St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-10-25

ELLENDALE, Oct. II. "A grand meet
Ing was held here this evening, ad-
dressed by Col. John d. Benton, candi-
date for congress, and W. N. Roach,
candidate for governor. The speeches
were we'll received, the gentlemen
handling the subject Of tariff in a mas
serly manner. MIR. Roach spoke for an
hour, and was most heartily cheered
from beginning to end of his eloquent
address. Following is synopsis of his
remarks:
The tendency of civilization and progress
is TO distribute the people into classes COM
posed of the few very rich. large number
Fery poor and the great mass of the people
who endeavor to own their OWL property and
make ends meet, but who are continually
dropping into the ranks OF the poor. It has
been the experience of the world that the
proportion of the very poor increases with
The advance OF civilization, and that the coll
Iiton OF the middle classes also becomes
worse. Even i'll the days of Rome. when it
became the center OF civilization, we read of
The same effects, especially oppression to the
landholder, but in reality the whole people:
we read OF the oppressed laborer who. while
WofElng Tor low wages, was compelled with
me masses OF The people to pay high prices
.or e. erything they had to buy ;of high taxes,
Of combinations to put up the prices of the
necessaries of life by limiting the supply.
mus, while increasing the prices. decreas-
Ing the wages Of the laborer, by decreasing
The amount of production and therefore the
remand for labor. we read of the degrade
non OF the common people, who,
Becoming Desperate,
look to arms only to be followed by the usual
results of instruction, disasters and still
greater oppression. The picture of the con-
dition of the people in ancient times IS not
changed, if We look over the civilized world
10 day, and the only question for us in this
country is TO determine whether this ten
dency IS applicable TO our country or other
territories that nave been filling up
With population during our first century
nave furnished outlets to the surplus popu-
iatlon of our Eastern states and to The
crowded cities. thus mitigating the evils of
lensc population TO some eXtent-thus oper-
ating to counteract the effects of surplus
labor, tO-wit: a great fall in wages, crime
and poverty. But our territories arenow
substantially occupied by the homestead and
pre-emplon claimant SO nearly taken up
that you all remember that the opening of a
new territory heretofore occupied by the In
dams of only few millions of acres. created
intense excitement, and was all taken up in
day, and if every acre of public
land now included in reservations
which can ever be worth occupy
ing could be thrown open to settlement, a
days time would see every quarter section
the home of a settler. The opening for sur
parts of the world is, therefore, about closed
ana soon the reflex action Will commence
filling up our cities and giving the wonderful
growth of centers of population q still
greater notwithstanding The proportion
OF idle men, necessarily reducing wages and
thus increasing The facilities for all kinds or
manufacturing, yet decreasing the ability of
he people. consequently slagnatlon, dis
content and poverty come, and eventually,
unless some statesman deviseS remedies civil
eommotion, anarchy and revolution, which
III all eases aggraVaie the unfortunate condi
tion Of the people. While what have Just
said applies especially TO the cities, 10 labor
ers, to trades and in the factory, vet turn TO
the agricultural population, the farmers and
the conditions are no better, while the flu
ture is still darker. In 1870 the 6,0Ou, 600
OF farms. with their 5000, 000,O 900 of cap
ltal-in round numbers-produced So 400
U00.U00 worth of farm produce, while In
1880, with largely increased capital and
numbers OF persons engaged In farming
and with nearly double the amount of farm
produce its value was about 2Uo, OOO, 600
less Than in 1870. But carry the illustration
further:
Equality
we all agree Is all the farmers ask. and when
say farmers mean agricultural communi-
ties and localities such as our little country
where the prosperity of all is dependent
upon that of the farmer. for no other class of
men III an agricultural locality have anything
10 sell. Let us consider, then, If the farmers
q
deal. Taking the census of 1886, which is
the latest reliable statistics. and the proceeds
IN round numbers were $1,000 for every
$1,000 OF capital Invested III manufacturing
while In farming the 81 900 of capital only
brought Sl25, or one.eighth as much return
TO the farmer. But the tomparison does not
stop here. for the numbers engaged in farm
ing were three to one, thus making one man
IN manufacturing, with a certain amount
of capital. equal TO twenty-four men in the
business OF farming with the same capital
Is it any wOnder-that the farmers arc falling
behind, that land values are declining why
the boys and girls desire to leave the farm,
where their reading tells them they have not
ali equal chance? If this is all true then
something is wrong. There is cog out of
the wheel, If laws should be changed. it is
only justice TO our largest class of working
men that ii be done at once and 1t is cues
ton of life or death to the agricultural in
teTests that the correct remedy be devised
and applied.
What is the cause of this retrograee move
ment IN the condition OF the farmers and the
oppo tie to The manufacturers? II is the re.
sui of n state of affairs which comnels the
farmer 10 sell everything be produces on the
farm IN competition with the whole world,
WIN me consequent low prices, with the
added disadvantage of a condition of the
laws so regulating our shipping business
that the transportation OF all the farmer has
to sell is III The hands Of our commercial enc
mes, mus controlling freight rates. discYim-
mating against the American producer while
other legislative enactments have caused
some products of the farmer to be entirely
barred out Of some foreign countries, and
without foreign market for the surplus of
the farms utter ruin must come upon the
farmer The remedy as to prices for what
the farmer has TO sell, then, must consist in
such alterations of our laws as will not bar
out of any country our farm produce, but in
crease our exports. If such amendment 10
old or new passage of laws as will restore to
the United states its supremacy on the high
seas that thus we may not compel our Amer.
lean exporter TO pay tribute 20 those who. in
commercial sense, are our enemies, and
thus prevent the
Unfair discrimination
against the farmer who puts his produce at q