The advocate., 1892-06-01

era. Tc is time that we had calamity
howlers In this country. You cannot
afford to pass by and disregard the cry
OF the people.
I have here some facts that are start
ling, showing that we are nation Of
borrowers; that this system, Intended TO
enrich the people as its advocates claimed,
has succeeded In impOverishing them.
And now, Mr.. Chairman, to show you
how protection protects the labOrer, how
it protects the farmer, will quote some
facts from the twenty first annual re-
port of the Massachusetts, bureau OF sta
tistics and labor. page III to 25S. This
ia in the manufacturing district; it Is
from the state where my friend Mr..
Walker is from, the gallant protector OF
the protective tariff. / will quote some
facts and figures there to show how
this has helped agriculture In the great
state Of Massachusetts,, in the cradle Of
liberty where the first gun that was fired
in the defense of liberty that was heard
all around the world, that first gun In de-
fsnse of liberty fired by the farmers sons;
to show you how this protective tariff has
helped the farmer | will quote the amount
Of abandoned farms in the great COM
monwealth Of Massachusetts.
The extent OF the abandonment is In
dlcated in part in the recapitulatlon on
pages 1872 and 1913, showing the total num-
Der of abandoned farms of the state bV
counties. From it we learn that there
are 1,461 such farms, $50 of which are
without buildings. while 772 are supplied
with buildings. The aggregate acreage
is 126. .5091% acras, the assessed valuation
being $1,O76,328. Farms with buildings
aggregate 66,650 acres. the total value of
property being 100000, while the farms
without buildings aggregate 59,S581s
acres.
Mr.. Wslker-D>es the gentleman care
for tho exact factsP
Mr.. Simpson-The facts are what the
people want, no matter what the gentle
man from Massachusetts wants. Laugh
ter and applause
Mr.. Walker-Are you anxious for q
statement of the facts? Do you want
me- to state It?
Mr.. SImpson-If the gentleman does
not take too long.
Mr.. Walker-The persons employed In
agriculture In Massachusetts have In
creased One-eighth in ten years. The
acres In cultivation have increased ONE
seventh. The value of agricultural lands
have increased about one-half, and the
agricultural products have about doubled
within that period. [Applsuse on the Re-
publican side. 1t is true that the old
farms on the tops ct the hills are aoan-
doned, many of them
Mr.. Simpson, am quoting from the
bureau of labor statistics. | knew the
gentleman from Massachusetts could
answer better than anybody else. laugh
teri But think that this report will
have little more weight than the state
ment OF the gentleman from Massachu-
setts.
Mr.. Walkar-BOth statements are en-
tlrely reconcilable with each other. Ger
tain lands have been abandoned.
Mr.. SimpsOn-This report to which l
have referred, and to which the gentle
man can refer, for 1t Is accessible tn him,
shows that these people have abandoned
their lands because it was not profitable
to live upon them any longer.
Mr.. Walker-Will the gentleman allow
q word?
Mr.. Simpson Certainly, on this sub
ject
Mr.. Walker-There Is not western
man who would take a New England
farm as q gift If he knew the difficulties
that beset farming In that climate.
Mr.. Simpson-There is not a man with
sny sense In this country who would take
a farm as gift to day either in New
England or anywhere else while. this In
iouitous tariff is In existence, because he
could not make a living upon 1t. Ap-
plause and laughter on the Democratic
side.l have given the statistics In this