Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-03-20
NATIONS CAPITAL.
Voorhees, Resolution on Asricul-
tural Depression Diseased.
Sill Aors Talk On Bliii's Educational
Bill In the House.


wAsHIseros. Mar. l9.-The resolution
offered by voorhees, Monday - to asri :ul
! tQral depression was taken up and voor
hees addressed the Senate in relatio to il
He characterized the protective tariff as
curse. The farmers Of the United Statei
today did not receive on an average NOR,
than 10 cents bushel for corn. so cent
for " heat, and to 8 cents . pound fol
hogs. The tirse woul come at no distan
day when the farms would look upon tn,
proposition to tax bin. his wife and child
ren for the protection and benefit of othe,
people besides himself, as he would lool
on Law of congress to establish the arm,
worm snd weevil on his wheat. infest hii
cattle with murrsin and his hogs with chol.
era.
Every pretense of home market for the
farmer was q fraud. every pretense taxing
wheat, potatoes and oats for his benefit was
q cheat and a sham IL was . notorious and
self-eviden, truth that the tariff a. it now
stood increased the farmers expense &C.
count 35 TO 100 per cent on every imple-
ment Of industry with which he toiled-
Binding twine had been enhanced to Is
cents pound by the tariff and twine trust
He did not believe the hands of the farmer
would hold the republican ticket at the
next presidential election. He declared
that not only had there been no increase in
the value of land for the last quarter of q
century but there had been an absolute loss
Of 33 per cent. The farms of Ohio now
under mortgage amount to $500, 600, 600.
Illinois mortgages amount to S402 000. 900.
Twenty three per cent of the whole face Of
TIlipnta uIa IN
per cent Of the whole surface of Michigan
was under mortgage.
In Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas.
Iowa. Nebraska, and the whole northwest,
from 20 to 80 per cent Of the farm lands
were under mortgage at such rates Of in
terest as the farmers could never pay out
of their crops. to say nothing Of the prin-
cipal The same dscadence was in Yer
mont and New Hampshire. where there
was a movement to re-colonize them with
the Scandinavian immigrants, where the
farm lar ds could be purchased from 81 to
So an acre. In the face of such appalling
facts who, he asked, would eulogize the
workings and results of the system of tariff
protection which had for q continuous
term of % years accomplished nothing
save the concentration and amassment of
wealth in the hands of few protected
people. The remedies to be applied were ::
First, tariff reform; second, full supply
of legal tender money; third. the free
coinage of silver; fourth, the suppression
by law Of gambling in the future; fifth,
a liberal policy of pensions.
Wilson of Iowa, showed comparatively
the low farm produce and high prices of
manufactured goods before the war.
Stewart, said, while agreeing with Voor-
bees. as to the deplorsble condition of the
farming class. he differed with him in views
as to the principal cause Of the ex sting de-
preston. In his (Stewarts) belief insult
cient money circulation was the only cause.
The Blair educational bill at 2.15 was
taken up and Pierce of North Dakota ad-
dressed the Senate. He said he hoped to
have the opportunity of voting to postpone
the bill till the second Tuesday of Decem-
Der next in hope that the bill would be
amended to divest it of its Objectionable
features an yet secure in a large degree
what seemed its most righteous objects.
Before passing the educational bill the
republican party should carry out its pledges
to the old soldiers and pass the dependent
pension bill. Tire will be time enough
to attend to the educational bill after the
farmers are saved from ruin and old SOL
diers from beggary.
Evarts addressed the Senate in support
of the bill. In discussing the constitutional
questions involved Evarts referred to JEFF
ferson as great lover of education, aud
asked who would have doubted he would
have put education over everything else.
He spoke of the stupendous estim ties made
by the opponents of the bill as TO its cost.
and said it simply amounted to s77 ,000. 900
spread over eight years. That amounted,
he said, to 81 25 head for eight years, l5
&c ITS head per year on the whole popula-
ton.
Call spoke in favor Of the bill. He de-
clared there was nothing in the bill that in
terfered with the control of schools by the
States, and nothing from which such
assumption might be reasonably inferred.
Bate obtained the floor and the bill went
over till tomorrow.
Allison, from the finance committee, re-
ported back with amendments the House
bill to simplify the laws in relation to the
of revenue and it was placed on
the calendar.
The Senate at $50 adjourned till to-
morrow.