New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-30
FARMING OTERDONE.
TOO RAPID SETTLEMENT OF wE;rERN LANDS
THE FARMERS OF 10TH SECTIONS
HAVE SUFFERED.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

TO the Editor or ihc j FLU ~
Sir: In debate with our farmers on the tarIh qics-
don as beins a Wholesome protection Of their In
tc.r.t We Get along all il2ht TIT 1t cones to the
question OF the steady decline Of their farm lands
for the pas. ten years They say from 40 an
acre then 20 so nm acre row. This touches sore
spot. and enaces all favorable impressions maze by
tho best and most convincing arguments IN favor
u the reign Of a protective tariff rs against irre
trade make free 10 apply to yon for Information
upon this point Please give this subject your aticn
ton In The Weekly Tribune aid you VIII greatly
Obgc constant reader. Yours truly,
GOTTLIED BAsTLAN.
Danvlc. y. V, May Io. 1892.
There is o constant liability among the people
OF the world in discussing any one topic To al
tribute all the ups and downs OF life to one cause
If one listens 10 Henry George hc will try 10
make man believe that nearly all the ills of life
spring from the private ownership of land M
other man says that il is the payment of interest
which robs the people and ruins the world An
other tells that the use Of alcohol has brought the
entire ruin Of the human race. Still another
would make one believe that refusing the ballot
TO woman accounts for most Of the wrongs known
TO the world. So a Free Trader will endcavor 10
make the people believe .hat all the financial
dcpressions which occur from time TO time are
caused hy the protective tariff. iat-nonty
crank will be- more persistent Yet in the assertion
that all the wrongs and financial troubles OF Tie
universe have CONC from persistent efforts 10 use
gold and silver as TIE basis OF all money trans
actions.
OF course no one Of these different classes il
entirely in the right No ore claims that pre-
tcctivc tariff will prevent fuctnation Of prices
will do away with the natural law Of supply and
demand. or will prove to bc n panacca for all the
an. ai,fin ps.il
be devised which will keep the price of any
article at just the point where it would seem
best to have 1t kept.
Lands have deprecated I'm the United States.
especially In the Eastern and Middle States land
for that matter throughout the West also. during
the last decade. This took place not on account
Of the protective tariff, but in spite of it. Tho
enormous emigration into the United States
coupled with the enormous birth rate among our
own people during the last ten ycas. has in
creased the number Of tillcrS Of the soil Ia an
enormous extent. TIE result has been that the
productions Of the farms have outsrippcd even
the enormous increase in population. An immense
acreage of rich and productive land has bcrn
opened up 10 cultivation: and the result has been
10 glut our own markets with farm proluc's and
this has Of necessity, drivcn down the prIce OF
farming lands The fall in value has been felt
most kecnly hy the people Of tie Eastern and
Middle States who are compelled 10 fcrtilzc farms
which have been in usc for long years. ana =
compete with people who have occ2picd new Ianis
and are taking advantage Of the virgin richness
which has accumulated through the ages. Trans
portation Also has been So chcapcncd that bwad-
STAINS and mca, from the fertile plains OF the
West can bc laid down in the great centres Of
population in the East for much less money than
they can br produced for on tic E@s'crn farm,
where the expense Of fcrtili2na j. 50 great
Instead Of the protective tariff having aided 10
bring about this gut and consequent depression.
H. has done much 10 prevent complete disaster
Every new industry bnilt up in this country has
furnished employment for n part Of the inucisne
population and has converted such persons into
consumers Of farm products. One great trouble
has been that the constant effort Of Free Tral"rs
in opposition 10 thc protective system ba- pre-
vented the establishment Of large number Of
industries here which should have bcon intro
duccd. II was 20 provide against this very
calamity tina. the Mckinley bill was enacted. and
the law is now producing tie effect intended.
Hundreds Of new industries have already been
established: and farming lands arc already feeling
tile effect In all the Western States land has
advanced from s. TO S2j an acre in the last two
wears large correspondence from the entire
West enables me TO state such 10 lp the fact with
out fear Of contradiction. The Eastern and Middle
States will reach the Samc result later.
. The depression in lands at tho present time Is
by no means as great az it. was in 1851 when we
had a low revenue tariff The decline in the
prosperity Of farmers in the United States is far
less than it. has been during the same period in
free trade England
Let me- say that the new tarin law was drawn
in part with view of giving the farmers of this
country command Of Our home markets "a against
the rest of the world We will soon reach
point in the consumption Of farm products
where our own people will consumc the cntir
bnlk Of our farm products? home market IL
always the best market The farmers Of n country
are more interested than any other class OF our
citizens in having this Nation manufacture the
maximum amour; % goods and our mines produce
the maximum amount of minerals
The people of every nation are happy IN proper
ton to the amount Of productions of human WORK
they arc able TO and enjoy. Good prices Tor
farm products is only another form Of saying 2ood
prices for farm labor. because the lanof OF the
farm appears only in farm products. The people
OF any nation must always regulate lis conslmp-
ton Of goods largely ny the amount pnii Tor work
The necessities " life can bring fair price only
in countries where the working people receive for
thnir labor amount Of wages above tie polnt
Of mere existence and thc greater the margin i.
above that point tho more comforts the people Of
such n nation will enjoy. The whole aim Of the
protective tariff is 10 maintain good wages 10 all
our people, including those who work OH the farms
~ well those who work in the shops and mines.
The whole result Of free trade would lie 10 pnt the
people Of this country at the mercy Of those who
arc willing 10 work nj starvation prizes.
PROFITS ALSO LOW IN INDUSTRY.
Farm products, many Of them. have been too
lows Owing 10 that fact, farms deprecated in
vaife Bnt the same has been trne Of the products
Of many featuring industries. Take for en-
ample iron and steel The competition has becn
so great during the past ~ months that | doubt
very much whether the bulk OF the men owning and
managing the large factories VI iron and steel have
MADE any money for the last many months II
that should continue for any great length Of time
their factories and plant will deprccatc in value,
and do il much faster than the farms Of this coun
try H. would sccm 10 be d splendid result if the
prize OF everything could always I've fixed at pre-
ciscly that point which would give well directed