Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-04-10
THE TARIFF QUESTION.
An Able Letter From VIM. b. Estell Re-
lating to the Depreciation of New
York Farm Lands by the High
Tariff and the Failure
of Wool Growers.
OLEAN, N. Y, April Sd, 1890.

one OF the leading Democratic papers in
Western New York. 1t contains an ex-
tract of my tariff talk.
The Reform Club, of New York CITY.
is holding series of meetings all over
the State of New York, for the purpose
of creating an interest and arousing dis
cussion on the tariff.
| We have held some 80 in all-in Liv-
ingstone, Allegheny and Cattaraugus
counties. Our series in Cattaraugus
county are still under way, and will close
on Saturday evening, April 18th. have
spoken at each meeting. The interest
taken in these talks by the farmers, and
the discussion, which invariably results
from them, bodies ill for the permanency
of Protection"
My business, since the middle of last
November, has brought me in close re-
lation to the Western New York farmers,
and the condition of affairs, which find
here, is as surprising as it is interesting. |
have always accepted, with considerable
hesitancy, the newspapers description
of the condition of the Western farmers,
but my experience with New York farm
ers has convinced me of the possible
truthfulness of every statement that has
been made.
You know how world famed our West
ern New York farms once We're, and es-
pecially thosc44.asf. the Gennesee Valley
that beautiful Valley which was known
as "the Garden of the World"
1t was common saying that a New
taller when he could say his farm was in
up much when he mentions that now,
bn ole pf fho Val
ley farmer has departed.
The land has lost none of its fertility;
the remarkable improvements which
have been made in the machinery of
production has increased, to a wonderful
extent, the efficiency of the farmers
labor, and yet, in spite of this, his con-
dition has been gradually but surely
growing poorer, until to-day, the contrast
between his condition now and the pros
perity that was his thirty years ago, is
something startling.
The only crop that seems to yield an
increase is the mortgage crop. have
been astounded at the extent to which
farms are mortgaged. 1t is beyond dis
pute that fully two-thirds of the farms
in this section of the State are mortgaged
to more than one-half of their present
value.
During an interesting talk, which l
had short time ago, with Mr.. Clark,
of Batavia, who is attorney for one of
the New York Railroads, he told me
that, in the course of his business, he
recently had occasion to examine into
the titles of 80 farms, for the purpose of
condemning the land for railroad pur-
poses, and to his astonishment he found
that out of the 80 72 of them were mort
gagged to vastly more than one-half of
their value. Farm lands, during the
past twenty-five years, have deprecated
in value fully 80 per cent, and in every
county where | have been magnificent
looking farms are lying fallow, simply
because no one can work them and hope
to realize sufficient to pay the interest on
the mortgage or reasonable rent to the
owners.
Wherever l go see barns packed with
hay, and large stacks standing in the
fields, simply because farmers cannot
find reasonably profitable market for
it. ! was in the village of Campbell, in
Steuben county, some time ago and /
heard haypresser refuse to take mans
hay because he wanted $500 a ton for
the best. In the village of Fillmore, in
Allegheny county, haybuyer told me
that he could buy more hay than he
wanted for $4 so per ton.
Prices for oats, barley and wheat have
deprecated in the same ratio. Oats are
a drug on the market at 25 cents per
bushel; barley cannot be sold at 40 cents
per bushel, and wheat is proportionatly
low.
The farmer, who has a mortgage on
his farm, and his name is legion, finds
Ir,ar inn, hi 81.
from his money crops to pay his taxes,
his hired help and the interest on his
mortgage.
had considerable to do in LAWYERS
offices in Steuben county, and l can
truthfuiiy say that of the many farmers
who came into these offices 80 per cent.
of them came to pay interest on mort
gage or to beg off paying the interest un-
til some other fellow, who owed him,
paid up.
| have gone into the condition of the
farmers at some length, because / wish
to call the attention of our Protectionist
friends in Pennsylvania to the fact that
the Home Market"-which they so
glowingly pictured as the most desirable
thing for the American farmer-has fill
ed the farmers purse in the same way
that Protection to American Working
men," they tell me so much about has
'filled the latter's dinner pail"
We, who believe that the immortal de-
claration of independence is not string
OF glittering generalities, but sound
document, which really means that all
men are created free and equal, have
reason to congratulate ourselves on the
awakening of thought which is taking
place in the minds of the farmers.
The large attendance at our meetings,
and the extraordinary interest shown in
them by men who have always been
protectionists, is an evidence that there
is growing doubt in the minds of the
farmers as to the ability of any nation
to tax itself into prosperity.
mat the farmers in Western New
York are losing faith in Protection is
not surprising to me. What does as
tonish me is that they have ever had any
faith in it. 1t seems to me that no where
else can there be found so many instances
OF the viciousness of the Protective sys-
tenn as in this part of the State of New
Farmers are looking backward now,
looking over the road they have been
led by the fallacious promises of protec-
tionlst, and they see the way they have
Travelled IS strewn with the wrecks of
many industries which once made them
prosperous, and are beginning to realize
that Protection" which they have for
years supported so honestly, has caused
these very wrecks. / have not the time
to give you many instances, but can
not refrain from giving you few.
You know the bait that has always
been successful, in catchingthe farmers
vote, has been wool. VIM. Lloyd Gar