Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-10-04

this country
Yes.
What was the average tariff tar under
the law Of 1897
Icannot tell you.
Hand me that volume on the foreign
commerce % the United States, by Mr..
Nimmo. Let us look down this column
on page 90, and we find 1t to be 25 per
cent. and fraction.
Yes, that's the figure.
You are willing to stand by that sort of
q tariff
OF course.
You don't regard it as free tradef
No, sir.
You wouldn't want to see it any higher
that's tax enough, isn't it2
That's the tariff Of '42, and 1t is high
enough for me-it's high enough for any
body.
You say that the Mills bill is free trader
Yes, most emphatically.
Why?
Because that Is what it Is called.
Do you know what the average amount
Of tariff tax 1t provides fort
No.
Only 49 per cent. and fraction; cut
Of 3 per cent. from what 1t Is now.
Whatl
Yes, sir, AZ per cent, or II per cent.
more than the tariff of '42, which is so
satisfactory to you.
Well, l declared
Haven't you been humbugged into the
belief that the Mills bill means free trader
1t looks that way.
What do you think about it now, with
these facts from your own library pre-
sented to you in an off hand way?
have about come to the conclusion
that the Mills bill Is pretty good thing,
and would have been better II it had cut
still deeper. Why, it's an outrage for
party papers and leaders to lie so out
rageously about matter which is so plain
when one looks at it in q sensible way.
I've good ,Qgjnd to cut loose from them.
Don't yofF think it would be a good
thing for you and your neighbors gener-
ally to do?
| believe it would, and mean to think
it over seriously.
Mr.. Blossom, this is nice farm of
yours; what are your 800 acres worth, at
ventureP
Iguess I'd find no trouble in selling it
for $50, 0,000-it cost me over half that
without the present improvements.
How long has it been worth $50, 900?
Twenty five years at least.
Have you owned 1t that long?
Yes, for thirty years.
How much has It yielded you during the
last twenty Ave years?
! couldn't tell you.
How much money have you in bank and
at interest now2
Perhaps 5000 all told.
Do you owe any debts?
Some; my growing crops and the stock
l shall sell would pay my taxes and square
all my accounts, / think.
Then your $50. 900 farm has been pay
ing you 5000 year?
Oil more than that!
Tell me how?
I've kept my family during that time
and reared and educated my two children,
boy and o girl. They are both married,
and gave them 5000 each to set up
housekeeping.
At q venture, how much did 1t cost you
to rear your family and educate your chill
dren2
At guess will say $4,000
And you gave them 10000?
Yes.
Then you have made $25, 600 in twenty
five years out Of your $50, 900 farm?
| That appears to be about the size Of it.
! You haven't grown rich farming for o
quarter Of century under high and
burdensome tariff tax?
Certainly not.
And yet you began twenty five years
ago with as much or more capital than
any Of the millionaires who have become
rich under the operation of this vicious
tax system, misnamed protection"
which takes from the many to give to the
few. Do you know how many-or rather
how few-men own or control half the
wealth Of this country: who came into
ownership or control of 1t under this same
vicious tax system?
Ihave no idea.
| saw curious compilation the other
day, and here it is: Our total wealth of
all kinds Is estimated at $45, 900, 600, 900.
There are American citizens with pri-
vste fortunes averaging $50, ,O0O, 600 each;
so with 41O, 900, 900; 100 with So, 900, 600;
200 with s., 900, 900; 800 with 81, ,000, 900,
and 900 with $500, 900. In other words,
1855 persons own $3 900, ,000, 600, or more
than twice as much as all the actual
money in the country. A less number Of
men, not to exceed ,000-railway mag
mates, princely bankers and heads of vast
protected corporations have absolute
control, equivalent almost to actual own
ership, Of $25, ,0OO, ,000, 900 more. Less
than 5000 men controlling $26, ,000, ,O00,-
900 Of tho $45, ,O00, 900, 900 of wealth in
the country.
May ask you question:
Proceed, Mr.. Blossom.
Are any of these millionaires farmers?
Ne'cr one. Some of them arc ranch
ers, but they only hold their ranches as
tributary provinces.
Just 50. Tho farmer doesn't seem to
have got under tho right wing Of the pro-
lection bird. He seems to have come in
contact with its. beak and claws. I'm
gotting interested in this thing. Come
over next saturday and let's have another
talk on tho subject.
All right, Mr., Blossc:a. With pleasure.
Wv. A. Taylor in Cincinnati Enquirer.
The Hlaine Fiasco.
Four years ago, when tho Republicans