The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-11-06
THE TARIFF AND FARMERS.
A Crushing Reply TO Recent Deiivernnces
of the journal

of the journal
To THE EoIToR-iSir: In the indianapolis
Journal of the 25th inst. there was an edi-
torial article headed Timely Warning"
from which / make these extracts:
1t has come to light that the democratic man.
ayers in Illinois and other states have made
arrangements under an alias to put into the
hands of the farmers of that state, to be read
during the winter season, pamphlets assailing
protection.
The Golden club is sending no more tracts
direct; but may we not ask who is furnishing
the democratic managers with the funds neces-
sary 10 meet the expense and distribution of
the free trade tracts? Who but the deeply-in-
terested foreign manufacturer and merchant
who, If not the members of the Golden club?
They should meet them with the same weapon
and at the same time; and the best weapon is
republican newspaper, which. from day to day
and from week to week, presents the unassail-
able arguments drawn from experience, upon
which the policy of protection is grounded.
Let us see now what blessing protec-
ton has been to the farmers of Illinois.
We will take the farm-mortgages, and |
quote from "the bureau of labor statistics
of that state. BY leaving out town and
city lots and the suburban district of Chi
debt is seen-Farm mortgages:
Year.
1S70-........ o. ri 01s
too0 lO3 ,2SI
l23 7SS, O9s
This tellsits own story; for farms are a
constant quantity and do not increase. 1t
is only the wave of debt that increases
over them As this report separates with
such accuracy as it can command, mort
cages representing deferred payments of
purchase money from loans" the deduc-
ton of the commissioners is that ''the
mortgage Indebtedness Of farmers for bor-
rowed money has increased % per cent.
since 1880 in Illinois, and that this is more
than twice the increase in the value of the
farm lands"
But you may go further west and find
figures of the same solemn sort. In the
western states the farm-morteages amount
to 81, 40, 100000. This is equivalent to
debt OF 500 per capita for each person, or
$1,000 to each head of family. The in
terest which these mortgages pay runs
from to 9per cent, while the profits on
the farm capital to put it large, is only
from to per cent.
In regard to the cry about the Golden
club, that is an old chestnut. We all re-
member the campaign of last wear, how
the republicans plastered walls, fences and
even Out-houses with pictures of the British
flag, and pointed to them as emblems of
democracy. And with what hypocrisy
their professions have proven, let's see:
The first Office our pious president con-
ferred after his election was the appoint
ment of Mr.. Halford to be his private
secretary, an Englishman. Next he ap-
pointed Porter, another Englishman, as
superintendent of the census, and that is
one of the most important offices in his
gift. Only few months ago Russell Har-
risOn, who calls his father "pa, made a
trip to England and the continent of
Europe. One of his irst acts after he ar
rived in London was to accept an invita-
ton from the queen to dine with her, and
desiring to ape as nearly as he could
nobility he donned a court dress, knee
breeches and buckles, and was received as
Prince Russell. We respectfully suggest
that the more quiet the party leaders now
keep about Golden clubs, British influence,
etc, the more consistent and respectable
they will appear to a majority of the peo-
pie of this country.
Circulate republican papers. We adj
wise the party by all means to send out the
Journal among the farmers of Illinois and
Indiana. What the Journal people do not
know about farming and farmers wants
can't be found in any agricultural paper in
this country. 1t is no secret out here on
the Wabash. among republicans, that the
Journals influence did more to defeat the
party in Indianapolis, a few weeks ago.
than all the other causes. The prophecy
of the leaders here is that it must be
bought out or crushed out of its present
management, or the party, in 1890, will go
to Hades. II there is any combine or trust
that is against the people, that does not
have its full and unqualified Endorsement.
the average reader will be pleased to have
it pointed out
Last fall, after the election of Harrison,
the republicans consoled themselves for
an hour that this tariff question had been
effectually relocated to the rear. But it
will not down. Like the slavery question,
it is here to stay, and will go right on till
it is fully settled that this people will no
longer pay tribute to the barons and mo-
nopolists. and pay taxes to keep fifty to
one hundred millions of dollars of a SUR
plus in the treasury, to be plundered and
robbed by as infamous set of scOundrels
as ever disgraced any country. With them
it is, as one of the barons said few
years ago OF the people, "the surplus
be -" JOHN REDPATH.
Terre Haute, Oct so.