Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-20
IL. CONGRESS.
Senate.

Senate.
WASHINGTON, March 19.-Vice- Presi-
dent Morton, having returned to the city
after two weeks absence, occupied the
chair at the opening of to-dsy's session.
The resolution offered by Mr.. VOORHEES,
last Monday as TO the agricultural de-
preston was taken up, and Mr.. voorhees,
addressed the senate in relation to it.
BE spoke of the deep, strong current of
anxiety, discoUtent and alarm prevailing
in tie farming communities, and said he
proposed to aid them in the inquiry as to
the causes of. this depression.
It was now nearly thirty years since
the close of terrible war had given to
unhallowed avarice an opportunity to
prey upon self-sacrificing patriots of the
country such as had never before been
presented to passions and odious vice.
The measures then resorted to for tax
alton OF one class of citizens and for the
enrichment of another class had been
legislation by which the burden of the
public debt had been doubled silver
demonetized and high protective tariff
established. He characterized protective
tariff as a curse and not a blessing.
The farmers of the United States
to-day did not receive on an
average more than 10 cents a bushel
for their corn, fifty cents for wheat, and
from two 10 three cents pound for
hogs. The time would come, ct no dis
tant day, when the farmer would look
upon the proposition to tax him and his
wife and children for the protection and
benefit of other people besides himself
as he would look upon 4 law of congress
to establish the army worm and weevil
on his wheat, to infest his cattle with
muTrain and his hogs with cholera.
Every pretense of q home market for the
farmer was q fraud, and every pretense
of taxing wheat and oats and potatoes
for his benefit was a cheat and sham.
1t was notorious and self
evident truth that the tariff as it
now stood increased the farmers expense
account from 80 to 100 per cent. Oh every
implement of industry with which he
toiled, and last year binding Irvine had
been enhanced to eighteen cents q pound
10y tariff and trust. He did not believe
that the hands of the farmer would hold
a Republican ticket at the next presi-
Dental 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 80 per cent. If the improved
farm lands of the United States were put
to sale to-dry under the most favorable
circumstances they would not on
general average realize more than
two-thirds Of what their value had been
twenty-five years ago. The farms of
the state of Ohio were now under mort
gage to the amount of $500, 900 900. In
the state Of Illinois things were no bet
ter, mortgages in that state amounting
80 S402 900, 900. twenty-five per cent.
of the whole face of the state Of Illinois
was under mortgage. The state Of Michi-
gan was still worse. Forty-seven per
cent. of the whole surface of that state
was under mortgage. In the states Of
Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas,
Iowa, Nebraska and the whole North
west from 20 to so per cent. OF the farm
lands were under mortgage at such rates
of interest as the farmers could never
pay out of their crops, TO say nothing OF
the principal. Farmers were thus
brought face to face with the loss of
their homes, with ruin, and hundreds of
thousands of them were standing in that
attitude at the present day and hour. Il
Nor were the farmers OF New England
different in that respact from those of
Western states. There was the same de-
cadency in Vermont and New Hamp-
SHIRE, NuBI6 lIbES was Il IilpFGu6ub W
recolonize them with Scandinavian i'm
migrants, and where farm lands could
be purchased at from 81 TO 50 per acre.
IN the face of such appalling facts, who,
he asked, would eulogiZe the workings
and results of system of tariff proteo-
ton which had for continuous term Of
twenty eight years accomplished nothing
save the concentration and amusement of
wealth in the hands of few protected
people. The remediss TO be applied
were:
/ Tariff reform.
2. Full supply of legal tender money.
,. Free coinage of silver.
4. Suppression by law of gambling in
futures.
3. A liberal policy of pensions.
ResuminE, he said in the face of these |
things (referring to the subsidizlng of |
the press, purchasing votes in ''blocks Of |
FIVE, official patronage, etc., and /
with full knowledge of what Is before us,
we viii grid up our loins like men and |
go forward to the fight. The battle may |
be long and weary, but the sun will 20 |
down on great and final victory of eter- |
nal right over legalized wrong, of free |