Sharp County record., 1890-10-02
OHIO FARM LANDS

Nr. j, a. Smith shows How They Have
Fallen in Value Testimony OF Senator,
Sherman and Teller Interesting Fis--;as
The Home Market Theory Exploded
Mr.. j. @ Smith, Of Ohio, has done
more to make Senator Sherman unhap-
py than any other man in the United
States, unless it be Mr. NJ D. Harter,
who is now a candidate for Congress
from the State which S the proud moth
er Of Mckinley and Foraker. And now
Mr.. Smith is sat it again" In the
Evening Post, of New York City, of Au-
gust 27th, he proves by testimony from
Mr.. Sherman's own mouth that there
has been quite noticeable decline in
the value of Ohio farms In the debate
in the Senate on August l1th the Ohio
Senator said: "My experience is, that
taking the whoe State through there
will be somewhat OF a diminution in
the value OF farm lands in Ohio, as
there is in New YORK, as there is almost
everywhere East, because ofcompetit' on
from the Western country. | have no
doubt it will be to some extent in Indi-
ana; whether it will extend to Missouri
or not | do not know"
AS If to clinch the matter, Senator
Illinois are worth to-day 40 per cent
less than they we're worth fifteen years
ago" Mr. Teller did not think that this
was due to amy competition with the
extreme West" or to amy overproduc-
tion either Of cattle or corn or wheat"
1t was caused by the demonetizat on Of
silver But the fact exists And yet,
as Mr.. Smith says protection has a.
ways deem defended as being specially
in the interest Of the farmers IF, he
says "any proteotionist in all the land
has ever, before last Monday surren-
dered that position II has not fallen
under my observation. But in the de-
bate on Monday last this claim was
surrendered, and the man who hauled
down the flag was Senator John Sher-
man, OF Ohio, 1t thus appears
that all the farm lands, unless in ex.
ceptional instances, between the Mis-.
sissIpp river and the Atlantic ocean,
have very greatly fallen in value in
spite Of every advantage they have had
from the home market afforded by high
protection on manufactured goods The
surrender was complete and absolute"
Mr., Smith shows that the western
competition" explanation does not ex-
plain. II means, II IL means any thing,
that the Ohio farmers are to give up
farming But what shall they turn
their hands TO? What shall they do
with their farms? II they raise garden
truck whore shall they sell IL?
Moreover, tho farmers OF Ohio have
for years boen subject to Western com.
petition, Tho great increase in tho
Western production OF corn is no now
thing The acreage OF improved lands
increased by bo,eO0,000 acres between
1850 and 1850, Competition with these
now lands was sharp but yet during
that decade the assessed valuation Of
Ohio farms almost doubled. Wheroin
did that competition differ from this
competition Of to-day? Tho production
Of the great crops In Ohio has not fallen
OIL but has steadily increased, as Mr..
Smith shows Evory thing is favorable
TO the culture Of cereals The truth Is,
Of course, that tho farmers have boon
oppressed by burdonsomo and un.
just system OF taxation-a systcm
which, to speak plainly Is legalIacd
robbery And Mr. Smith rightly argues
that II will DO much cheaper to stop
MA robbery" than 70 follow the ssa.