The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-09-29
or All Fortunes in the Land None
Were Produced by Agri-
culture.
Senator Allison Forced to Consider
the Interest of His Iowa
Constituents.
Taxed to Make Milllonaires In OtheI
States, Their Own Lands Covered
Deep With Mortgages.

or not this industry can fairly be subjected
to burdens imposed for the benefit of those
engaged in other industries. Mr.. Allison
is compelled to abandon the 'large'' view
which he delights to take of things, and to
consider narrowly, in dollars and cents,
the interests OF his constituents.
For this state of affairs Gov. Boies is en-
titled to credit. He has placed tho tariff
question upon plane whore its claims can
be tested and understood by all. He has
reduced the matter to the practical con-
sderation: 'Can we afford it? Are We
making SO much money in Iowa that we
should be required to contribute through
enforced taxation to the welfare Of others?"
Every farmer can settle this question for
himself.
IlSenator Allison, forced to meet this test.
has assumed to answer the question in the
affirmative. He says corn growing in Iowa
is 80 profitable that those engaged in it can
afford to submit to taxation in the interest
of the Pennsylvania manufacturers, and he
adduces figures in support of his claim.
He computes the value of farm lands in
Iowa at $50 an acre. and considered as an
average price, this is high enough. Tho
value of the product he puts at $3.50. an
acre for the corn and As cents for the fod-
der, total of 1886. The total cost of
production, aside from interest on the
value of land, he puts at $5.55, leaving
So. 40 as the net profit on an acre Of land
worth $50, or ~ per cent net on the CAPT
tai invested by the farmer. And this he
makes as the showing for what were con-
fessedly FIVE years of unusual depression.
huc ~ MAJ
net in hard times is certainly profitable.
People can be found who are content to
make much less. Government, state, school,
CITY, railroad bonds are taken every day
from 81 to per cent interest, and some
securities of this kind are at a premium.
II farming in the simplest way of corn
growing pays in the worst of years more
than three times as much as government
bonds, then surely farming pays, and the
inquiry arises: Why are our farmers dis
content2 Why are hey not rich and happy
Mr.. Allison's answer would be, il he had
the courage to make it, that it is the fault
of the farmers themselves. Men who IN
hard times make II q per cent on their in
vestment ought to get rich if they are in
dustrious and economical. Do not our
Allison? Or are they sxtravagant? Let MIR.
Allison, who was so ready to
answer that corn growing pays, now answer
the consequent inquiry. Why are not our
| farmers rich?
There is no better agricultural state than
Iowa. How many millionaires are in the
state? There may be dozen, perhaps, but
not one of these made his money at farm
ing. The Iowa millionaires are protected
lumbermen. or they are tax-title specula-
tors, or railroad projectors. Among all the
| farmers of this state not one can bs found
who, by farming, has made $250,O00.
| In Pennsylvania millionaires can be
| found by the hundred. Carnegie alone is
worth $50, ,O0, 900, made out iron and steel.
Grant that he is shrewd and capable man
of business; grant everything that may be
claimed for him in the way of personal
able in thirty years to make twice as many
| millions out of manufactures. And what il
true of him is true i'll only less degree of
hundreds of Others.
| Why are there no Carnegies among west
ern farmers? Does Mr. Allison mean to
| ing? Does he mean to say that with hun
dreds OF men amassing millions in Penn
sylvania there is not one in Iowa who could
do 90, although equal opportunity exists
here? All over the country there are bank
ers not netting over l115 per cent. on their
getting rich, and yet our farmers, who, Mr..
Allison says. are always sure OF that amount,
! continue poor.
Capital and labor will flow in swelling
tides to any industry where llB per cent.
| ia tue least return that is paid. Why, then,
does not everybody rush to the country?
| Why are so many counties in Iowa decreas-
ing in population2 The cities have grown
during the hundred years of our national
life nearly ten times as fast rs our nation,
taken as whole, and yet Mr.. Allison tells
us that in the worst of seasons farming
pays good wages for labor and 1111s per
cent. OF the capital invested.
| Western farmers ought to be very rich
and getting still richer, if Mr.. Allison tells
the truth. They can see the money that is
made in speculation. in trade, and in man
ufactures. They can see it in the colossal
fortunes piled up by the Vanderbilts,
Goulds, Carnegies, Armours, Huntingtons,
and Rockefellers; in the mansions that
| line the eavenues and boulevards and dot the
suburbs of our cities. and in the four in
hands, yachts and special cars in which
our urban magnates take their pleasure
jeunts; but they cannot sec the money that
ia made In corn glowing. They see no
farmers with colossal fortunes no stately
piles in which the bucolio Crnsuses dwell;
no splendid equipagos il which they dash
| through the lanes that separate their grow
! ing fieldp of grain. They make the money,
for Mr.. Allison says 80, but they want to
know, and they pray he may enlighten
| them, what becomes Of ii.
THE FARMERS MONEY.
Goes to Mako the Manufacturers Rich