The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-10-01


pride'' in it.
nent living Republican that in the Nc
Kinley bill "there is not section or
line in the entire bill that will open the
market for another bushel of wheat or
barrel of pork" In all the Union no one
has ever risen to dispute this declaration
of Mr.. Blaine. Mr.. Mckinley, in his re-
port, confesses that agriculture is great
ly depressed, after a quarter of a CEN
tury of high protection. His theory and
the theory of the bill is not to aid the
farmer by opening new, or enlarging old
markets, but by increasing the cost Of
every thing the farmer must buy.
We have been told ten thousand times
by the Republican leaders that the high
est tariff duties we have had in our whole
history have enabled US to accumulate
wealth with rapidity without prece-
dent in the history of the world. We
have been assured that in this wonder
full prosperity farmers have been full
participants. If that has been true, the
great increase in tariff taxes proposed
by the Mckinley bill would not be so
wholly unjustifable. But what are the
facts? Since 1916 we have had no sub
stantial changes in the tax laws of Ohio.
All property is to be valued at its true
value in money. This includes farm
lands. The value of lands is ascertain
ed by the personal examination of Off
GERS, usually men of the highest char
acter. We have had that done every ten
years for forty years. Now let US see,
when tested by the valuations placed on
our lands, what influence a high or low
tariff has had on the property of Ohio
farmers?
Between 1850 and 1860 the lands of
Ohio, as returned by the appraisers, in
creased from S266, 751, 1o2 to S492, 500, ,5s7
This was a period of the lowest tariff
taxes we have had for seventy-four
years. It was an increase of 1925, s42, 5s7,
or eighty-four per cent. In 1880 the
lands of the State were valued for the
purpose of taxation at sos, S21, 094. The
increase in twenty years of high protec-
tion was $213, 227, 217, or $12,615, $40 less
than it was under the ten previous years
of low tariff; or an increase of only
forty-three per cent in twenty years of
high, as against an increase of eighty
four per cent. in ten years of low tariff.
But how has it been during the last ten
years? Are lands advancing in value in
Ohio? If high protective tariff is bene-
foial to farmers, surely it should be seen
in the increased value of their property.
But what are the facts? We have this
year made a reappraisment of the lands
of Ohio. Sworn appraisers have done
this. Some of them were Republicans
and some of them were Democrats. I
believe the valuation is as high in pro-
portion to salable values as any ap-
praisment ever made in the State. The
returns have not yet been fully
published, but the lands of
Clinton County have decreased
in value $1,5OO, 600; Green Coun-
ty, 81, ,s57, 900; Clarke, 81, 400, 900; Fay
cite, $3.50, 600; Ross, $4,000 900. The
decrease of the value of lands in this
district alone during the past ten years
has been more than $1,000, 900, and the
decrease is found in every township.
But this is not exceptional. The
decrease in Warren County is So, 275, o00;
in Butler, 81, 06O, 900; Franklin, 81, 10O,-
600; Crawford, $196, 900; Delaware, $2,-
$50, 900; Knox, $1,000, ,0o0; Morrow, S2,-
207, 900; Hancock, Notwithstanding It's
oil and gas and the wonderful growth of
the city of Findlay, $500, 900; Richland,
So, O41, OOO Such reports as these are
coming to US from every direction. The
cold, hard, cruel fact is, that the farms
of Ohio are worth less, and the farmers
of Ohio are poorer than they
were ten years ago by about
one hundred and hfty million
dollarsl They have wasted, and worse
than wasted, so far as any increase of
property is concerned, ten long, weary
years of life, and Of toll, and of trouble.
Our tariff taxes have excited retail
atory legislation in France, Germany,
Austria and Italy, which has absolutely
deprived US of a market for our pork and
lard throughout about half of Europe.
1t has closed the markets of nearly half
the civilized world against one of our
most important products. Retaliatory
legislation has restricted and lessened
our exports of agricultural products to
Canada. Our high tariff has not only
not opened to us market for our pro-
duce, but it has driven US out of the best
markets of the world. 1t has made it
necessary for farmers to sell their
products for far less, and has compelled
them to give far more for what they
buy. Is it any wonder that this has re-
suited in a condition of gradual but cer-
tain impoverishment? Major Mckinley
proposes to remedy the difficulty by Civ
ing US a more heroic dose of tariff poison.
But the Mckinley bill, which excites
such intense admiration in the minds OF
| our Republican friends, not only raises
the tariff duties, but it agrees to tax you
and me to give bonus of millions OF
dollars to the sugar growers of Louisi-
ana. The proposition is to pay to sugar
growers enormous sums of money wrung
by the tariff taxes from growers OF corn
and wheat and pork.
Gentlemen: am directly opposed to
this whole scheme from beginning to
end-from top to bottom More than
twenty-one years ago I feported reso-
luton to a Republican Convention in
Clinton County that was unanimously
adopted, which contained the words:
"We heartily favor a revision OF the
present oppressive tariff so as to ADJUST
it to purely revenue standard" am
in favor of doing that now. know OF
no higher purpose for which government
is instituted among men than that o.
securing to each man the full, peaceaole
enjoyment of the products OF his OWL
| toll. know of no more wicked perVer'
sion of the powers of government thar
| by legislating to take the money one
man earns by his toll and give it to an,
| other man, who has not earned it, to ado
to his business profits. That is the pur
pose and that will be the effect OF tnt
Mckinley bill.
I know that many of our refreshing
Republican friends, led by the ables
| and most audacious Of them all, (excsp
Mr.. Speaker Reed), are trying to nne
refuge from aroused public indignasloI
under the shelter of reciprocity" L
too, am for reciprocity, but for reciproc
ity in it's large and broad, not IN ~
narrow and contracted sense. Woule
| open to our commerce all the markets
the world. would invite France, Ger
many, Austria and Italy to allow US u
export to their markets our wheat AM
corn, our pork and beef, or whatever w
! grow or make, subject only to reVenu