The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1888-02-10
What Western Farmers are De-
mandlng of Congress.


At the late meeting OF the Nebrasks
State Alliance the following memorial
to Congress was adopted:
Your Memorialists, farmers and DEL
egates to the Farmers Alliance of the
State of Nebraska, in annual meeting
assembled, respectfully represent:
That agriculture, the leading industry
Of the country, is at the present time
greatly depressed; that three -fourths of
the farms Of the Mississippi and Mis-
souri, valleys are under mortgage. and
that in the States of Nebraska, Iowa
Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and Texas a
large proportion of the chattels OF the
farmers are also covered with mortgages.
That the rate of interest which these
mortgages bear is so much higher than
the rate of increase in the wealth of
iarmers that the total absorption Of
their property if this system is contin-
ued, is only question of time. That
statistics published by the State Board
of Agriculture of Illinois show that the
corn crop Of that State has been pro
duced at total loss for the past five
years of over s5O.OOO,OOO, proving that
the farmers who by their own labor
have produced those crops have labored
nearly or wholly without wages.
Statistics also show that during the
term from 1880 to 1885 eighty.seven
of the richest agricultural counties Of
Illinois suffered an actural loss in pop.
ulation. Tnat under this system the
farms are passing to the ownership OF
mortgages, (bankers and mt neyed in
stitutions) and to occupancy Of tenants,
whose con iition is only one degree
above that of the tenantry of ireland.
Your Memorialists also represent that
this condition of affairs is too wide
spread to be produced by the ordinary
causes which affect the welfare of indi.
viduals such as extravaganza, iutem-
perance OF improvidence; and that its
causes must be sought in economic
conditions which result from and may
be controlled by legislation. Promi-
nent among these causes your Memoir
ialists will name:
1st-A world wide depression of
prices caused by vicious monetary
system which constantly aims to con.
tract the volume of currency to cores
pond with the volume of gold available
for monetary purposes. This volume
IS entirely inadequate to effect the pri-
mary exchanges of products, production
being constantly increasing in proper
ton to the increase in population and
improved methods and appliances, and
hence requiring more money to effect
exchanges while this system constantly
furnishes less. Producers are thus
forced into debt, improvements and new
enterprises hindered, to that extent
clogging demand, which reacts to force
prices still lower, while no correspond.
ing dimnuation of debts or interest
takes place.
2nd-The extortionate charges Of
transportation companies, stock yards
and elevators. the two latter being
largely owned by such companies.
3d--The ownership aud control of
the telegraph system of the country by
private individuals, which brings an
important public agency of progress
and civilization to the condition OF a
mere tool to minister to private greed.
4th-The unequal taxation OF land
in proportion to corporate aud personal
property, the exemption from taxation
Of United States securietics forming q
cloak under which thousands of millions
of dollars escape taxation.
5th-The combinations and trusts
into which many pursuits are entering
to enable them to make profit meas
ured only by their greed.
0th-The protective tariff system as
it now prevails, taxing the farmers Of
the nation to aggrandize the munutact-
urers, upon the plea Of protecting
American labor, while labor is left free
to come to this country from all parts
ofthe world.