Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-05-03
A REPUBLICAN VIEW.
Murdoch, Of Eldorado, Airs His
View of the Tariff Question.


the country would go to the devil with
out protection; that we must not put
the labor of this country On an equality
with the pauper labor of Europe.
These distinguished republican states
men further tell us that our infant in
dustries-many of them from fifty to a
hundred years old-must be protected
from the competition of Europe if we
hope to become a great manufacturing
nation.
Being a simon-pure republican from
away back, we accept the statements of
the party leaders as true and are there
fore just as much of a protectionist as
Honorable Father Baker, of the COM
naon,Oealth. OF Honorable Mr.: PETER, of
the Topeka Capital. And, besides
never having lived in country which
fioated the banner of free trade, we are
forced to declare that such an innova-
ton at this critical time in our history
would destroy US.
So then, any wicked citizen who so
far forgets himself as to declare that we
are for free trade should be denounced
as bad mana very bad man.
But when we read in a New York
paper that three billion and a half of
money represents the farm mortgages
in ten of our western states, and when
we are absolutely convinced of the fact
that there is not farmer in the United
States who has in the last twenty years
cleared enough money from his farm to
build a decent house or paint his barn,
we instantly ask, ''why is it that agri-
cultural interest of this great nation is
so prostrated?"
Farming is our greatest industry.
One-fourth of the entire population of
the country is engaged in agriculture,
and yet, each succeeding year sees it
sink lower and lower in the scale COM
pared with other Industries; and why
is it
Going east by way of st Louis and
passing over the prairies of Illinois, the
rich valley of the Wabash, the western
reserve of the Ohio, the fertil valleys of
eastern Pennsylvania, we see the same
old implanted houses, the same tumble
down barns, the same dilapidated fen
ces that we saw ten or twenty years
ago. The only change in all these long
years is-a mortgage.
If this condition of things existed in
the towns and cities we would charge
it uI to hard times. But note the
difference. The moment you approach
town or city you see handsome new
houses, beautiful lawns, sleek-looking
horses well-dressed people, and-pros-
perity. Going into the city you are
simply astonished at its magnifcence.
it's splendor. Not an occasional palace,
but hundreds and thousands of them.
The entire earth Is searched for costly
materials to go into their construction.
and princely articles to furnish them
Nothing is too costly, nothing that
money will buy too valuable.
The money changer, the middle man
the manufacturer owns the earth, while
none are too poor to invest a few thou
sands OF hundreds of thousands in
western farm mortgages.
That this condition of things exists
in this country to-day no man dare
deny.
If any one reading this article will
say that we are attempting to array
one class of citizens against another, OF
who will insinuatelthat we make these
statements with any other view than tC
inquire into the cause or causes and
suggest remedy, is devoid of that
patriotism which should be in the heart
of every man.
The cause of this condition is not
local, but national, and extends from
ocean to ocean.
Is it not the protective tariff which
has brought about this. widespread de-
preston in farm products and farm val
ues?
Can Mr.. J. G. Blaine or any of the
lesser lights even fOreshadOw the con-
diuion of this country ten years hence
under freeitrade ?
Did he OF they ever live in country
like ours where absolute free trade was
the policy of the government B.?
Can anybody explain to us the adj
vantage of.protection to the states ly-
ing between the Allegharey and Rocky
mountains ?
Weldon 't.care. to hear rehash. of all
the stupid stuff about the pauper labor,
infant industries and home consump-
tion. We want something new, some
thing fresh, something sensible.
The farmer with his wife, his son