The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-08-04
FARMERS AND THE TARIFF
Senator Writings Great Speech.

republican of Illinois, before the farmers
institute at Dixon, Ill.,, Isl st February;
AS farmers perform their share Of hard
work aud practice their portion of econ
cmy, II will be conceded that they 0ugh,
10 enjoy their portion OF prosperity. Add
20 this the fact that for the last twenty
years agricultural products turned the
balance Of trade 10 our country and
poured over the land golden showers, en-
riching all Interests except the one which
produced II, the prosperity Of the farmer
may we'll be an object OF national concern
Great cities have arisen like magic great
corporations have sprung into existence
with imperial wealth and power; great
manufacturing enterprises capable of sup
plying continent, II run on full time
great individual fortunes giving Us class
of American lords-except alone the title.
Amid this, our class, which mainly pro-
duced 1t, enjoy but a scanty share. Agri-
culture Is suffering blight. The lands
of Bureau county have declined more than
$40 per acre, aggregsting loss TO land
owners in that county Of over 5000, 900.
II Is within bound to say that within the
state at large the loss has been over $500, =
100000. New England agriculture. except
In special lines, Is In ruin The fine farm.
ing regions OF Pennsylvania, New York
and Ohio are marked by dilspidation. In
that vast sweep from Kansas to Minnesota,
halt the farms are under mortgage, draw.
ing high rates of interest; and the time Is
near when these families struggling TO
save their homes will be outcasts, driven
to despair. This picture Is corrobOrated
by the census. During the last two census
decades the wealth of the nation increased
| from $l6,0OO,0OO 900 70 $4,000, 100000,
being a net gain Of $2S,0OeOOO,OO OF
this great gain that half of the people who
live on the farms received a little less
than $1,000 100000, while the other half
secured So, OOO,OOO,OOO. The $5,OOO,OOO,-
600 gained by the farmers was In the new
farms on the public domain. The estab-
lished farms declined In average value
from $500 to $2,40O.
Governor Oglesby noticed this tendency
In his inaugural address In 1873 as follows
ut Is a pleasure to congratulate you that
In that general sense In which all the in
terests Of the people are concerned II may
be correctly said our affairs are In salts
factory condition In more limited, and
yet largely In a general sense, 1t Is hardly
So All the products Of the farm are rang.
products of other branches Of industry
are nearer the prices of more recent years.
Corresponding changes have not, tor some
cause, affected other industries" The
governor saw that agriculture was suffering
blight, while other pursuits were pros
porous. The cause Of the decline, which
he did not discuss, propose here TO con-
slider to some extent.
1. A world. wide competition with the
cheapest Of all cheap labor In Europe and
Asia depressed prices. l know of no
remedy for this, except, as we are COM
PEELED to sell cheap, We must buy cheap
2. The combinations known as pools
and trusts are extending TO all pursuits TO
subvert the laws of trade. "COm petition"
and supply and demand" are now nearly
obsolete. Lumber, coal, sugar, barbed
wire, iron and steel, plows and oil may be
mentioned as few Of multitude.
3. The extOrtiOn In charges Of transpor'
tation companies, 10 pay large dividends
on watered stock, and certain practit es of
stock.yards and grain elevators to uniuly
increase their enormous profits.
4. The authorizations, false weights,
shams and shoddies In things we buy, at
rates which should purchase the genuine
and full weight and measures.
5. The high and exceptional rates OF In.
terest which farmers pay on their loans.
8. The unjust provisions and workings
Of the State revenue laws, permitting large
evasions, to be made good by doublY load
ing the land.
I. The protective tariff system which
gives bOunties to certain classes at the OK.
pense Of Others-the burden resting finally
mostly on producers.
These are some of the suction pumps.
but probably not all. The operators of
these suction pumps comfort US by stating
that goods are now cheaper than formerly
No doubt this 10 true. There are now
steam engines enough TO more than double
the power OF every human being, and
fOur-fifths Of those have come into use
during the past twenty five years. During
this period there have been such marvellous
discoveries Ia iron and steel as to make
them substitutes for wood. Cas- Goals and
Inventions innuMersble have ushered In q
new era of manufacturing. These powers
and prOCesser OF nature are not ts be mo-
nOpolized by one class Of men. Like the
air and the sunlight they are for all man.
kind. Tho suction pump operators further
tell US that farmers are better off than
formerly-thst we have painted houses IT.
place OF log cabins; that we wear O, ercoats,
ride In carriages, and on gala days can
scarcely be distinguished from villagers
1t may be we'll to give notice that farmers
intend to duly share In the blessings and
duties Of civilization.
One half Of the value of Illinois Is In
land, the other half In railroads and other
corporations moneys and credits, and other
personals But land pays 70 per cent Of
the taxes, and the other half 81 per cent.
Encum bered real estate pays double The
debtor pays high interest on his mortgage,
and then pays taxes on all, as though no
mortgage existed. II the holder Of the
mortgage does not forget, he also pays
taxes on his mortgage. Massachusetts has
done away with this robbery by dividing
this tax ratably between debtor and cred
itor. Tax evaders will not permit this Just
law TO be enacted Ia Illinois. The over.
burdened debtor must continue 70 pay
double, that they may escape. So crushing
burdens are borne till strength fails and
the home Is lost
The aggregate valuation In Illinois has
declined since 1873 about $500, OO0, 900
The strange part Is, that the chief decline