Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-10-15

being almost annihilated. were back to
what it was in 60, dividing well-nigh
equally the traffic of the seas; if our
manufacturing and mining employees,
instead OF the strikes and lockOuts and
shut downs with their attending suffer-
ing and AFFECT poverty, were back to
what they were in 60, when these
things were unknown; were all our in
duStries back TO what they were then,
still it would be right for our farming
population to rise up and say, "We will
not be duped any longer. There must
be some wrong in policy that has been
attended with such disastrous results to
our interests" But when these Others
mentioned are in a VIGOROUSLY wretched
plight as compared with 1860. how great
must be the evil endured by the country
in order that privileged few might
grow tremendously rich. How can it be
eXpec ted that home market can be
furnished that will consume the agri-
cultural products OF this vast land?
Where are you going to get the people
who will come in here and eat and wear
all that these hundreds of millions OF
millions OF acres Of this new land pro-
duce? Two pounds out of three of our
cotton crop, and from 5000, 600 to
200, 600, 900 bushels of wheat have to be
sent abroad every year to find a market
We are the traders OF the world. The
protected industries only want n home
market for their own commodities. The
government interfereS to give them this
free from competition. Why should it
not interfere to give the farmer mar
ket free from competition? The duty
on farm products is a mockery in the
face Of the enormous surplus OF them).
Instead Of this, while he has to buy in
the dearest market In the world, he is
compelled TO sell In the cheapest, where
all the farmers IN the world are I'm com
petition with him. This reacts upon
and determines his prices at home.
The cry is raised against low tariff
that it makes our manufactured product
compete with those OF the pauper labor
OF Europe and they must be protected
against It. But the farmer IS left to
compete with the far more intense pau
per labor employed in the farming OF
India and Egypt and Russia
No wonder that he has grown
poor when he has to buy high
and sell low. No wonder that highly
protected men have grown mighty in
riches when they buy low and sell high.
The farmer has to sell low because OF
his great surplus uncalled for by the
home market, and that surplus lies on
our shores, slow OF movement abroad be-
cause OF our hostile attitude In trade
towards foreign nations. All this by
the enactment OF the government which
is supposed TO treat every man alike and
to show favor TO no man against his fell
low. The wonder is great how this
could be brought about in government
founded on a theory that ours is. The
wonder is greater how the people, whose
voice is the government, could be so
duped as TO treat themselves thus in
order to favor a small fraction OF the
population, and especially how the
farming communities could thus victi
mize themselves. There seems, how
ever, TO be some poetic justice descend
ing in spots on the land to-day. The
Philadelphia papers mot the protection
organs, rest aSsured,) have been giving
dOleiul accounts Of the recent great
decline OF farm values in the once pros
porous farming regions OF Pennsylvania
1t would seem that in the case OF that
old commonwealth, the mills OF the
gods have gotten out of gear and have
taken to grind exceeding fast as well as
exceeding fine, as right on the heels OF
its $4,000 majority for protection in 81,
repeated in SIS, its wall OF distress is
heard arising from its farming interests.
Let them double their majority, making
I it 100, 600, encouraging the advocates OF
protection to give the screws another
turn, which will bring in more pros
perty that will take away another one
third Of the value OF their lands, and
by the light Of this they may be able to
see how they have beeen gullcd by the
home market argument, and have been
impoverished by it to the enrichment
OF their great protected lords. The
mention of the home market argument in
the downward condition OF the value OF
his land to-day is an insult to the intelli-
gence OF the American farmer.
BERKELEY COUNTY.