Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-05-02
THE MCKINLEY BILL

The following article we clip from the
Keyser Echo. 1t has some good meat in
it
MIR. EDITOR From the tone of hith
erto rank free trade organs. it is evident
that an attempt will be made to divert
the attention of the people from the tar
If question to matters of much less i'm.
portance but the way is clear and no
good friend of the good principles of pro
lection will be led away by any side issue.
The abused Mckinley bill is the issue and
will be in 1892 the party that framed it
and made it law will stand by it. and
when It's ,orces begin to move in trade.
and when its effects begin, as is already
the case. to energize commerce and re
store confidence, and quicken business
many thousands of honest men who have
been scared about high priced clothing
for their children. high pricei Bibles
books, bedding and buckets. vi re
me.nDe. the sta tie nents of the Democratic
psDers and orators. made in thu last ca n
paign.
Nor will the Farmers Alliance serve
the purpose its founders. The mans
used to Induce honest farmers into that
organization have become exceedingly
transparent to farmers themselves and
many of the very best men OF the Ali,
anve are growing lnkewarm in theiI
support of the principles Of thsi' faith
The honest farmers Of this country
know that their condition is no worse
to-day than it was ten, twenty. thirty.
forty years ago The know that farm
products have not shruak in value al
any time, in the same proportion thai
m 'nufactured articles have declined
They know that 81 per bushel is now
tue dN erage price of wheat. and has been
for years and years and they know full
well that while wheat has D2t changed
in value, the machine that cut iC has de
clined more than 200 per cent in IS years
The drill that sowed the seed has declin
ed in price. the pillow and harrow that
prepared the ground have, the machine
that threshed it has, the wagon that haul
ed it to market has but the horse that
drew the reaper the pillow, the harrow
has not the wheat that be sows has not |
the hay his horse eats has not. and so on
through the whole list of manufactured
articles used by farmers. AS we'll as farm
products. Let me say here that all farm |
products are in demand and are worth as
much as the average price for forty |
years. while all the manufactured artic /
les used by farmers decline in value each |
year, Every body knows that agricul- /
ture has kept pace with manufacturing |
and everybody knows that the farmer |
that has been diiigent. aud exercised |
good common sense III his business. has |
reaped good reward,
But the farmer and there il iGXuri |
ant growth OF this class in the Alliance |
that has let the moss grow on his farm !
ing tools as well AS on his back his pre-.
JUDGES grow in his heart the mortgage !
/, A a.
mortgage. cries out class legislation =
tariff tax - hurrah for Alliance -
The declarations of some of the men re
Gently elected to office BY the aid of the I
farmer vote. proves to every thinking
farmer that it is the object and purpose
OF the Democratic pdlty 10 sift the Ali
ance, to use it. 10 control it. and that too
IN direct opposition TO the welfare OF the
farmer, by crushing out American man
ufactures and thus DESTROYING the best
and only markets the farmer has or may
hope for.
Respectfully,
March -. DlDYMUs.
The Alliance cdn have as much space
in our columns as the above article occu-
pies in which to reply. but offensive per
sonalities cannot be admitted We beg
to suggest that some Alliance man state
definitely the specific grievances of which
the farmers. as farmers, complain
What particular laws. State or National.
are oppressive to them as farmers, more
than to other people in like circumstan-
ces. Make general charges, but back
them up by specifications. 1t seems to us
that this would be a most excellent plan.
and that it might well be supplemented
by an equally definite and circumstan
tial statement of what the Alliance pro
poses to do and how it proposes to do it.
1t would also be of interest to a good
many people if it could be definitely
stated whether the performances of the
Kansas House of Representatives in the
last session are to be considered as a fair
sample of Alliance legislation, and
what may be expected if that society
should come to WELD the political power
of the majority.
EDITOR ECHO