The Iola register., 1891-04-24
SOME ALLIANCE PALACES.
Mlsreprnsentations by President Polk
His Disregard of Facts I'm a Re-
cent Speecb

Mlsreprnsentations by President Polk
His Disregard of Facts I'm Re-
cent Speech.
Washington telegram to the New
York Tribune: President Polk of the
farmers alliance, is in Washington, and
he spoke last night before what is
styled the 'citizens' alliance" His
harangue excited good deal OF enthu-
siasm, and before the meeting ad-
journed it was resolved to print and cir
culase i, ZOO, 600 copies of the speech,
several hundred thousand of which, it
is said, are to be distributed in Ohio
during the coming state campaign. II
judged by some of his assertions, the
president of the farmers alliance has
| been emancipated from the last vestige
of bondage to facts; that he is a man OF
boundless imagination there can be NO
doubt. OF course he had a great deal
to say about the Fearful ravages of the
money power" and yet his remedy is t.
invite the money power to commit
still more frightful ravages. Here is a
choice excerpt from President Folks
harangue.
The Fifty-frst congress, but recently
adjourned, was in session thirteen
months. During that time it expended
in round numbers $1,000, 900, 900 of The
peoples money, a sum equal to SIT 900,
900 per month, S17, 100000 per week,
S2,5OO,0O per day, Sl04,000 per hour,
81. 1873 per minute, S2S per second. Let
us bear steadily in mind that 80 cents oI
every dollar of this sum came from the
agriculturists of this country. These
suffering millions besieged the doors oi
the capitol during that time pleading
for relief. They were turned away
empty handed, their opportunities dis
regarded, their entreaties ignored, and
they were insolently admOnished to
keep out OF politics." to 'live closer
and work harder"
Mr.. Polk did not say who gave the
'insolent admonitionn of which he
speaks, but he doubtless knows. Per-
haps it was the democrats who voted
sOlidly against the tariff bill, against
the meat inspection bills, and against
every other measure designed and cal
culated to benefit the farmers and all
other citizens. Neither did he say how
he discovered that the farmers pay 50
per cent of the taxes; but he surely
knows, for he declared that they are
worse off now than they were forty
years ago, in the palmy days of ''red
dog and wildcat money. He says
that the farmers 'were turned away
empty handed, and that they pas so per
cent OF the taxes.
Both these statements cannot be true.
If the farmers paid 100000 of the
s66, ,21S. 600 OF revenue tariff collected
on sugar last year then they were not
turned away empty handed by a con-
gress which not only relieved them
from that burden, but provided that
American farmers and planters who
produce sugar shall be reimbursed in
the amount of the former revenue duty.
Neither were the farmers turned away
''empty handed" by a congress which
by raising the rates OF duty on a large
number of agricultural products, gave
them market for millions of dollars
worth of such products which had hith-
erto been raised By foreign farmers on
foreign soil. and shipped to the market
of the United States to compete with
the products of the American farmer.
Again, congress did not turn the
farmers away ''empty handed" when it
enacted laws which. before the next
crop is ready for market, open new mar
kets for American provisions and bread
stuffs: when it enacted wise laws which
will insure the reOpening of European
markets now closed against us, and of
extending to other European countries
the market for American live cattle and
hogs, as well as for fresh and cured beef
and pork.
Does Mr.. Polk know that the last
congress passed such laws? Does he
know what the markets of France and
Germany for pork, bacon and other hog
products alone are worth to American
farmers? OF course not. In 1881 those
markets alone swallowed such American
products worth S22,OOO,OOO. Since
then the same markets have
been virtually closed against this
country, and, admitting that there
might have been no increase of the
trade-whfch is wild admission
farmers have lost more than $500. OOO,-
900 in sales. Is it worth nothing to
American farmers to have those mar
ketS restored, as they soon must be, un-
der the operation. Of laws enacted by the
Fiftyfrst congress? When France and
UeTIuduy ldIu tldG HeaVy embargo on
the farmers of the United States there
we're on the farms of this country more
than 43, 900, 600 swine, nearly one-half of
all in the world, of the aggregate value
Of S292, ,00O, 900: and the cOuntry's for
eign exports OF hog products alone
to about $50, 100000. OF the
swine on American farms at that time
more than one-half in number
and about twO-thirds in value
were found on the farms of ten states,
In the nine months ended October !.
1890, Germany imported $4,000 live
hogs and pigs from other countries.
Of this number exactly one was i'm
ported from the United States. which
produces nearly oue-half of the swine of
he world. Austria, which excludes
American hogs and hog products, can-
:ributed 125, 1854; and the Fifty-irst
congress, which enacted laws to re-
open foreign markets, not only for
American hog products but for live hogs
md cattle and for the corn of American
srmers-for pork and beef must be fat
ened and live cattle and hogs be fed
turned away the farmers ''empty hand
I'd according to the sapient demagOgue,
the head of the farmers alliance.