The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-03-22
made and published as part of the pro.
ceedings. They are as follows:

ceedlngs. They are as follows:
To the Polk County Farmers Club:
BROTHERS: Though not present at
your last meeting. yet through the press
listened to your discussions on the SUBJ
ject of lizard Times, Their Cause and
Cure" with no small interest. My health
will not permit of my presence to-mor-
row, vet knowing your liberality 1 offer
nv mite also. The cause of hard times
is no mystery to the political econo-
mists. Articles written four and five
years ago upon our condition, by Sinnett,
Frisbie, myself. and others pointed
plainly to the fact that We were ap
preaching a financial volcano. 1t is now
upon us, brought about, not by accident,
not by unavoidable circumstances, but
by deliberate acts of corrupt politicians
working wholly in the interests of bond>
holders and bankers continually chang
ing the values Of currency, debts, bonds
and all other property. Six years ago
we found the farmers but little in debt.
Eight years of ten per cent. profits on
farming stirred up spirit of enterprise
unequaled in this country We built
railroads, school houses, churches,
dwellings, opened up thousands of farms
and built countless miles Of fencing, in
creased taxation, etc. but by legislation
our speed has been suddenly checked
up, and like cattle upon railroad train
| many NAV come to their knees and 9th
ers to the floor, debts have accumulated
rapidly, and to-day we have on an ave
rage one.third all the property in Iowa
under mortgage a. the rate of ten per
cent. Supposlng our farms will pay five
per cent profit, the mortgages consume
two-thirds OF that, leaving us only one.
third. But some say industry only pays
three and one-third per cent profit, leav-
ing the agricultural industry OF Iowa
without any profit at all. Some claim
that failure of crops is the caase, but we
have had three full crops and only two
poor ones. Some say farmers are ex.
travagant; are not bankers and bonds
holders more so? What class of men
live upon less than farmers? There are
real causes. let us point to some Of them:
We find high tariffs raise the price of
what we consume. My tax upon one
section of land in 1860 was $5S; in 1876
on the same land it was $2l6, county and
road tax SIT. The state OF Iowa uses IN
exchange two millions in currency. We
paw to eastern bankers the interest, viz,
TWO hundred thousand dollars. We pay
dividends on all the railroads of the state
though many of them were built by our
own money Our county and road taxes
are two and half per cent, equal to hall
of our profits. Is it any wonder, then
WHY we have hard times? For remedy
if YOU point it out who will believe you
| Few men realize their present condition
but the sheriff, the best Of all schoo
teachers, is upon us and there is hope.
The remedy is not to be found amOngs
the present politicians, soul-less lawyers
quack doctors, and such ilk, but through
the influence OF practical men who arr
honest and not ashamed to vote tor hon
est men, nen who count duty more thai
favor, and regard Justice more thar
/. wealth. Iowa must cease to pay lnteres
to government favorites, and to banks
issue. AL such are swindles. The.
: have been and will ever prove bas
frauds. 1.-THE general government re
fuses to supply the demand for currency
then we OF necessity must use state an
municipal paper as currency. 1t can b
), made to pay, city, county and state taxes
We must cease that false and unJu:
theory OF funding which is only schem
to draw interest from US, and ceased
run our courts in the interest of lawyer:
Our Judges must be men of sense and NJ
a tools, and more economy must be use
! in handling our school money. With
universal reduction OF taxes upon indu
% try and taxes Justly raised on tops an
}. dandys, doctors, lawyers, and professor
s of ali sort, as well as bankers. tyou ma
+ get on the road to prosperity by and by
- A. HASTE.
Carlisle, Iona, March 2. 1877.
Bro. JONES: 1t is with the deepe
"a interest that we look forward to tt
If meeting of the Polk county farmers clul
= But we have been staggered a little I
the sweeping charge of wanton prod
}gality on the part of farmers, as thoue
y their highest obligations were to rema
~ isolated from society and labor like gal
slaves, using the most nigardly econ
of my, being satisfied with the most cor
of mon articles necessary to the family ar
- upon the farm giving themselves !
concern about the science OF cover
~ ~ ment. Now. sir, this is just what Il
~ ~ farmers have been doing too long. 1t
~ lust what those who have been rear'
ne in the lap of luxury and ease. wish Us
y continue to do, that we remain sps
4 and prey to the monied power u
IL sir, live " thin your income. dress
the coarsest attire, 60 with your kne
re and elbows out, have your children
no alt-clothed, and bare footed in wint'
gs revert into q uomadic semibarbarlsl
Up that the opulent may enjoy well .
highly regulated establishments. nes'
ed costly in the most costly furs. rustic
nd their silks and satins, bedeck themselv
to in jewelry and other trumpery, viii
the earnings Of lifetime OF the Pc
re man would be inadequate to purchas
'et but let alone the great financial qu'
ret ton. The age of such ideas is gone
a. Such cant is not up to the march OF G
ilization of the nineteenth century. Y
I'd, only hope is = wider consumption
ny every hand by the people. There IS
lgs good reason why every one should !
eat be we'll supplied both with the neces
ta> ties and comforts of life. Instead OF
i eorcod idlanesa nenurv and want,