations. Just 
as Lincoln saw, “A.s one of the results of the success 
of the North in this war (the Civii War), I see the 
wealth and power of this country, at no remote 
future, getting into the hands of a few powerful 
persons.” Was ever anything more prophetic? Cor¬ 
porate privilege for public benefit, only, is the only 
principle whereby the best American manhood and 
Avomanhood can be developed and maintained! It is 
high time that the American people inaugurate a 
crusade to this noble end. 
THE FACTORY SYSTEM.—A little more than a 
many, but leave men free to create corporations for 
private benefits is simply to shift the struggle else- 
Avhere. Lnless tlie public business is carried on by 
the public, leaving private business to be carried on 
b3' private individuals, the public monej’s and in¬ 
crements of Avealth Aviil surely get into greedy pri¬ 
vate haud.s, AA'hile initiative and self-direction on 
the part of individuais Avill surel.v deteriorate. The 
home and the small business and freedom of indi¬ 
vidual contract and exchange are the principles that 
are sound in economics; as are tlie freedom of wor¬ 
ship and of the ballot the guarantors of religious 
and ciA’il libertj". If aa'o are to save our liberties and 
rid ourselves of the spirit and principle of Pru.s- 
sianism in America, we must rid ourselves of the 
misapplication of the corpucation principle; and no 
time is to be lost! The defeat of Germany AA'ill be 
of no avail unless Ave, at tlie same time. throAA" off 
the shackles that for half a century corporate inter¬ 
ests have been welding upon the limbs of American 
Tlie outlook not only appeals to the city folk, but to 
farm owners, showing the discomfort and di.sas- 
ter for both. Thou.sands and thou.saiids of farmers 
Avho have made their holdings, Avliose hearts arc in 
them and Avho hope for peaceful, prosperous con¬ 
tinuance by their descendant.s, are looking at a fal¬ 
lacy, and I Avill now paint a true picture of Avhat 
must be vivid in the near future, unless the children 
are induced to sta.v on the farm, and a good many 
of those in the cities get among the ranks of pro¬ 
ducers, Avith ambition and interest. 
FOOD FOR THE FUTURE.—These troublous 
times have shoAvn the farmer’s place in the economy 
of human endeavor, as Avell as giA'en us a severe 
call-up on the drawbacks that noAV culminate in a 
shortage of products to sustain normal life and 
strength on tlie earth. We have had no thouglit 
about food, taking it for granted that a fertile, 
beneficent earth guaranteed it to us, but uoav see 
the scarcity of an amiile number of producers. The 
