Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-03-20
OPPRESSED FARMERS.
Senator Voorhees, Espouses
the Changers Cause.
WHY FARMS ARE M0RTGAGED.
Agriculture Depressed by Vicious
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Proceedings.


WASHINGTON, March 19.-Vice-P Presi-
dent Morton occupied the chair in the
Senate today. The resolution offered by
Voorhees,, Monday, as to agricultural
depression, was taken up, and Voorhees,
addressed the Senate. He said, in part,
it WAS now nearly thirty years since the
close of the war had given to avarice an
opportunity to prey upon the self-sacri-
ficing patriots of the country. The
measures resorted to for the taxation of
one class of citizens and the enrichment
of another had been legislation by which
the burden of the public debt had been
doubled, silver demonetized, and high
protective tariff established. He charac-
terized the protective tariff as a curse.
The farmers of the United States today
did not receive on an average more than
ten cents bushel for CORD, fifty cents for
wheat and two to three cents per pound
for hogs. Every pretense of a home
market for the farmer was fraud, and
every pretense of taxing wheat and oats
and potatoes for his benefit was
cheat and shame. It was notorious
truth that the tariff as it now stood in
creased the farmers expense account
from 35 to 100 per cent. on every imple-
ment of industry with which he toiled,
and last year binding twine was raised to
18 cents pound by trust. He did not
believe that the hand of the farmer would
hold the Republican ticket at the next
Presidential election. Not only had
there been no increase in the value of
land in the last quarter of century, but
there had been an absolute loss of thirty
three per cent. Improved farm lands
today, under the most favorable circum-
stances, would not on general average
realize more than two-thirds of what
their value had been twenty
FIVE years ago. Ohio farms were
now under mortgage to the amount
of 5000, ZOO, 900. In Illinois twenty
three per cent. of the whole face of the
State was under mortgage, they amount
ing to $402,O00,000. Forty-seven per
cent. of the State of Michigan was under
mortgage; in Indiana, Kentucky, Mis-
souri,, Kansas, Nebraska aud the whole
Northwest from twenty to fifty per cent.
of the farm lands were under mortgages
at such rates of interest az the farmers
could never pay out Of their crops, to say
nothing of the principal. The farmers
we're thus brought face to face with ruin.
Nor were the farmers of New England
different in that respect from those
of the Western States. The
remedies to be applied we're: First,
tariff reform; second, full supply Of
legal tender money; third, the free
coinage of silver; fourth, the suppress
sion by law of gambling in futures !;
| fifth, liberal policy of pensions.
Voorhees, summed up his arguments
with reference to the subsidized press,
"blocks of fve," official patronage, ETC.
Wilson, of Iowa, said he desired to
read letter from farmer of Iowa who
knew by practical experience more about
the condition of the farming class than
the Senator from Indiana ever learned
in bis readings. He then read letter,
which has already been published. show
ing the comparatively low prices of farm
produce and the high prices of manu-
fectured goods before the war.
The Blair Educational bill was taken
up, and Pierce spoke in opposition to it.
Evarts and Call ADVOCATED it.
Allison, from the finance committee,
reported with amendments the House
bill in relation to the collection of reve-
nues. Placed on the calendar.
Adjourned.
HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.
The Maryland contested election case
of Mudd against Compton was called up
The debate was limited to six hours.
Lacey, of Iowa, opened the discussion in
support of the claims of the contestant.
Dalzell and Greenhalge also advocated
the case of the contestant, and the case
of the eitting member was upheld by
Moore and Gibson. Pending vote, the
House adjourned.
CONGRESSIONAL NOTES.
The House committee on public lands
today ordered a favorable report on
Ccmstock's bill for the relief of settlers
on Northern Pacific indemnity lands,
with few amendments.
The Republican members of the ways
and means committee will submit their
tariff bill to the full committee on Fri
day. The agreement reached on Mexi-
can lead ores provides that lead ores
shall be dutiable at l e cents per pound,
and will have to pay the duty regardless
I,,f MI athar ~ not tbo 1ao1 oro ;o occo.