The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1881-03-03
RERD LAW AND FREE TRADE.
DOG CREEK, March lst, 1881.

| DOG ChEEh, MArcu ISL, 1901.
To the Editor Of the Eagle:
| There seems to be considerable dissatisfac-
ton among the farmers of late. This to .
certain extent is caused by class of farmers
who are engaged in stock raising, aud have
discovered that there is money in it. They
are now working for two objects. Fir.t, to
stop immigration, and second to abolish the
herd law. In regard to the first, do not
care cent whether any more people come to
! Kansas or not. They can do just as they
please about it, and il anyone who is now
| living here and is dissatisfied wishes to get
| away, my sincere wish is that he may sue
coed, and do well in the country to which he
| may go. In regard TO the herd law, have
| only to say that il some one is lucky enough
to own Grumpy horned COW and Gals,
long snooted SOW and eight shoats, an old
gray m ire with her tail 'chawed'' of by said
calf and 4 two-year-old colt with his name
aud tail full Of burrs, and the people should
conclude that it is great hardship for the
owner Of said animals to fence them in, and
that the commonwealth of Kansas would be
greatly benefited by compelling all creation
to fence them Out--abolish the herd law
what seems the most wrong are the means
adopted to secure these ends. That is, by
continually talking to discourage the far
mers, ndrepresenting that this country as a
grain raising state is a failure. And don't
you forget, the EAGLE comes in for its share
Of abuse. heard n man telling in Mulvane
the other day that .Marsh Murdoch owns
up that he has probably over estimated this
county" Now, honor bright. don't be-
lieve you have. This is a goo county, and
we have sent out grain enough to have made
il prosperous il we had received good prices,
That we farmers are hard UP is not our fault,
nor the fault OF the country.
There are certain true principles OF labor
and exchange that are being violated that
are causing the distress among the farmers. |
II the producers Of this and every other Sec
ton had free access to the markets Of the |
world, aided by legitimate commerce. every
toiler of the human family would be duly re-
warded for his toll. Despotism is the enemy
of freedom. Aristocaacy is the enemy Of Ia |
Dor. Whenever by powerful combinations,
or by the interference Of governments. one |
class Of people are made TO receive more for |
their labor than it would bring in the mar |
kets Of the world. such additional gains are /
bound TO be stolen from some other class Of
laborers. But have not the farmers access /
TO the markets OF the world with their pro- |
ducts. Oh, yes I; we are allowed to sell In
the markets of the world for just what our 1
products are worth, but we are not allowed I
to buy the products OF other laborers for what
they are worth in the markets OF the world. |
This great government Of ours steps in aud
Tor the benefit Of workers in wool. leyies on
the foreign article tax Of from 81 to 3. per |
cent for the benefit Of workers in cotton 3
TO 20 per cent for the benefit OF workers in
silk 20 to 80 per cent. THAT last is hard on
We farmers, making our silks come 50 highs
or the workers in crockery and earttcnware
from 10 TO 30 per cent, and window glass 6
10 - per cent, and so on all the way through.
Just rs long rs the farmers are compelled to
.oil under these disadvantages, just so long
vil. We hear men say that farming does not
Ray. Farmers IN the east will want to sell
,ut aud come west, ard farmers in The west
viii want to go east. II our government
protects manufacturers from the pauper la
,or Of Europe by making the importer OF
FOODS pay tax, let it protect tie farmer by
aging the exporter Of grain per cent. for
II the grain exported. Farmers. let Ne raise
'ur banners. Free trade. or equal protection /.
o all American labor. \ free tight or foot
ace. FARMER DoOrrrrLK. q