New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-23
FOR DEMOCRATS TO EXPLAIN.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FREETRADE TIM
AND AN ERA OF PROTECTION AS 1T
APPEARS TO A FARMER.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TREETRADE TIM1
AND AN ERA OF PROTECTION AS 1T
APPEARS TO A FARMER.
To the Editor The Tribune
Sir: General farming has been my business at this
place for than forty years, ana read WIN IN
terest the agricultural, commercial ard potcai us
cussions as find them In the newspapers OF the
day. and am thereby informed That we farmers are
much-injured class. Between the capitalist, monop
olist the railroads and other rich corporations, ana
the middlemen who are represented being favored
nv our lawmakers our rights are ruhessy and
persstently taken from US, and we rs class, are
constantly being robbed OF our hard earnings ana
savings
II Is now nearly forty three years since I settled
here and / have during that time been active ana
interested in the growth and development OF the
country and have observed the changes In the con-
ditIon Of the people here especially the farmers One
Noticeable change is In the purchasing power Of some
NJ our products such as pork, butter and eggs In
,a6O and several years thereafter, the farmers Of
,,,s locality sold their produce In Dubuque Iowa,
which then was an active mining village, and the
hest market In this part OF the STATE Al tha' ume
vo hogs were not sold on the market, bu they were
dressed by the farmer and sold ready Tor packing.
For want of competition with the buyers ana ralt
roads to take the freight Of the country TO other
markets. we we're often obliged to exchange our
auo,, ,,r merchandise because could not sell
n for cash The price was usually 81 20 per 100
nounds for dressed pork. Often we were unable 10
attain for Il more than onehalf In groceries, White
s,1or nleht brown sold for 10 cents per pound
rr,rts 10 TO IL IL cents per yard-hence we goe
one pound OF sugar and one yard OF prints or sAeeh
rounds of dressed pork. Now we get about Genus
q nound for live hogs, and in August IL cents.
With the rich railroad corporations and the numerous
,,,dd,emen at every railroad station, we are now
able 10 get cash for live hogs, weighing the entrs
carcass Including lights, liver. bristles blood ana IN
testines. and instead Of Ia cents per pound ior
dressed pork we get cents per pound ior 1--WE
weight: and We con bny fine graduated sugar Al
retail for 4 "a cents per pound.
Contrast eight pounds OF dressed pork Tor one pouna
n, urhtbown sugar In the days OF no rich corpora
uons and honest Democratic laws, with these days
~ class legislation and pound OF fine granuiated
sugar for pound OF live hog, inciudlne n,vu.
hristlcs lights liver and intesties to say nohlnS
about the and dirt that they bring from ther Wal
lows we then got one pound Of light brown sugar Tor
one pound OF butter now we get hve pouhas oi ms
granlilated sugar for pound OF butter. we tns1
got cents In drygOOdsl per dozen TOT eggs no"
We get more than twice that IN cash. ..,.,,.
This is fair rendering OF our relative condIuon
then and now, Notwithstanding mat Jaws are lnaue
I'm the interest Of rich corporations ana against u
farmers as IS claimed by certain politicians. -
We are lead to inquire II our deploraole condiuon,
as represented by the politicians Is the auit OF tns
Mckinley bill or the neglect of President narrisoi
* IL the blame OF Blaine. or Is II because Ceveano
Is nominated An explanation before eecuIn u"
sired. 80 r. d. DoNNAA
Delhi, Iowa. Sept. 9, 1892.