The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1892-09-15
WASHINGTON LETTER
THE FARMERS ANXIOUS ABOUT THE
COMING ELECTION.
They Don't Want the Tariff Disturbed.
They Don't Want Wildcat Banking Re-
instated by Law-Comparison of Cleve-
land and Harrison Administrations.

They Don't Want the Tariff Disturbed.
They Don't Want wildcat Banking Re-
instated by Law-Comparison of Cleve-
land and Harrison Administrations.
Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, Sept. 12.-The interest |
which the farmers Of the country are !
taking in the political struggle now at
hand is exemplifed by the large num-
Der of letters and inquiries being re-
ceived at the department of agriculture
and treasury department and by other
information received here.
Farmers Pleased with Mckinley Pros
perity.
The farmers find their condition so
much improved in the past year that
they are inclined to credit it to the Nc
Kinley law. With an increase of $780,
OOO, 900 in their sales to other countries,
decrease of $3O,0OO,0OO in the farm
products imported into this country, a
reduction in the price of sugars, and
many other articles which they are COM
PEELED to buy, they find themselves
more than satisfied with the Mckinley
law, about which they were somewhat
skeptical two years ago.
Election Of Cleveland Will Reverse Con-
ditions.
They know that the election of Mr..
Cleveland means an entire overturning
of the tariff system. 1t is generally con-
coded that if the Democrats are success
full In electing their presidential ticket
they will also control house and senate.
So many new senators are to be elected
by the legislatures to be chosen this fall,
and such large proportion of those who
are going out this time are Republicans,
that general Democratic success will
mean Democratic control of the senate
as well as the house. This, the farmers
argue, would mean general overturn-
ing of the tariff system, reciprocity and
all the features Of the present law under
which they have received about $780,
100000 more for their products this year
than they did under the last year of the
old tariff.
Farmers Oppose the State Banking
Scheme.
Another feature which interests the
farmers very much is the proposition of
the Democratic platform to return to
the old state banking system, and the
treasury department is constantly piled
with queries as to whether the present
very satisfactory currency system is
going to be maintained.
They Were the Greatest Sufferers.
The farmers dread return to the old
system under which they were the great
est sufferers years ago. The people Of
the cities and towns had means of keep
ing themselves posted as to the value of
the thousand and one kinds of bank notes
that were afoat under the old state bank
ing system. But the farmers were the
sufferers. They had no means of keep
ing accurately posted as to the value of
these notes, and they were obliged to
take the chances on them when they re-
ceived them as pay for their grain and
other farm products. That they were
often imposed upon and met with great
losses frequently was quite natural.
And that they should dread a return to
that system as proposed by the Demo-
cratic platform is not surprising.
Land Record of C1eveland's Administra-
ton.
One of the most unfortunate things
that has happened to Mr.. Cleveland of
late is his agitation Of the question as to
the treatment of homesteaders and others
desiring to obtain homes in the great
northwest. Leading Democrats here
regret very much that this matter has
been stirred up. There was no feature
of President Cleveland's administration,
excepting perhaps its relation to the
soldiers and pensioners, which was so
unpopular and created so much dissatis-
faction with the farmers and the masses
generally in the northwestern states as
the policy of his public land Office.
President Clevelands commissioner IF
public lands, General" Sparks, it will
be remembered made a very unenviable
record for himself and his party in this
particular. General Sparks practically
accused about nine-tenths of the home
steaders and persons desiring to enter
lands Of dishonesty and established u
new division for the purpose of review
ing every case.
Thousands of Farmers Charged with
Fraud.
Thousands of cases were thrown into
the ''fraud division" and at the end of
President Cleveland's term of office
many thousands of cases involving mil
lions of acres and the homes of hundreds
of thousands of people were piled up un.
der these general charges of fraud un-
acted upon. Many of them had been
pending for years, and the homesteaders
had been unable to obtain patents or
titles to their homes.
A Startling Comparison.
During the Cleveland administration
the number of agricultural patents is
sued was only 1852, 754, while under the
Harrison administration the number is
sued has been over 100000. The num-
Der of acres to which titles were granted
by the Cleveland administration was &c.
000, 200, while the number of acres to
which titles have been granted under
the Harrison administration is 64,000,-
900. For the>6rst time since the early
history of the Cleveland administration
the land Office has caught up with its
work and is able now to attend to cur
rent business. The thousands and thou
sands of cases which were found piled
up in the Office when this administration
took hold have been disposed of, hun
dreds Of thousands of homes made hap
ply and 400, 900 titles to homes completed.
It is probable that Mr.. Cleveland did not
fully realize the contrast between the
present administration and that of the
land Office under his own administration,
else he would not have stirred this mat
ter up by his recent letter on the subject.
The farmers received $3.50, 900, 900 more
for the products they sent abroad under
the first full year of the Mckinley Law
than they did under the last full year IF