Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-02-06
A Farmer Who Thinks.

To THE EDITOR: During the last
Presidential campaign the Republican
speakers and newspapers informed the
farmers that IL Harrison were elected
and protection insured as the settled
policy of the nation, farmers would
share in the general prosperity. These
sentiments were loudly applauded and
to-day farmers are dancing to the mu-
sic. One year ago wheat was worth
about one dollar a bushel, now it Is
worth seventy cents. Oats were then
worth twenty-six cents, now they are
worth twenty. Hogs dressed were
worth $3.50 per hundred weight, now
they are worth S4.
On the other hand, We have been
paying tax or bonus of two or three
cents per pound on sugar, and on other
goods accordingly. l own a good farm
of eighty acres. / have worked hard
all summer-about thirteen hours day
and have raised very good crops.
find, after deducting all necessary ex-
penses, have not received over twenty.
five cents day for my hard labor, and
l have done fully as well as my neigh
bOrs. If had my farm property in
money and at interest, and worked by
the month or day, l would be good
many dollars ahead. paid one dollar
day to hired men, but only realized
twenty-five cents day myself. The
farmer voted for protection so that the
men who make the tools, implements,
machines and clothing, can make from
three to five dollars day, and he him.
self twenty-five cents. Surely, farmers
are the most liberal class of men on
earth! Now, farmers, before you call
the writer of this article fool or crank,
estimate your property and see If you
have realized over twenty-five cents a
day for your hard labor. Talk about
cheap pauper labor of Europe! Show
me a country in the civilized world
where they pay such starving wages as
is paid to those poor deluded dupes OF
the monopolists-the farmers.
Since the incoming of the present ad'
ministration an immense amount oi
American property has been bought by
British capitalssts-breweries, mines
tanneries, grain elevators, manufactur.
ing establishments, and even Warmers
"Safe Cure.n Through the aid of such
men as Bright, Golden and Gladstone
the common people of Great Britain
have to certain extent thrown off the
yoke of the capitalists who 30 long tax
ed them to poverty. After looking
over the earth for an investment fol
their capital, these British lords saw
the laboring classes here vote a tax o.
over forty per cent. on the necessaries
of life, and as no other people on eartt
were simple enough to vote such rob
berry on themselves, the British capital
lists hurriedly bought all the property
they could get. Now they can form
trusts and syndicates and rob theiI
dupes to their hearts content. Ou
forefathers would not pay England {
tax of two pence round on tea, bu
we pay her lords tax of from twenty
to eighty per cent. on many of the nee
essaries Of life.
1t would seem as If one more purchast
is all that is necessary for England t.
own this country again. Let her buy
the Detroit and New York Tribune
and the other leading Republican pa
pers, for whatever these papers say
however absurd-the people believe
The farmers actually believed it wheI
these papers said that the tariff was no
a tax. and that the election of Harrison
would ensure home market and rails
the price of grain and stock. Asit take
about one bushel of oats to buy tw,
pounds of sugar, and as we are sellin.
good cattle at one and one-half cent
a pound, 1 wonder how long, at tn
same ratio of increase, that long-prom
ised home market will be in reaching
US.
A majority Of farmers voted to shu
out competition on the necessaries o
life. We had protected wool' pulled
ovel our eyes, and as the wrintry BLAST
now whistle through our cotton ant
ishoddy garments, the woolen clothes
we would like to protect us from tn
cold are entirely beyond our reach. w
have raised the wool, bnt cannot affort
to wearit. hope farmers who vote,
for the present state of affairs are wei
pleased. If they are not, perhaps the.
will be at the close of this administra
ton. The price of grain and stock hav
gone down; but the price of some good
has gone up, interest has advanced
trusts have multiplied, the men VIII
duped the farmers are holding good, ia
offfces-and the end is not yet.
Breckenridge, Mich. RUs1ICUs.