Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-11-26

PRESIDENT POLK.
attendance. Mayor Thomas L. Sulli-
van was introduced and welcomed the
alliance in the following words:
Iconsider myself fortunate that am per-
mitted, in the name of the city of Indiana
polls. to welcome you gentlemen to-day.
You have come from all parts of the country
Tor the purpose of consulting together in
regard to the best interests of that great
body of citizeuo you in part representative
farmers of the United States. No office could
be more honorable than that you have come
here to discharge, and no guests could be
more welcome to Indianapolis than you.
gentlemen. coming with your credentials in
your hands:
The citizens OF indianapolis are deeply in
terested in the conclusions to which you
may come May they be founded in wis
dom. May you always remember that be-
cause the farmer and the farm are the basis
of all prosperity in this country of ours
when you consult as to your interests, you
at the same time consult to the interests
OF every class of American citizens.
Permit me again to welcome you to Indf-
annapolis. It is a goodly city. full of hospit-
able people in whose name greet and well
come you. whose guests you are. May your
work of the coming week result in good to
your country; and. after it is over. may the
recollection Of your visit here give you
pleasure and satisfaction all the days of
your lives
ance executive committee, responded
to Mayor Sullivan. After thanking the
people of Indianapolis for their warm
welcome and paying a tribute to Presi-
dent Harrison, he continued:
1t is the farming and the laboring people
who feed the world, who fought the battles
of this country and to whose energy and
patriotism this great ami glorious land of
ours is indebted for it's richest blessings of
liberty and peace. 1t ia not our mission to
tear down nor disintegrate our honestly
conducted industries. but to preserve them.
Ultimate IN Dir atoms and monOpolies that
tend to destroy the very spirit and
intent of the constitution. We are
not here as politicians. seeking to
disrupt partisan political parties
or to promote the fortune OF any political
aspirant. here in the interest OF
any third party, for by the very organic
teachings have tho right to vote with
best advance good government
1 desire to call your attention to the last
billion dollar congress Its expenditures
reached the grand total OF 81. 0O9 no AL. which
Is nearly two thirds of all the existing
United States money. More money was
spent by that profigate billion dollar con-
gress than was spent by all the other con-
crosses during the first seventy-two years
of this government 1t is more than 81. H..
200 for every day from the time that the
Fifty first congress met in Decem Der, 1889,
=,
easily calculate IL for yourselves and you
will find 1t to be Sc, a day for every day since
the birth of the Saviour of mankind: SIG
minute for every minute since the Declara-
tion of Independence. A billion and nine
million for two years is more than half
billion for one year. 1t is more than So for
every man. woman and child in the United
States And counting the families to con-
cain five persons Zach, it makes a tax of $4}
family to support the government OF the
United States alone: and remember this
does not include one cent levied for state.
county and municipal purposes What
would the people of the United States
think Of a tax OF $40 upon the head
OF every family? Yet this is exactly
dure it IL collected directly from them in
stead of indirectly. it is collected
through our tariff? Say what you please
about the tariff. but 1t must and shall come
down to q reasonable basis of taxation and
these reckless expenditures by congress
must be stopped, or We will continne to
change the personnel of every congress.
Yet this Is not ALL nor Is 1t at the bottom of
that which brought about the uprising of
the people of all parts of this great country.
can best illustrate 1t by the use of the
three TBS that are the first letters Of the
three wOrds These words arc Tran sp0rta
ton, Trust ,nd Tariff Here is the trouble,
and there are three C's which are the first
letters of three words, Crush. Change and
Control, the unwrittcn and ironbound oath
that our friendly political newspapers abuse
US SO much about will now tell you what
this oath Is: 1t IS to crush the trust. change
the tariff and control transportation. What
is the condition of the farmer to day? Mo-
nopolies. high tariff and combined trusts on
one side OF him. unjust Determinations by
railroads upon the other side and q billion
dollar congress on top; money powers and
the unm "rciful manufacturers controlling
high protective tariff by bribery in behalf O:
their own interest: railroad kings CONTROL.
ing unjust examinations in their own in
terest and against the farming masses.
PRESIDENT Folks ADDRESS.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Nov. 1S.-Last
evening President Polk. of the National
Farmers Alliance. delivered his annual
address. In opening, he said:
Assembled here as the accredited repre-
sentatives of the farmers of almost every
state in the union. you cannot be unmfndful
OF the weighty responsibility attaching to
your position Upon no body has greater
responsibilities fallen than upon this since
the meeting of the continental congress-
The demands of the latter for equal
rights were no more just than are
yours against the Inequalities which
threaten to undermine the liberties OF
the people and destroy tho great aGri.
cultural interests of the country Diif1ent
earnest research a. to the causes which
have forced the American farmer to the
verge OF bankruptcy have forced upon him
the conviction that the most sacred func-
lions OF the government have beea usurped
by q favored few to the detriment and ruin
OF the neglected millions
What are the alleged grievances OF the
farmer? Let the record show. From 1850 to
1850 farm values increased IoI Per cent
from 1870 to 1880 the increase was only per.
cent At the same time the aggregate wealth
OF the country Increased from 1870 to $50
over Is per cent The ten staple crops OF
the country brought In the year 1884 less
than per cent. more than the crops in 1853
Inc crops of 1867, though less than half as
large as those OF 1887. brought the farmer
s'S!iiooo more. During the last decade
aencuifurai lands have decreased in value
rom 70 to 40 per cent Two thirds OF the
counuy's wealth IL not assessed for taxa
sion. yet the farmer. possessing only "a per
cent OF it. pays 80 per cent. of the taxes
with ali ehe modern facilities of transporta-
Ion anu improved machinery, the farmer
at prices barely covering the cost.
Again. the farm mortgage in the aSr,cu,e.
urai states are frightfally large In Iowa
'as moosaged indebtedness is sIol per