Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-05-03
w. NJ. KINCAID, ESQ.
Spread the Gospel of Tariff Reform Among
the Farmers.


To tie Editor Of tie Register.
SIR:-The farmers constitute larger
voting element throughout the whole
country than any other one class or com
bination. They live upon their lands
away from the public avenues, where
reading matter is not so easily had and
where discussion upon the topics of
tariff and other questions bearing upon
the interests of labor and that of the
farmer as advocated by the Democratic
and Republican parties, is not freely in
dulged in.
We made big gains in every large city
i'm the Union at the election of 'SS, eX-
cept the city of st. Louis, and we lost
the States of New York and Indiana by
the Republican party making large
gains i'm the rural districts. On the ru-
raj districts the Republican party rely
for success in 90 They still hang on
to protection, and the doctrine of a
home market, to do the work for them
again. as is evidenced by every line in
the Mckinley tariff bill. They promise
increased protection on wool, on wheat,
on cattle, on potatoes, and on every
thing the farmer raises in order TO hold
him in that cOmatOSe state he has been
i'm since 1860. The wool over his eyes
has blinded him so much. and he has
followed this God of protection so long,
that he believed beyond doubt he
would land in a promised abode, where
milk and honey flowed in such abundance
that his whole life in the future would
be pleasure and bliss; but 10 and be-
hold he now awakcnS from his Rip Van
Wrinkle sleep of 30 years and finds his
land deprecated in value 30 per cent;
that he is oppressed on every hand, and
that there is a surplus of wheat, corn,
potatoes, cattle, sheep. horses and farm
products in the country.
We can organize and get our Demo-
cratic friends into clubs and hold in
line the weak kneed ones, but you can't
induce these Republican farmers and
laborers to come in. know this from
past experience. Organization is nee
eSSary. but there must be work done
outside. You can hold your meetings
at the school houses, and other places
i'm each district; that was done in SO,
but you can't get one out Of every
twenty of these Republican farmers to
come and hear The revolution must
take place in their own ranks, at their
own firesideS and by and through them
selves. The Syrcn song of our Republi-
can politicians has lulled them into a
forgetfulncSs of their duties to them
selves and the people at large and
they vote that ticket regardless of con-
sequences. You can send your best
speakers amongst these people and ii
does but little good. The doctrines OF
protection are the most illuSory and the
easiest portrayed, as laid down by the
Republican party. The doctrines of the
Democrats on the tariff requires deep
study and careful comparison to get at
the facts This is now going on, and
revolution has set in. brought on from
stern realities that are touching the
farmers pocket, and he now begins to
enquire the cause. In order to arrive
at the facts and causes that produce
this state of affairs he is found
ing alliances all over the
country for investigation and
protection. Investigation is what we
want; we can't have too much OF It,.
The future success of the Democratic
party is in these Alliances and in organ
ization. Encourage the farmers to band
together to discuss the issues of the tar
iif and compare its workings under
Democratic administrations with those
of the Republican party and see how it
affects their interests and the tale will
soon be told. When our farmer friends
do this, we need not fear results; for
they will then discuss the matter thor
oughly and non-partiSan way; that's all
We want.
" NJ kINcAIn