Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1896-07-29
THE FARMER.


has more just title to products of the
earth than he who produces them-the
farmer. Without his energy, his labor
and his exertion all, other men would
perish. The merchant, the mechanic,
the professional man and even that ele-
ment that some people are disposed to
style the upper crust of society, could
not exist if the farmers were to remain
idle one year. This being true, it nec-
essarily follows that when the farmer is
oppressed all other avenues of business
are commensurately embarrassed, ex-
cept the class of people who make prof
its off of the privations of the industri-
al men and women of this country.
That class is comparatively small and
confined mainly to the gamblers of
Wall Street and England. The farmer
is the first to suffer when panic strikes
though he should be last. The finan-
cial policy of the country has been so
manipulated during the past 20 years
that the agriculturists are not only de-
prlved of reasonable profit for their
labor but are denied their own products
and too often 90 hungry and half-clad.
There has never been an effect without
cause and the subject under discus.
sion is by no means an exception to the
rule. We are told by our republican
friends that it is all caused by the re-
peal Of the Mckinley law, but such a
contention is absolutely preposterous.
The present tariff is by no means a low
tariff; 1t is higher than most of the pre-
vious protective" tariff laws and the
difference between the Mckinley law
and the present one is too small to
have any weight one way or the other.
The theOrist can theoriZe and the poll.
tician can surmlse but when the can
did man takes brief glimpse at histo-
ry he will readily see that the farmers
of this country have been gradually 90.
ing down grade ever since 1873, and in
latter years their speed has been great
ly accelerated. Different causes have
contributed to this effect, the propell-
ing force has been working from sever
al directions, but one of the principal
motors was the demonstration and
subsequent humiliation of silver as
money. When silver was taken away
from the people as primary money it
doubled every farmers indebtedness
by decreasing the value of his products
one-half, and, in many instances, three
fOurths. Another menace to the pro-
ducers of this country is our nefarlous
national banking system-a scheme to
which this nation Is a party, enabling
man or corporation to borrow mon
ey from the government at one per cent.
and loan it to the people at such rates
and on such conditions as the bank
may prescribe. This Institution is
nothing less than organized robbery.
Under present conditions farmers who
are IN debt (many have long since been
crushed to earth financially borrow
money if they have any security to give
and their all is soon absorbed by cor
pOrations. Between the national bank
and the single gold standard the debtor
is situated like the shlpwrecked sailor
he is destined to sink unless some
thing comes to the rescue and it caDnot
be long in coming. There are also such
| things as outrageous rates in transport
| tation and mOnOpolies of various de-
scriptiOns, all of which exercise great
power to keep the farmer down. These
things need to be remedied before there
| can be renewal of prosperity. It is
useless to hope without acting. Under
present conditions there will be pros
perity to those only who bring misery
to the masses. The lot of the business
man Is not near so deplorable as it will
be few years hence if the above con-
| ditions 1emain UNCHANGED. There is
only one excuse for the voters remain
ing inactive on these important meas
ures and that is expressed In single
word-ignOrance. While all men suf
fer under the abuses of the present time,
| the farmer or labOrer who votes for
| their continuation is an object of con-
| tempt in the eyes of those who are far
| sighted enough to see the ultimate re-
| suit.
The responsibility uf changing this
condition rests with the people of this
country. Their opportunity Is here; if
they fail to improve it, they must bear
the injustice they now experience and
it will assuredly intensity as Father
Time makes his flight into the dim VS.
ia of future ages.