The Farmer And The Republican Party
October, 1908 (Audio)
As the Republican platform says, the welfare of the farmer is vital to
that of the whole country. The prosperity of the country rest peculiarly
upon the prosperity of agriculture. Just now, one of the strongest hopes
of returning good times is based on the business which the farmersf crops
are to afford. The Republican party during the last twelve years has accomplished
extraordinary work in bringing the resources of the national government
to the aid of the farmer. He is vitally interested in the restraining of
excessive and unduly discriminating railroad rates, in the enforcement
of the Pure Food Law, in the promotion of scientific agriculture, and in
increasing the comforts of country life as by the extension of free rural
delivery and the building of good roads. The free delivery in the postal
service now reaches millions of our citizens and will be extended until
every community in the land receives its full benefits. Everyone recognizes
the essential and economic advantages of good country roads maintained
more and more largely at public expense and less and less at the expense
of the abutting owner. The policies of the present administration have
most industriously promoted all these objects and cannot fail to commend
themselves to the farmersf approval. It is difficult to see how with his
intelligent appreciation of the threats to business prosperity involved
in democratic success at the polls he can do otherwise than give his full
and hearty support to the continuation of the policies of the present administration
under Republican auspices.
