The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-10-08

the statistics furnished by our bureau OF
labor statistics, on which based my state
ment In New York that grain raising IN lows.
by reason of depressed market prices. mad
failed to pay the farmer for his labor. reck-
oning II Ut market rates In other lines OF
business.
he demonstrates. to his own satisfastion
that the average price OF corn during the
yenIs Of which fpoke was fraction over
x6 cents instead OF -, ~ stated BY me.
Herr he again unintent.onally misrepreseBts
bis neighbor. What did say was that the
average price OF corn soon after harvest.
when, as farmers generally know. the great
majority OF them were compelled to sell,
was % cents bushel. The average reached
By the senator 10. suppose. the average for
the whole year. and includes the pronts made
by purchasers of grain who buy II OF farm
ers and hold it for prices that very few far
mers realize because they cannot become
spectators and hold their crops.
Again, the senator satisfies himself that the
cost or producing an acre OF corn 10 Is IS In
stead OF SIS, as shown by the estimates OF far
meTs upon which my statements were made.
That interest at 8 per cent on the yalne OF
the land used would increase this cost to $40
an acre instead Of about SIC. 30, rs shown BY
an average OF the farmers estimates. That
the average yield during the years referred
TO was 34.al instead Of 33la. and the AVERAGE
price during these years was Is cents -
heretofore stated.
A little calculation. therefore, shows that
according tothe senator's views the entire
cost o; producing IN acre of corn IN Iowa
from 1885 to 1889, both inclusive. was 4S.46,
while the average value Of the crop during
the same years was $3.50, showing . clear
net profit during all these years on every
acre of corn produced In the state, after pay
ing all expenses o. production and interest 1t
0 per cent on the value Of the land
used of $lOi for each acre. To this
must also be added his estimate OF the
value Of the stocks forty-llve cents per acre,
making . clear net profit of 81 40 per acre.
In my speech 1t Cherokee, 70 which the SEN
ator's address, wherein the above estimates
appear. was reply, said. 81 ask them 1.-THE
repuplcians) TO say whether 1t is or Is not
true. according to their standard of just &c
to the agricultural interests OF this state,
that from 1855 to 1889 inclusive. the years of
which spoke, the price Of products Of Iowa
were such that the people of this state should
have been satisfied Herewith"
Senator Allison il entitled TO credit for the
prompt and explicit response he has made to
, that question. His answer Is IN emphasized
Affirmative. He rays, and states with entire
explicitness the figures on which his answer
is based, that during these years tho farmers
Of Iowa made clear profit OF 4l.l9 IN acre
on every acre Of corn they produced.
No man in these United States IL In . pc.
sition to state with clearer understanding the
position OF his party or those engaged In
manufacturing industries than 10 the learned
Senator, and. In considering the comparative
rights of different classes Of our people 10
favorable legislation We now know what
Senator Allison's opinion will b. He mAy
rigntfully speak for the party In his own
state, whose most honored leader he ID; and
he may as properly speak for the national
party to which be belongs. 40 one of the most
trusted advocates OF its principles.
Logic Of Republican Conclusions.
what do the farmers OF Iowa think Of the
situation 10 he presents IL, - the party he
represents In both state AMI nation presents
II through him? Stop with me . moment
and look over the dismal years In question
and tell me whether you feel that
you ought TO support party whose
clares and furnishes his own figures 10
prove thar In these years you were not only
paid for your work and interest on your In
ves.ment, but that over and above this you
received net profit of $1.49 on every acre OF
carn produced.
sna. 8 tue ,ogi, CT these coaclusionsr
| surely nor that rous .naustry IL In = situation
that deiaanos favorable onsiderAtion =, sko
| Lands or the law lakers Of this nAti0a. Ger
tainly 1t 10, that. during tbs dark years of
which have spoken, you we're In situation
where another dollar and forty nine cents
have rightfu.ly been taken from you and
given to the protected industries OF this
| country and still left your business paying
one.
You know this IL cruelty erroneous con-
clusion. You have not fal gotten your strug-
gle In those years OF low a.aces, but what can
you expect II they return in the near future,
i frnrn n r,aP uhnao hirh nrf0 tall
prices paid You IN enormous prOntI
y Do you expect under such circumstances
/ that the representatives Of the republican
party In congress from your own state. or any
| other, Will urge legislation to improve your
| condition.? You certainly cannot. You may
! rightfully expect that with such . view or
your situation all legislation by that party
will be framed, As It has been IN the east, to
advance the interests OF other industries In
stead of your own. IL / had = million tongues
with every one Of them l would shout In the
carr Of the farmers of Iowa the startling
truth which this speech OF Senator Allison re-
veAls.
Serious Questions Asked.
You now know that prices must be de-
pressed far below any point they have ever
yet reached before you can approach even
your own senators and representatives with
ademand for legislation in your interests.
Did partisanship ever lead an Intelligent
mind to more erroneous conclusion? Arc
you, the farmers OF Iowa, the fettered slaves
OF political parties so that you cannot resent
| this cruel injustice to your calling?
But now, Senator Allison. l cannot leave
| you here. II you will carefully study Census
| Bulletin No. lU4, issued from the department
| OF the interior under date August ~. 1921.
| you will find that the average per cent OF
gaia per capita. ~ shown by the assessed
valuation of property In the United States
during the last ten year,. shows an increase
OF .0l per cent per capita In the wealth OF
| all the people of the United States.
Ii you will follow out the inquiry you will
| dnd that the average increase per capita OF
wealth during that time In Maine was 20 81
| per cent; New YORK, 2065 per cent: New
Hampshire, A.36 pr cent; Psnnsylvania,
| 25.45 per cent: Vermont. ss.03 per cent. and
Iowa, your own state, .95 per cent.
You will see that in tho principal manufac.
i turing states OF this union the average In.
crease Of wealth Of the inh Abitauts 10 from
ten times to more than forty times the aver.
age increase OF the wealth OF your own PEG
Pile. otwitnetand,ng your state 10 . new one
i in which the natural increase In the value OF
real estate has been vastly gre Ater than II haa
!! In any of the manufacturing states.
| Will you tell me how you account for this II
| Ii IL true that the agricultural industries OF
| Iowa have been in the highly prosperous con.
| dition your figures Indicate.
| You certainly will not claim th,t there
| statistics arc I'm fair.
There is one other fact demonstrated by
statistics from the same source to which
must inyiie the senator's attention. The
| recent census shows that the aggregate popu.
| lation OF the twentv.six OF the ninety-nine
| counties Of the state bad deere ssed during tbs
last decade and that il has increased Ia
| seventy three. A study Of tho figures dam
onssrAtss that in nfty-four Of tho counties
| the rural population has decreas I'd, and In
| forty Ave only has 1t increased. These forty.
| five, however, are counties that ~ the be.