People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1896-05-07

SHb III SulpueHI. Ut tAdulpN
The Kansas farmer ships a car load O.
wheat from the interior OF the state
70 Chicago. The rate per ton pei
mile charged by the KanSas.road gives
! license to the other lines to make
similar rates or charges, which viz
tually prohibits shipment to Chica.
90, and forces our wheat through
Kansas City, there to be tolled to the
satisfaction OF those interested. No
matter which horn of the dilemma
we grasp, we are sure to be gored.
The farmers Of Kansas should com.
pare the railroad schedules of Kansas.
Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, and Hi
noise, and then, and lot till then.
will they realize the enormous extor.
ton we have submitted to for, 10.
these many years. A reasonable and
fair computation shows that the
peaple of Kansas are robbed annually
OF over % million dollars by excessive
freight charges.
kansas has furnished, for the past
decade, more traffic in and out of the
state, in dollars and cents per mile
than any other agIicultura,istate in the
union. We must have cheeper trans
portation. This drain upon the in.
dustrieS of the farmer can reach nc
other result than increasing the
mortgage Indebtedness. So long a,
the results Of the farmers toll ar,
tilched from him, so long as our inter
eSts are hampered: our industries ST
crippled. the grand state Of Kansas
cannot take her proper financial rank
among her sister states. Is not
cheaper transportation a necessity
for the welfare Of cur state? Can W.
reasonably expect, as farmers. t
prosper aud compete with our more
favored brothers of other states
where taxes. interest, freight charge
and merchandise are from 20 to 5Ope
cent. less?
Wake up brother farmer of Kan
sas. new era is at hand. This i,
our fight. We are the interested
parties now. let US profit by the les
son of our fOrefathers on the freigh
question;if we do our duty we BETTE
our condition. The farmers of N
state are more industrious, more in
telligent or blessed with better facili
ties than ours; and why should we, a.
a class, become poorer on an average
annually? For explanation, in 1870
the average farm OF the United
States was l53 acres, valued at So
per acre: in 1880, the average farm
consisted of 1873 acres, valued at S4l
per acre; in 1890, ii consisted Of 10
acres, valued at S2S per acre. Tn,
average acre of wheat brought, il
1870, sl276; in 1890, 1888; il
1893 1858; the average acre ha
brought, so far, $500. Sheep, cattle
hogs and horses haYe decreased il
about the same proportion. Our OBJ
legations, such as mortgages, interes
on bonds, taxes, salaries Of our off
Gals, the doctors bill, the lawyers fee
and transportation, have held thei
own remarkably well.
ut is plain to be seen that it take
double the amount OF our product
now to liQuidate the same obligation
it did only few years ago. 1t seem
that we must have a new deal O
throw up the sponge. We are surel
drifting toward landlord tenautry
which certainly bad omen for a fire
country. Let US look for momen
upon the picture OF a .renter OF today
Fist. he pays half Of wheat he raise
to the landlord as rental; one-half tn
remainder must be sold at 40 cent
per bushel to pay expenses Of thresh
Ing and marketing. Only one-fourtl
OF the crop remains for bread and b
pay taxes, expense of blowing, seed
ing and harvesting. This can b
better understood when we realiz
the one fourth Of an average GRO
and average price Of 1893 will no
compensate for the blowing and seed
ing.
"This is the present condition o
many hard-working and honest farm
ers. Is there not food for though
in the question, whittier are W
drifting?" The pros erity Of the far
mer is the prosperity Of all. Tn
farmer is the correr stone on whicl
rests the entire structure of civiliza
tion and prosperity; if the substruc
ture crumbles. the destiny Of all /
dangerously threatened: therefore
with these dangers ahead, is it no
high time to reverse the engine?
Topeka Journal, Rep: The debt
of Anthony were contracted on a bi
metallic basis; their payment is dc
manded on gold basis, Every dol
lar 0f the debt has become two dnllar