Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1892-10-20
PREVARICATOR BEN.
CONTRADICTIONS AND MlSREPRESEN.
TATlONS IN HIS LETTER.

w
Eater That He Buys for Less.
President Harrison's letter of accept.
ance contains statements so utterly at
variance with truth and common sense
that one doubts whether he really dares
to be guilty of such statements and
scans the letter again and again only to
be convinced in the end that he actually
does say them. Just hear him:
And now a few words in regard to the exist
ing tariff law. We are fortunately able to
judge of it's influence upon production and
prices by the market reports. The day of the
prophet of calamity has been succeeded by that
Of the trade report. An examination into the
effect of the law upon the prices of protected
products and of the cost Of such articles as
enter into the living of people of small means
has been made by a senate committee, COM
posed of leading senators of both parties with
the aid of the best statisticians. and the report
signed by all the members of the committee
has been given to the public. No such wide
and careful inquiry has ever before been made.
These facts appear from the report.
1t is very evident that Harrison is de-
termined to knock out the calamity
bowler. We'll, here is how he does it:
First-The cost of articles entering into the
use of those earning less than 81, 600 per or
nun has decreased up to May, 1892, 3.4 pei
cent, while in farm products there has been
an increase in prices, owing in part to an in
creased foreign demand and the opening OF
new markets. In England during the same
period the cost of living increased l.9 per cent
Tested by their power to purchase articles OF
necessity the earnings of our working people
have never been as great as they are now.
1t looks rather contradictory Of course
to tell the working people that their cost
of living has decreased and the farmers
that the price of their products has in
creased, especially when over three
fourths of the things purchased by poor
people are farm products, from the
clothes and shoes they wear to the food
they consume, except salt and fish,
while other necessaries, such as stoves,
tinware, glass, crockery and pearl but
tons that are not produced on the farm,
form but very small portion of their
outlay.
But this does not seem to bother Har-
rison and his advisers. The average old
party dupe does not seem to think, but
swallows such bait whole without think
ing and so Harrison can lay the soft soap
on a. little thicker. Here is another
dose:
Second-There has been an average advance
in the rate of wages of l.55 of per cent.
Jewhillikens! How happy the poor
fellow must be, who has been earning
ten dollars week, to find that Harri-
son and the senate committee tell him
that he gets five cents week more now!
He doesn't get it of course, but then it
must be so, for great is the Republican
party, and Benjamin Harrison is its
prophet.
Now comes the biggest whopper of
'em ALL He quotes:
Third-There has been an advance in the
price of all farm products of 1857 per cent. and
of all cereals $3.50 per cent.
Is it actually possible that Harrison
has the supreme impudence to father
such statement as that?
Ask the farmers what they get for
their produce and their grain. Here are
the New York prices ON wheat and corn
as given in the Geographic reports:
Sept. 49, Sept IL.
1891. 1892
Wheat, No. red......... 81 U 70
Wheat, No 3 red......... IS 72h
Wheat, ungraded red. g7-l Us 63-7SB
Wheat, No. northern. 0i16 IS
Wheat, No. hard....... los SO
Corn, No. 2............... ~ 5iA-55
These figures are taken from the mar
ket reports. And the president of the
United States, in order to squelch the
calamity bowler, deliberately quotes
and indorses statement that as a result
Of +,a McRirlav hill tba py;ca of oil