The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1890-03-13
Lsrrrn rnox sEsAroE rlUxs.

Record, has recsIvsd the folleving
letter from Senator Plumb upos the
subject Of the general depression In
the live stock Interest:
WAsHIssToN, ID. c., Feb. Is. :
DEAR HocH: have lust read
your article On the letter Of AlmeFin
Gillett concerning the effect on the
cattle Industry Ell the pssturags Of
the public domain. While / have
the greatest possible respect for both
you and Glllett, asd know how level
headed you both are, In general, I
must say that utterly fall 10 zee
any remedy in the direction indi-
Gated. IL 10 perhaps true that the
government ought to charge for
paslurage, although 70 has never
done 90 heretofore, rarity because Of
unWilllnguess to give leases which
withheld considerable areas Of the
public domain from settle ment, and
partly because lt would require o
very elaborate system Of policing
TO enforce such . Law, aud the ex-
psnses would probably equal, II they
did not Quorum the recsipts. The
range men are not making any
money. This IL abundAntly svi-
uguCSu W tul lBlluNgS wv kINeN
area. Last year, when l was In
Idaho, talked with the principal
cattlenIen there, aud they Ell said In
substance that they should ship no
cattle, except q mere HANDFUL to give
them expense money, for the reason
that they would not pay for trans
p0rtstlon. Suppose, now, the gov
eminent were 20 charge q reasonable
price for the pasturage and thereby
diminish their modest profit; how
would that Affect the price Of cattle
in Kansas? Kansas cattle cost less
TO produce than Peansylvanla cat
tie Tor the reason that our lands are
cheaper than those Of Pennsylvania,
and yet both sell fer the same price
In the market, and 90 IL seems 10 me
II We were TO add to the cost Of the
cattle on the prairies, that would sot
mean greater profits fer our cattle
men, but diminished profits for the
prairie cattlsmen. IL II true the
government might make and enforce
such regulations that would drive the
range cattlemsn out Of the business
entirely, and this would probably
result favorably, In time, 20 the pro:
dueers Of cattle, who own their own
lands, but do not think Il would
be possible to get congress to enact
q Law with that purpose. The men
on the ranges are engaged In legiti-
mate business; they are American
citizens; and IL has never heretofore
been the policy TO discriminate In "a
vor Of one citizen against another In
matters af this kind. Bus suppose
the government should 70 10 work
now and break up the range cattle
men; they would Of course rush
their cattle upon the market. Dur
ing the two or three years which
would be necessary In order to enact
aud enforce O Law for that purpose
their cattle would come upon the
market In overwhelming supply,
and break IL TO = point even lower
than Il IL now.
The effect Of the range II, In nay
judgment, exaggerated. Our people
had large benefit out Of II In the
beginning because while the ranges
were being stocked up the demand
for cattle for that purpose made
prices TO our people very much
higher. Shortly the reaction came
aud since that time the number OF
range cattle has steadily diminished
as from time to time the owners Of
them have been frozen cut by low
prices and by other unfavsrabls
conditions.
l know how easily and ineyita-
Bile Il 10 that In times like the
present there should be not only q
general casting about for remedies,
but also a disposition TO hSye legis-
l. nl nlgaFantaF
rather than that which meets per-
maneut conditions, but Il must be
borne In mind that people who eat
lie 4 are represented In congress a.
we'll as the people who raise IL, and
for this reason, II for TO other, |
think 10 would be impossible TO dis
criminate by legislation against one
class Of beef producers where the ef-
feet would be TO increase the price
Of this staple product.
/ do not mean to say or intimate
that congress cannot do much TO re-
lieve from the depressed condition
In which our farmers are now strug-
Cling, but as the present condition
did not come suddenly, hut by de-
grees, 80 the most effective remedies
will come with time, aided. Of
course, by wise legislation. l have
been seeking, for the past three or
four years to arouse our people to al
appreciation OF what thought was
inevitably coming, and which has
now come. Two years ago l made q
speech In the senate In which l said
lower prices for agricultural pro-
duets were certain In the near fu-
ture. At about the same time
made q speech on the financial
question In which l portrayed the
evil effect 10 result from o contrae-
ton of the currency then going on.
There was no response from Kansas
upon either OF these propositions ex-
cspt that I got my knuckles raped
Ia the newspapers and In private
letters upon the theory that my fin-
auciai ideas were O reflection upon
preceding Republican administra-
lions. The Cleveland administrA-
ton deliberately, wicksdly and ille-
gally contracted the currency. You
will search political platforms In
Kansas in vain for any reproach on
this account. All at once things
eliminated In the lowest prices
known for many years and our peo-
pie want q remedy applied imms-
diaiely, and somewhat naturally
they look to congress, and eXclu-
aiveIy for that remedy. No matter
how much the trouble may grow out
of the conditions which are entirely |
beyond control OF legislation, and |
some Of which have bees wholly |
within control Of the people who |
congress 10 to apply the |
entire remedy. / have no decbt |
will apply q remedy In the |
shape Of an increase In the volume
Of the currency and In q revision Of |
the tariff, but these things sannet be |
done ut once. A large body OF men |
require to be moved. Methods Of |
con sideriug legislation have been |
adopted, the RESULT Of generations Of |
which cannot be set |
aside. The urgssey which our peo-
pie feel 10 no true index Of the feel
Ing Of those who eat our low price
products. Bills have been lntrs-
ducsd which will cover the case 90
far a. legislation ear. They are be-
ing considered by committees.
could, Of course, as everybody else
aouId, get up and make q speech on /
the subject, but that would not effect
here. IL may de st hsme,
but I have never yet durisg my thIr-
teen years Of senatorial experience,
made q speech except upon q Ques-
tIoR pending aud with q view 10 in
o vote upon Il, and 90 now
while eur people are complaining
that we sre taking interest In ether
9 Sen Plumb
Of legislation which have
Deea brought before the house and