Honest Men Are Wanted

The Farmers Picnic at Whitmore Lake Saturday drew a large crowd. The rain of the morning had laid the dust, the air was delicious the people happy and it was one of the most enjoyable picnics which have been held in Whitmore Lake.

At 2 o'clock the speaking program commenced with an invocation by Rev. F. E. Pierce, of Whitmore Lake. President Duffy then announced the election of officers in order and nominated L. D. Loveland, of South Lyons. Hon. Wm, Ball wanted Mr. Duffy retained and Cyrus G. Starks the secretary seconded and put Mr. Ball's motion Mr. Loveland also trying to get in a second. Mr. Duffy said all this was out of order and started to put the motion to elect Mr. Loveland, who protested that he wouldn't take the office and that the motion was not seconded, so Mr. Daffy was re-elected president. Nearly the same performance resulted in the re-election of Cjrus G. Starks, of Webster, as secretary. The executive committee was elected in a bunch as follows: Wm. Ball, George Merrill, R. C. Reeves, E. A. Nordman, G. A. Peters, L,. D. Loveland, Geo. S. Wheeler, W. B. Thurston, J. W. Nanry, N. E. Sutton and one other whose name the reporter did not catch.

President Duffy bade the audience a cordial welcome and said they represented an occupation second to no other on God's green earth. He paid his respects to combines and corporations and introduced George B. Horton, of Lenawee, a man of eminence, of state reputation, and a practical farmer.

Mr. Horton repudiated the statement that he was a mann of eminence. He was just a plain farmer, not even a speechmaker. He hadn't been elected master of the state grange for any speechmaking ability but simply because business methods were wanted. Farmers picnics were formerly only a grand gala day. But life is becoming more serious and so it has come about that serious problems are discussed. Farmers do not need taffy, they need words from men in sympathy with them and their occupation. He disliked to see any man who had cultivated the fields retired from the farm. He liked to see the kings of the country stay there. This is an age of wonderful progress. More has been done for the cause of education, civilization, bringing into play the unutilized resources of the earth in the past 50 years than in all time before. Men are here who have used the sickle in gathering grain. More of you remember the coming of the grain cradle. More remember the coming of the reaper, how stiff jointed and cumbersome it was, with one man to drive, one on the platform to rake and one to follow to bind. More remember the coming of the reaper with the table rake dispensing with one man and now we have the light steel binder. Men have associated themselves together and have accomplished more than they could single handed. This is an age of organization The school teacher today falls short of his duty if he keeps aloof from school teachers' associations. It is so with every man engaged in any occupation. Nearly half the population is engaged in agricultural pursuits and it is proper that they should organize and study questions pertaining to their interests.

Farmers must do more thinking. They must study more carefully questions of production and consumption, must acquaint themselves with the markets of the world and modern business methods. They should b6come interested in legislation. There is nothing that helps a business or corporation more than favorable legislation. As farmers we should be interested in legislation. As a state we have a long list of public institutions. We need every one but it behooves us to see that no unnecessary expense is incurred because from the very nature of our property we are almost compelled to pay more than our share of the taxes. Suppose a syndicate goes before congress and asks for a large appropriation to bring into culture a large area of land. Do we not need to go into the question of whether we need any more land on which to cultivate wheat. Should we not look after the work of our government when seeking markets to see that the whole aim is not to secure place for manufactured products instead of farm products. The question just now of greatest importance is equity and justice in taxation. If some people pay more than their share it is a great injustice. The speaker paid his respects to the last legislature and urged the farmers to keep their eye on the work of the tax commission.

Mr. Horton next took up the school question and thought there was a tendency in our present system to take away some of the privileges of the country school. The system which graduated children at from 13 to 15 years and provided no opportunities for higher advancement was not right. Formerly there was a place in country district schools for pupils of from 18 to 21. Only a small portion can enter the high schools or university.

He advocated pure food legislation and said Michigan had been backward in it and had become the dumping ground of all kinds of spurious articles.

The first great applause was brought out by the speakers demand for free rural mail delivery all over the state. The farmer is becoming more and more a business man. It is more necessary that he should keep in touch with the outside world and it was more necessary that his mail should be delivered than the mail of a man who works on the streets. He asked why the city mail carrier was paid $800 a year and the country mail carrier $400.

The demand for the election of U. S. senators by the people was also applauded. It is a shame, said the speaker, that all state questions should be sidetracked for the election of U. S senator. We see good men deprived of a nomination or election because they are not for this or that man for senator and worse men put in their places. We complain that our legislatures are becoming more and more corrupt and if half what is said of our last legislature be true, it goes a long ways to prove the assertion.

The outlook for farming was never brighter. He believed there would be an exodus from the cities towards the farms and that as a whole we are as well off as any class of people. He didn't like to see any one decry farming and wanted the boys kept on the farms. He closed with an appeal for organization.

The Governor's Letter.

Governor Pingree had been invited to speak and sent a long letter of regret that he could not. accept as the picnic came at the time of his vacation. Cyrus G. Starks read the letter but said he didn't stand for all the opinions of the governor.

The governor said he earnestly hoped the farmers would not be discouraged at the treatment the last state senate gave to the question of equal taxation. The property of the farmer being visible never escapes taxation, while the property of the corporation being largely intangible escapes its share. He charged that the state senate was controlled in the interests of the railroads and corporations. He claimed that they controlled the newspapers of the state which denounced the tax reformers as cranks, fanatics and anarchists and said the great difficulty in accomplishing reforms in behalf of the people was that the people were not organized.

FOR EQUAL TAXATION

M. J. Cavanaugh spoke of the beneficial effects of farmers picnics. It gave him pleasure to heat Mr. Horton say to the young man there was no other occupation nobler than that of farming. He showed why the farmer was the most independent of all people and praised the school system, which he said was open to the farmers son as much as any other man's son. Everyone, rich or poor, can instruct his mind. The problem of equal and just taxation was now the most important. The idea is prevalent that trusts, combines and corporations are devouring the very vitals of the people. You have it within your power to say to these thus far shall thou go and no farther. You should see to it that the right men are elected to the legislatures. You should be broad enough to say that simply because his man was nominated by my political party is no reason why I should support him. This brought forth vigorous applause from the audience. He strongly advocated free rural mail delivery. There is no reason why the man who toils from morning to night should not have his mail delivered as well as he who does not. There is no reason why a city mail carrier should be paid $800 and the country mail carrier $400.

Prof. James K. Sage sang "The and Oaken Bucket. " The song was thoroughly enjoyed by the audience Old Mr. Sage was the recipient of many compliments.

HONEST MEN WANTED.

W. W. Wedemeyer spoke of the helpfuluess of the old country literary societies as they used to exist. He spoke of the great advancement of Michigan and entered into details to show its present importance. Michigan furnished 38 per cent of the copper of the country, it produced more furniture than any other state. It produced enough salt to season all the potatoes raised in the country. He referred to the great state institutions and particularly to the university and normal school and believed there was not a reasonable man who objected to giving his support to these institutions but what the people did demand regardless of political parties was that the burden of taxation should be equally distributed All the people ask of the great railroad corporations is that they should pay taxes upon the actual value of their property just as you do. Today these great corporations do not pay their share. They pay taxes only on their earnings. On this system, some of you farmers if taxed on your earnings would not have to pay much this year.

The great secret of our American greatness was that our fathers made or intended to make this a nation of individuals. In the last few years the tendency had been away from individualism. Every man ought to have a business of his own. So far as possible the government should check everything which takes away the possibility of individual effort.

What we need in every legislative body more than all things else is simply honest men. The red flag of anarchy is less to be feared than the black flag of corruption. The influence of the third house is often more potent with legislatures than the influence of the people. Mr. Wedemeyer interspersed his remarks with entertaining stories and witty remarks.

The speeches were well received by the audience. The Brighton band, which furnished the music, put up a high quality of music. After the speaking, visiting was resumed and the picnic passed into history as a great success.