The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1891-05-01
ONLY A FARMER.
Who Knows Hawk from a Hernshaw,
However the Wind Blows.

Who Knows a Hawk from Hernshaw.
However the Wind Blows.
When the Mckinley bill went into ef-
feet the news flashed over the country,
Germany has redoubled her vigilance
to KEEP out American pork" and then
the v hole bottom fell out of prices.
Wei do recollect when Germany
first Closed her ports on American pork
under the pretext of trichina q have
often asked why the American worm,
bred and raised in our clover pastures
and fed on our clean corn, should be so
much worse than the Dutch worm, bred
and raised in dirty sty), but really to
keep the German people from reducing
their circulating medium = the lifes
blood of a nation-some $25, 100000 an
nually for American pork. I recollect
very well the fall in prices. But few
then knew the cause, and we who saw it
were called cranks.
But England came to our assistance
for her own benefit, of course. English
capital bought our hogs, packed the
pork and sold it to Germany, France
and other nations as English pork, MAX
ing good profit; but how is it now?
Mr.. Blaine bid high for the farmers
good will by saying that the Mckinley
bill would not make a market for a bar
rel of American pork or bushel of
wheat. 1t has done worse than that; it
has spoiled what market we had, to the
great benefit of eastern plutocrats who
used to promise US home market, but
who now. having shut US out Of mar
ket by their selfish schemes, buy our
products at half and sell US theirs at
double price. No wonder they say times
are good, D
But how about Mr. Blaine's ideas Let
us look at it from the western farmers
standpoint. Mr.. Blaine wants reciproc-
ity with Central and South America es-
peciaI1y. What for? We need not be
left to guess. Let us, if you please, in
vestigate a sample.
The Argentine Republic is one of his
special pets In the statistical crop re-
port for August, 1890, from pages 400 to
416, we have an interesting and extensive
description of the country and it's re-
sources. On page 408 we are told that
but per cent. of its area is in cultiva-
ton. On page 414 we are told that it
had in 1887, cattle, 81, 1853, $50, and &C.,
701 ,097 sheep.
The United States had in 1888, cattle,
49, 234, TT, and 1854 55 sheep.
On page Alb we find that it exported
wheat in 1877, 1900 bushels; in 1887,
S,741 900 bushels" At the same rate of
annual increase, in 1890 over 100000
bushels. Exported corn in 1877, 1885,
600 bushels; in 1887, 1O,3oO ,OOO." At the
same rate Of annual increase in 1890,
2S,OOO,O 900 bushels. Exported wool in
1888, 300, All 1865 pounds" Number of
hides exported in 1888, 1868, 1856"
This is just the kind of country that
the people who have hired Mr.. Blaine to
look after their interests wish to have
close trade relations with. Here is.where
they want reciprocity" but what is
that? Why, simply this: Mr.. Blaine
would like to say to these people, "You
shut off all foreign trade except ours,
give us the monopoly of furnishing you
your manufactured goods, and we will
then allow you to bring your millions of
cattle, hides, sheep, wool, corn, wheat,
ETC., to Boston and New York, and sell it
freely in competition with the products
of western farms.
More than that, we will get the fools
to tax themselves millions of dolltNs to
subsidize steamship lines, SO you can
send your stuff as cheaply from Buenos
Ayres to New York as it can now be
carried from New York to Liverpool,
which Uncle Jerry Rusk is good enough
to tell us is: Kansas City, st. Joseph or
Omaha to New York, rate per bushel.
wheat, "a 40 cents; New York to Liv-
erpool, per Guion line Of steamers, rate
per bushel, wheat, Il cents.
would like to utter my protest
against having all this wool pulled over
the eyes of the western farmer, and all
such deep laid schemes, loud enough to
be heard from center to circumference
of this mighty country, but am only
farmer, and who cares for him?-J. J.
Kiser in ST. Louis Republic. I.