Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-09-28
RULE OR Ruin.
TIE POLICY OF The "INTELLIGENCERn To-
WARDS TIE FARMERS.
Not Content With Efforts to Keep Down the Prices
Of Farm Products, 1t Seeks to Lower
the Value Of Farm Lands in the
Facs Of Rising Market

The Republican warfare on the farm
ers cropped out in new place in yes
terday's InteIligencer.
Heretofore that paper has confined
itself to decryinR the farmers products
his wheat, his wool and his sheep be-
ing especially and particularly attacked,
and studied policy pursued to injnre
the agricultural class through persis-
tent effort TO pull down and keep down
prices.
Now the I1ltelItgencer has gone step
further, and has attacked the agricui-
tural class in a new quarter, through
efforts to depreciate the value of farm
lands. To this end it has sought out
Mr. WIN. Dunlap. and secured from that
gentleman doubtful tale OF farms 60
ing TO rack and ruin, lands becoming
worthless through a steady and marked
deDFeciation, and q lot OF similar stuff,
devised and promulgated with the in
tent 10 bring further and more serious
woes upon the devoted heads Of the
tillers of the soil in Ohio county, and TO
directly injure them by bringing about
a shrinkage In the value Of the farmers
only capital-the land he owns and
tills.
. Mr.. Dunlap's statements through the
Illtellige1sccr are undoubtedly part OF
the we'll laid and persistently- adhered
20 plan Of making an example Of the
farmer for political effect. His sheep
must be kept down to a fifty-cents.a-
head basis, his wool must be sold for
l6c, his wheat is to be heralded as
arug on the market at 40a45c, and last
and worst Of all, his land must be de-
preciated in value through the promul-
CATION OF artiully-worded "reminiscences
Of war time prices, interlarded with
ingenious suggestions OF far worse
things to come. And all for political
effect The farmers and land owners
are to be sacrificed on the altar OF Re-
publican necessities.
If Mr. Dunlap's ideas as to farm lands
ID Ohio county were true, IL would be a
deplorable matter, but still scarcely the
best of things TO exploit in print.
But the ideas OF the Inteiligencer and
Mr.. Dunlap are not correct. There is
decided upward tendency in the values
of farm lands in Ohio county. Those
familiar with the subject know this to be
true, and the REGISTER has heretofore
called attention to the fact as one Of the
encouraging signs of the times. That
there may be no doubt of this, few ex'
- "a nd nnnatia tinno
for sales, in various parts OF the county,
will be here given:
Six months ago the owner Of little
garden farm of six acres, on Peters
run, wanted to sell, but the best offer
be could get was $500. The land was
sold on Wednesday of this week for
$3.50.
A few weeks ago an offer Of 50, 500
was made for the Springer farm of
twenty-eight acres, at Roney's Point.
IL was refused. Now $500 has been
offered for the tract.
On August 11th the Boon farm, on
Short creek, was sold for S2,655, the
tract comprising fifty-two acres. On
September 18Th, it was resold for
80, 1856. so, and on September 18th an
offer of S3,471.5O was made for it, and
a petition is now before the Circuit
Court to order a resale, and If 1t is
granted the land will probably bring
SO, 600.
A short time ago the Zillis farm,
north Of the city. was offered for sale
for SIS, 500, with no takers. Within a
few days the sum fixed upon was ten
dered and refused, and the farm will
probably bring $4,000.
These facts show how the wind is
blowing. They indicate general and
marked stiffening In the prices Of farm
lands in this county. Yet in the face
of an improvement in this important re-
gard, the Intelltgencer, without regard
either for the facts or the welfare of
the farming class, takes a new ground
for assailing the material Interests OF
the agriculJurist, and seeks to beat
down the price of land, as it has per-
sisteutly endeavored to beat down the
prices OF farm products.
The farmers have here an interesting
topic for thought.