Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1890-04-12
VOORHEES, ON THE TARIFF.


Senator VOORHEES,, of Indiana, in the
United States Senate on the 10th of
March. We regret that our space will
not admit of printing the speech in
full:
Mr.. President, there is trouble at
this time in the hearts and minds of
the farmers of this country. There
is deep, strong current of discon-
tent, anxiety, and alarm prevailing
in all the farming regions of the
United States, and that current is
growing swifter, stronger, and more
threatening every hour, The spirit
of unrest, irritation, and reproach is
abroad amongst the.tAlers of the soil
to an extent never before known in
American history. The millions who
plow and SOW and reap are being
moved by a mighty and concerted
impulse to inquire into the cause
which have led to their present ca
lamitous and oppressed condition.
y X X 4 X X * y
The foundations of all human pro-
gress are in the hands of the farmer,
and are laid by him IS he asserts do
minion by his daily toll Owe the
tremendous forces and illimitable re-
sources of nature. Who fails to be
fascinated by a contemplation of the
commerce of the seas? The thought
is a most inspiring one that at this
moment the richly freighted ships of
all the nations of the earth are NOV
ing through the oceans, and swarm
ing on all the coasts and into all the
harbors known to civilized man; and
yet all This mighty system Of CON-
merce, traffic, and exchange is as de-
pendent upon the corR.felds and the
wheat fields of the farmer as the
fields themselves are upon the dews
and rains and sunshine of heaven.
How brilliant, wonderful, and awe
inspiring appear the great cities Of
the world to the casual glance of the
u%nrehecting mind.
X 4 e. 4
Gilded palaces, baronial castles
marble halls, colossal estates outrival'
aling in value the richest dukedom:
of the Old World, all draw their sus'
tenance from the bosom of mother
earth; their roots strike deep into the
mold that is turned by the pillow, ant
the farmer at last is made to pay fol
all. 1t is estimated that over twenty
millions of the present population o
the United States, counting all age
and both sexes, are engaged in thu
cultivation of the soil, and on thei
productive labor, not only the Gov
eminent itself leans for support, blu
also all other classes of citizens deriv,
from the same source their prosper
ity, their wealth, and too often thei
profuse and criminal luxuries. Is j
not well, therefore in the presen
juncture Of affairs, to turn away from
less important questions and lool
carefully into the condition of tn
agricultural masses, who bear tn
burdens and constitute the strengt
and glory of the Republic?
The tariff, with all its overwhelm
ing prominence and its overwheln
ing oppression at this time, is but
part of the vast system devised NOR
than a quarter of a century age
whereby a moneyed aristocracy hs
been created, labor degraded and d,
prived of its earnings, and the Coy
eminent tselfrevolutionized in spiri
and soon to be revolutionized in sui
stance and in form. tits true tn;
while the tariff is only a part of ii
money power system of the Cover
ment, yet its place and agency
that system are of the most vital an
commanding influence in its execl
ton. To take toll from all the labo
ing men, women and children Of Il
United States on all their wants an
necessities, not for Government re-
enue, but for the protection of Il
millionaire manufacturers, powerf
corporations, trusts and s%yndicates,
the base function of the tariff Law
now on our statute books. gI8nN
I = UNI M u l*it
The farmers of the United Stat
are this hour realizing, upon a gene
al average, not more than 10 cen
per bushcl for corn, so cents per bus
ell for wheat, o to 3 cents a pour
for hogs, a cent and a half to . Ger
for fat cattle, and even this low al
almost nominal rate of Drices won