Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1890-03-27
VOORHEES, AND THE FARMERS.

VOORHEES, AND THE FARMERS.
The discussion of the tariff is such
threadbare one that the average
reader is disposed to turn YEARLY
away from anything which he sees
on the subject in the newspapers.
It would seem that so much has
been said on it that nothing new re-
mains to be said on either side.
Still, even as certain great classic
orator among the ancients was in
the habit of beginning and ending
all of his speeches with the sentence
Carthage must be destroyed" so it
is incumbent upon the newspapers
to continually allude to the enormi-
ties of the present tariff system I'M
til they are done away with and
equal and exactjustice is done to the
American people, instead of the
class favoritism and the class dis
tinctions created by it. And it is
highly important that the farmers of
the country should be aroused to a
proper appreciation of their condi-
ton, for, while their own salvation
and their own interests are the most
nearly concerned, they have it IN
their power to benefit the whole peo-
pie. This was manifested in the
last presidential election and thor
oughly demonstrated. While bull
doing of employees by factory
bosses and Doodle had much to do
with the result, yet the largest gains
for tariff reform were in the manu-
featuring cities and the heaviest
blows were received in the country
from the farmers. Every farmer in
the country should read the speech
delivered in the United States SEN
ate the other day by the ''TaIl Syca-
more of the Wabash They would
then understand why it is that so
much discomfort, anxiety and rest
lessness prevail among the farmers.
They would then be able to see how
the protective tariff is curse and
not blessing; that every pretense
Of home market for the farmer is a
fraud and every pretense of taxing
wheat and oats and potatoes for his
benefit a cheat and sham. The
speaker truly observed that the time
would come, and at no very distant |
day at that, when the farmers would |
regard proposition to tax them and
heir wives and children for the pro-
lection and benefit of other people
besides themselves as they would
ook on a law of congress to estab-
ish the army worm and weevil in
heir wheat, to infest their cattle |
With murrain and their hogs with
cholera. The old, old story, that
protection makes the rich richer and
he poor poorer is peculiarly true
With reference to the farmer. Ac-
to the report of the state
BOARD of agriculture it cost the farm
RS of Illinois last year ten million
If dollars more for their corn crop
han they can sell it for and there
las been no increase in the value of
ands for the past quarter of a CEN
Jury. But while the farmers pay
rom 35 to 100 per cent tax on every
of industry used and
while they are farming at loss and
heir farms are being plastered with
mortgages, the railroad corporations
re not only growing richer, but the
icher they grow the more their as
for taxation are reduced.
The Pullman Palace Car Company,
or instance, which was assessed in
874 Sixteen years ago. at $780,
100, paid taxes IN 1883 on only
;2S5,000; and the railroad assess
nents, which were S133,OOO,OO0 in
1873 on $500 miles of track, are now
educed to S68,O00,0OO when there
re ten thousand miles of track.
PnGT- 1Tcp Drae,lo,,G |