Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-07-26

price, to twice or thrice its value. He
theu buys under protection and sells
under free trade.
Small wonder the poor man stands
aghast in the midst of his overtilled
fields, and sees the very ground slip
ping from beneath him, as, year by
year, this fearful abuse goes on. To
meet his loans he borrows money on
mortgage, in the vain hope that the
next seasons crop may prove more
prosperous, pay him out, and save his
poor home and few acres to his family.
That season never comes. l read a
story once of man confined in solitary
imprisonment i'll round tower in
which was a circle of windows. The
victim woke every morning to the fact
that his prison grew smaller by the dis
appearance of window, till, at last,
the mysterious walls of death closed in
on him. This is the farmer; and the
poor fellow cannot understand the aw
full system that slowly but surely con-
tracts about him with its worse than
death; for it is perpetual servitude to
his children's children, wrought out by
government that was built above him
by the patriotic fathers for the sole
purpose of affording him and his equal
rights under the law.
1 am writing this as any other old
man would who suffers in himself
public wrong, while know there are
thousands of abler pens engaged in ex-
posing the crime If found worthy of
publication, hope you will correct
the sentences so as to make them read
able, for my stiff fingers and dull head
are not accustomed to this sort of work.
My main purpose, however, is to eX-
plain and, as far as l can, set myself
right i'll reference to an unpleasant
transaction that lately took place at
our village. Our member of congress
came home from Washington the other
day, and meeting was called at
NoodletOoZy, our nearest village, to
hear him tell about the protective tariff,
and the attempt of democratic free
traders to fetch about it's destruction.
was fool enough to attend that meet
ing. l ought to have kept at home. L
went, and took a back seat. Now, be-
fore the war l was a Henry Clay Whig.
In the war sent my sons to the field,
and gave to the cause not only my taxes
but all the donations could get from
the farm. L am a Methodist class
leader, and man of peace. 1t has
been customary to regard me as re-
publican leader of our township, and
when a meeting is held 1 am call
ed to preside. We had the town
hall full, and soon it was moved for me
ito take the chair. L got up and de-
clined. L said 1 did not feel well, and
might be forced to leave before the
meeting Was over. This was strictly
true; was sick of protection, and ex-
pected to be made sicker by hearing
the Hon. Lycurgus Leatherlungs pour
out his lying trash. l was excused,
and Esq. Jones took the place.
The Hon. Lycurgus took the stand,
and opened his cheeks in the centre
with the old, old gush of the grandeur
and ACHIEVEMENTS of the republican par
ty. l could stand this, for l was used
to it. But when he got on the prosper
ity of our country, and said it was all
owing to protective tariff, l got as
uneasy as if WAS sitting on nettles.
At last, when he said that the protec-
tive tariff lowered the price of goods,
and appealed to the democrats present
and there were several on hand, for
Noodletoozy is lager-beer saloon of
three hundred inhabitants, and of
course democrats abound-I say, when
he made this appeal, L got up like an
old fool and asked if 1 might put a
question.
The Hon. Lycurgus looked surprised,
as all at the meeting did, but he said,
"Oh, certainly we're always delighted
to hear from the NestOr of Washington
township
well, said, very sarcastic, 1.-The
Nestor wants you to explain, if a pro-
tective tariff lowers prices, what's the
good of protective tariff"
"Certainlyl'' cried.the NJ. c.; nothing
easier. You see, before a protective
tariff is enacted, the foreign manu-
facturers have monopoly, and they
put prices up to what they please. Tn
der the fostering care of protective
tariff this is stopped, home industries
thrive, and competition brings down
prices.''
There was laundering applause