Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1892-10-01
WASHINGTON LETTER
THE FARMERS ANXIOUS ABOUT THE
COMING ELECTION.
:: -, /.
they Don't Want the Tariff Disturbed.
they Don't Want Wildcat Banking ise-
instated by Law-Comparison of Cleye-

Ahoy Doh " aAt w ildcaL Banking ise-
instated by Law-Comparison of Cleve-
land and Harrison Administrations.
Especial Correspondence
w WAsHINGToN, Sept. 12-The interest
which ti,s farmers Of the country are
taking III tsle political struggle now ut
hlnd is e,se;npiifie;l by the large nlil;l-
i.I Of letters and inquiries being re-
ecived at the department of agriculture
and treasury department and by other
Information received here
Farmers Pleased with Mckinley Pros
pe:ity.
The farmers fad their condition s.,
much improved ia the past year that
they are inclined to credit it to the Nc
Kinney law. " ith an increase of size
Oo3.GG) Ill their sales to other countries.
4 decrease VI &33J.G3o ,0.}') in lle farm
products in ported i.lto ,nis COUNTRY, !;
reduction i'll the price Of sugars. and
many oshe: articles which they are com
PEELED to buy, they find themselves
more than satisfied with the Mckinley
law, about y,.1icil they were somewhat
s..cpf1c.:l tt', years ago.
Election of Cleveland viii Reverse Con-
ditions.
They know that the election of Mr..
Cleveland Means an entire overt t1lni,l2
OF the tariff system. L is generally con
ceded that il the Democrats are success
ful III eectng their presidential ticket
they Will also control house and senate.
80 many new senator's are to be elected
by the legislatures to be chosen this fall,
and such large proportion of those who
are going out t.sis time are Republicans.
that general Democratic success wifi
mean Democratic control of the senate
as well as the house This, the farmers
argue. Woull mean u general overtura-
ing OF the tariff system, reciprocity ana
all the features Of the present law under
which they have received about $780,.
00o,oo0 more fol' 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,
f:rmers 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
gong to be maintained.
They Were the Grentest Sufferers.
The farmers dread return to the old
system under which they were the great
est sufferers years ago. The people II
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.
In55 accurately posted DIS to the value Of
these notes, and they We're 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 return to
that system as proposed by the Demo-
cratic platform is not surprising.
Land Record of Cleveland's Administra-
ticn.
One Of the most unfortunate thinrs.
that has happened to Mr.. Cleveland of
late is his agitation of the question as to
the Treatment OF ho1nesteadels 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 20
and created so much dissatis-
faction with the farmers and the masses
generally III the northwestern states as
the policy Of his public land office.
President Cleveland's commissioner vf
public lands, ''General' Sparks, it will
be remembered made very uaenviablo
record for himself and his party in this
particular. General Sparks practically
accused about niEe-tenths Of the home
'teaders and persons desiring to enter
ands of dishonesty and established a
lew division for the purpose of review
ng every case.
Thousands of Farmers Charged with
Fraud.
Thousands of cases were thrown into.
he ''fraud div v:-:--,," and at the end Of
President Cl,vci,tnd's term of office
many thousan;'s 8 ,f cases involving mil
ions OF acres aud The homes of hundreds
# thousands Of people were piled up vi.
Ter these ge1.a.'.. charges Of fraud I'M.
cted upon. M,;1,v Ct them had been
ending for ye4I.,, ;,;,; tile homesteadere
lad been una. IL Obtain patents or
tiles to their homes.
Startling Comparison.
During the Cle!e Gland administrations
he number of agricultural patents is
ued was only 2,754, while under the
harrison administration the number is
ued has been over 100000. The num-.
er Of acres to which titles We're granted
y the Cleveland administration was &C.
C0,0CO, while the number of acres IT,.
7hich titles have been granted under
he Harrison administration is 64,OOO,-
90. For the first time since the early
lstory of the Cleveland administration
he land office has caught up with is
york and is able now to attend to cur
ant business. The thousands and thou.
ands Of cases which were found piled
p in the Office when this administration
ook hold have been disposed Of, hun
reds of thousands Of homes made hap
y and 100000 titles to homes completed.
is probable that Mr.. Cleveland did not
lily realize the contrast between tbs
resent administration and that of the
md office un1 9r his own administration,
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