The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-03-21
ALETTER FROM SENATOR PLUMB

n LII IE0 1nVm OEuAiVn 1lUmO
Promising Lsgislation That VIII
Bring Some Relief TO Tho Cat
tie Market.
E. w. Hoch. editor of the Marion
Record, has received the following let.
ter from Senator Plumb upon the sub
ject of the general depression in the
live stock interest:
WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. Is.
Dear Hoch: I have Just read your
article on the letter of Almerin Gillett
concerning the effect on the cattle in.
dustry of the pasturage Of the public
domain. While have the greatest
possible respect for both you and Gill;
cite, aud know how level-headed you
both are, in general, must say that I
utterly fail to see any remedy in the
direction indicated. 1t 10 perhaps
true that the government ought to
G barge for pasturage, although 1t has
never done 90 heretofore, partly be-
cause Of unwillingness to give leases
which would withhold considerable
areas Of the public domain from settle.
ment and partly because 1t would re.
quire very elaborate system Of polio
ing to enforce such . law, and the ex-
penses would probably equal, II they
did not outrun, the receipts. The
range men are not making any money.
This is abundantly evidenced by tie
failures in that great area. Last sum-
mer, when I was in Idaho, talked
with the principal cattlemen there: and
they all said in substance that they
should ship no cattle, except . mere
handful to give them expense money,
for the reason that they would not pay
for transportation. Suppose, now, the
government were to charge reason.
able price for the pas .urage and there
by diminish their modest profit; how
would that affect the price of cattle in
Kansas? Kansas cattle coet less to
produce than Pennsylvania, and yet
both sell for the same price In the mar.
ket, and so 1t seems to me If we were
to add to the cost of the cattle on the
prairies. that would not mean greater
profits for our cattlemen, but diminish
ed profits for the prairie cattlemen.
1t is true the government might make
and enforce such regulations as would
drive the range Gait. emen out of the
business entirely, and this would prob.
ably result favorably. in time, to the
producers Of cattle who own their own
lands, but do not think il would be
possible to get Congress to enact law
with that purpose. The men on the
rangee are engaged in legitimate busi-
ness; they are American citizens; and
1t has never heretofore been the policy
to discriminate In favor of one citizen
against another In matters of this kind
But suppose the government should 60
cattlemen; they would of course rush
their cattle upon the market. During
the two or three years which would be
necessary In order to enact and enforce
. law for that purpose their cattle
would come upon the market in over.
whelming supply, and break it to q
point even lower than 1t is now.
The effect of the range competition
lie, in my judgment, exaggerated. Our
people had large benefit out Of it in
the beginning because while the ranges
we're being stocked up the demand for
cattle for that purpose made prices to
our people very much higher. Shortly
the reaction came and since that time
the number of range cattle has steadily
diminished as from time to time the
owners of them have been frozen out
by low prices and by other unfavorable
conditions.
know how easy and inevitable it is
that in times like the present there
should be not only general casting
about for remedies, but also q DISPOSE.
tion to have legislation of an emergent
character rather than that which meete
permanent conditions, but it must be
borne in mind that people who eat beef
are represented In congress as well as
the people who raise it and for this
reason, If for no other, think it would
be impossible to discriminate by legis.
lation against one class of beef prOduc-
ers where the effect would be to in
crease the price of this staple product.
do not mean to cay or intimate that
Congress cannot do much to relieve
from the depressed condition in which
our farmers are now struggling, but as
the present condition did not come sud-
denly, but by degrees, so the most eff.
aided, of course, by wise legislation.
have been seeking for the past three or
four years to arouse our people to all
appreciation Of what l thought was in
svitably coming. and which has now
come. Two years ago made speech
in the Senate In which I said lower
prices for agricultural products were
certain in the near future. At about
the same time made a speech on the
financial question in which portrayed
the evil effect to result from a contrac.
ton of the currency then going on.
There was no response from Kansas
upon either of these propositlons ex-
cept that got my knuckles raped in
the newspapers and in private letters
upon the theory that my financial ideas
we're q reflection upon preceding Re.
publican administrations. The Cleve-
land administration deliberately, wick
eddy and illegally contracted the cur
rency. You will search political Plat
forms in Kansas in vain for any re-
preach Cd this account. All at once
things eliminated in the lowest prices
known for many years and our people
want remedy applied Immediately,
and somewhat naturally they look to
Congress, and exclusively, for that
remedy. No matter how much the
trouble may grow out OF the conditions
which are entirely beyond the control
of legislation, and some Of which have
been wholly within control Of people |
who complain, Congress is to apply the |
entire remedy. ] have no doubt Con.
gress will apply a remedy in the shape
Of an increase in the volume of the
and in q revision of the tariff, |
but these things cannot be done at