Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-08-01
AT DRuooIss AND DEALERS.
mn cHaklEs vocILER CO.. Baltimore ID
THE NORTHWEST
THE CONDITION OF AGRICUL-
TURE.
Questions.
From Ohio rarmer.l

/. Are the farmers in your COM
munity as prosperous as they have ever
been?
2. Ifs0, to what do they chiefly owe
their prosperity? II not, what has been
the chief reason of the change? Leave
out of consideration such temporary
causes as bad crop year, and consider
the social, personal and political caus-
es.)
3. Do farmers take less or more in
terest than formerly in economic dis
cussions?
4. What effect does the tariff have on
their conditions
S. Will bushel ofwheat or corn buy
as many necessarles of life as it did
thirty years ago?
6. Have farmers gained or lost So
cial dignity, as compared with other
classes; such rs merchants and mechan-
les? s..
Z. Do farmers slow any less willing
ness than formerly to become farmers?
If so, why?
To these may be added the following:
s. What influences have trusts and
monopolies upon the farming industry?
8. Are you in favor of State inspec-
tion of live animals intended for slaugh-
ter and consumption within the State?
Why?
10. What changes would you suggest
in the tax laws of the State.
ANSWER.
By d. G. GIBSON.
1. No decidedly.
2. There are several reasons. First,
the credit system of doing business
which has been fostered by the dairy in
terest, wherein the man selling the
cheese makes all the money and the
farmer pays all the expense, does all the
work, and waits for what they give him
for four to six weeks. Second, the in
fiated condition of the currency andthe
high prices of everything from 1868 to
1875, from which they never looked for
any reaction, and consequently were
not prepared for it. What makes it
worse, thousands of them do not know
whyit is SO. They 60 right on hiring
work at 81 to l.5O per day, or $40 to $25
per month, just as they did when wheat
brought 81 80 to So per bushel, and oats
40 to go cents, corn 80 cents to 81.
Wheat is now 60 to 80 cents, oats 25
cents (if you can hit local buyer when
he is buying), corn 3S to 40 cents, pota-
toes, onions, and apples no sale; hun
dreds of bushels all over the land with
ering and rotting. Does any one ask
seriously if farmers are prospering now,
as formerly? Why, how can they? We
have to raise two acres of good |
wheat or oats, furnish manure, harvest, |
thresh and market to pay hired man
for one months work!
Please tell me something that pays
better. Is it butter and cheese? New
York quotations are for choice creamery
Is to II cents per h.; S cents for making,
2 cents for selling, leaving s to 10 cents
freight out;) $40 COW makes 60 cents |
per week. would rather sell bonds if |
4 had them! Another reason is farmers
are taxed higher than any other class.
They have nothing to hide. Another
reason and the main one is the with |
drawl from circulation of the money of
the country by the iniquitous system Of |
tariff taxation, which has the inevitable |
result of making everything we buy
higher, and nothing that we have, to |
sell is benefited byit. Few know what
our tariff tax is. The appropriations
for this year made by last congress
amounted to $Sl7 7,S7S,O75, and this is
not half the tax the people of this coun-
try pay on account of the war tariff
which is still kept up with no excuse
only to feed and enrich the monopolies
ofthe country. I have answered No. a
already. # b
s. No; sugar was then cents, now s
or 8 cents. Some things are cheap. i'll
a man could live on potatoes and on.
ions he would be all right.
6. Farmers gain or lose social and
political dignity just in proportion to
their wealth and ability to help some
political aspirant into power for the
purpose ofliving on, them and passing
laws to grind them down. w
7. If they have sense enough to
make good farmers they usually 60 to
town, which is far better. Those added.
questions need more room and time
than can give to them to-day. |,
Lorain Co., o. II
Their Business Booming.
4hAt tl 4