The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-10-01
WHO STARTED IT.

The republican papers and the re.
publican speakers are all dealing
with the corngrowing question as if
it had been started by Gov. Boies and
was upon the one side his contro.
versy and his alone.
The LEADER wishes to give the
governor his full due, but the facts of
history forbid its joining his enemies
in ascrlbing to him the credit Of
originating the statement that under
present conditions corngrowing does
not pay.
BY his New York speech the gov
ernor did indeed give to the question
q practical political Importance il
did not before possess, by compelling
its consideration in connection with
the tariff policy Of the government.
He made so plain the injustice of tax
ing an Improbable business to en-
nance the profits of ONT which was
already prolific Of millionaires that
his opponents were compelled to take
issue upon the fact he alleged.
That it is unjust to tax the corn
grower for the benefit of the manu-
facturer, if corngrowing does not pay
is self-evident proposition. As te
that there can be no dispute. The
statement that corngrowing under
present conditions does not pay is
not self-evident, but is dependent up.
on proofs.
The only important consideration
respecting the statement Is that re.
speeding its truth. But our republic
can friends seem to think the con.
sideration of authorship deserving Of
especial notice, and fixing that upon
Governor Boies they proceed to de-
nounce him without stint as a de.
famer of his state and his people.
For the time being We take fol
granted they do this not because
Gov. Boies is democrat, but be.
cause they believe the statement it.
self merits it, and that they would
heap the same measure Of yitupera
ton upon any one else who either
promulgated it or joined in it's pro
pagation.
The simple truth is that Governor
Boies did but repeat what the farm
ers themselves have been saying and
insisting upon for nearly 20 years
In 1878 we had the granger move
lnent. 1t almost revolutionized the
politics of the state. What complaint
did the farmers have tomake! Wha1
grievance did they feel and feel sc
deeply that they cut loose in such
large numbers from existing politica
organizations and combined among
themselves in an effort to secure re
dress?
They said that farming did not pay
They said that while they worked
hard and worked early and late ant
a generous soil rewarded their labor
with abundant harvests, they never
theless remained poor, because othe
classes reaped the fruits Of their Ia
Dor, and from 1873 down to this tim,
that complaint has been repeated ant
that grievance has been asserted b.
them through their every organ 0
public expression.
At every session of the Legislature
the farmers through their representa-
tives have asserted their demands 70
relief and the invariable reason ha
been that while other industries have
prospered, their own has been ham
pered and burdened to the point Q
oppression and injustice.
There have been differences Q
opinion among the farmers as to tn
cause. but never as to the fact. Goy
Boies has not been more positive an
emphatic in the assertion of the fac
THAN was his republican predecessor
Governor Larabee, and Governo
Larabee did but repeat what he hear
every day from the farmers wit
whom he came in contact.
1t is the text of almost every ed
torial in every agr
cultural paper, it is til