Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1890-02-12

monopolies-the terror OF trusts, an'
ever perspiring champion of the horn.
handed sons of toll. whose bass drum
voice has been heard throughout thu
and.
When the time for the meeting haC
arrived, less than 10000 tillers of th,
soil packed the school-house to suffo'
cation. A chairman and secretary
were promptly chosen, and the speak
!, er at once introduced, who, after wait
ing three quarters of an hour for the
deafening applause to subside, said
"My fellow citizens: This mag
nifcent, overwhelming and paralyzing
ovation is only equalled by that spon.
taneous and irrepressible welcome, al.
ways extended to me as your distin-
guished representative, every time |
enter the halls of congress. (Tremen.
duous applause and cries of bully for
congress- My countrymen, thegreat
prosperity of the farmers to-day is
due to the marvellous influence Of our
high protective tariff. (Amid the
applause which followed this declar-
alton, an old fellow opened the stove
door, and shoveled in two bushels of
corn in the ear, at sight of which the
orators face fairly blazed with look
of triumph as he said.) Little did !
expect my old friend, Farmer Pathor-
ic with scoop shovel in hand, would SO
OPPORTUNITY furnish an ocular demon
stration Of the truth of my assertion,
that the tariff is the great source of
the farmers wonderful prosperity.
Applause
"Under the magical influence of the
protective tariff, the yield per acre of
corn has increased to an alarming ex-
tent not alarming to the farmers, but
alarming to the coal barons of the
land. applause, and cries of down
with the coal barons.0 1t requires
no prophet, my fellow citizens. to see
that under the encouraging influence
of the tariff, corn is rapidly coming
to the front as the popular fuel of the
day; (Cyclonic applause.) And why
should it not, my countrymen? First
it is cheaper than coal second, it is
free from cinders third, il is free from
sulphur; fourth, tits clearer than coal !;
fifth. it lightens the labor of your
servants.
"What more pleasant and sublime
scene can we contemplate, than to
witness the farmer in his richly fur
nished, four story brick mansion, with
twenty-five rooms, mansard roof and
seven gables, listening to his queenly
daughter as she plays the accompani-
ment on her thousand dollar Steinway
grand piano, and sings that beautiful
farm ballad, The flowers that bloom
in the spring, tra-la, while he with
his wife and little ones, toast their toes
before fire, from fuel which nature
has furnished him on the cob, as the
product of his own soil. Immense
applause But gentlemen, this is not
all, nor even half
"Under the wonderful influence of
the protective tariff, you are holy
terror to the coal monopolists, but the
farmer is boss of the cattle market.
Years ago you had to butcher your
own beef, and drive your fat cattle on
foot to market. To-day, by the aid Of
the tariff, you find yourselves so thor
oughly masters of the situation that
Mr.. p. ID. Armour is forced to convey
your cattle in palace cars, furnished
for the express accommodation of far.
mers-to central point, where your
animals are gorgeously entertained in
stock yards erected for your benefit
until such time as they can be kindly
led out one by one and gently chloro-
formed, and in due time laid down at
your own doors in the shape of beau
tiful dressed beef. Applause and
cheers for Armour)
ut is true you generously allow a
small stripend for this accommodation
but under the blessings of the tariff,
you find yourselves abundantly able
to do so, besides. Mr.. Armour being
your, you, as Christian men, recognize
the justice of the principle, that The
lsborer is worthy of his hire (Cries
of amen.) And gentlemen, / am
gratified to be able to tell you, that
under the munificent provisions of the
inter state commerce law, this lovely
so advantageous to the
farmers, has been held to be perfectly
legal, and Mr.Armour can't get out of
it. applause, and three cheers for
the courts
But more. my countrymen, (Cries
Of yes, give us more.) There is not a
dud on your backs, board in your pig
pen, chicken house, corn crib, or COW
shed that is not fully protected. Your