152 Wisconsin state agricultural society . 
changes hands, and, by a reverse rule, it deducts something from 
every agricultural product, while it is undergoing the same pro¬ 
cess ; and with a singular refinement of financial rascality, every 
possible change is. anticipated, and this deduction is made while it 
is in the hands, or just as it leaves the possession, of the producer. 
Thus the producer, for what he has to buy, is all the time paying 
the highest possible price that capital can demand, and he is 
receiving only such compensation as capital and cupidity will 
offer for what he has to sell. 
Capital is organized and vigilant. It looks all the time to its 
own interest and advancement. It smothers its passions and 
prejudices when it is in danger. It is persistent in its demands 
for protection, and it is wise, liberal and munificient in the means 
it uniformly employs for success. It is never hampered by plat¬ 
forms, and it is seldom deceived by candidates. One virtue it has 
of which labor cannot boast—it is true to its friends, it pays lib¬ 
erally for services rendered, and never deserts a friend. 
Our statute books, state and national, are full of laws for the 
protection of capital, but it would bother an antiquarian to find 
one for the protection of labor, The arts and sciences are in 
some sense the pets of capital, and hence they have found some 
protection in legislation. But, singularly enough, just in propor¬ 
tion as these have been protected, labor has been burdened and 
made to pay for it, with the usual profit added. 
THE BURDENS UPON AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS. 
Our government has intended to be generous to labors of the 
brain, while it has cruelly neglected the labors of the hand. 
But in this particular the government has compelled its toiling 
and producing millions to contribute this bounty. I do not com¬ 
plain that the government is generons to inventors, but the way 
in which it is accomplished is of doubtful propriety. Every year 
the agricultural interests of this country are paying millions of 
tribute, not to the poor inventor of agricultural implements, but 
to the capitalist, who, taking advantage of the poverty of the in¬ 
ventor, purchased his right for a trifling sum; and it is a scandal 
upon honest legislation that repeated renewals of patents are ob¬ 
tained in order that the price may be kept up. All this is the 
