The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-06-10
THE OLD PARTY PAPERS.


THEY ARE CUMBERERS OF THE EARTH
The depression in farming in Eng
land has become so acute that the
English farmers are agltating for
protective tariff on their produce.
The hop growers are leaders in this
movement, their profits having been
wholly wiped out by the cheaply
grown hops Of our own Pacific coast.
Lord Salisbury told a deputation of
the hop growers, last week, that the
party in power would never listen to
their proposal. but it had ideas for re.
lieving agriculture. 1t is an open Sc
cret that Salisbury will recommend
parliament to authorize an immense
issue of bonds to provide money to
farmers at 3 per cent, so that they
can thus refund their farm mortgages
upon which they are now paying 5 to 6
per cent. 1t seems strange that con-
sentative old England should thus be
the first to seriously propose following
Russia's example of government loans
to farmers on the security of their
real estate. The Farmers Alliance in
our Western States made like de-
mand few years ago, but weakened
their case before the general public
by suggesting that government loans
be in the form OF a new issue Of green
backs. Sinca the death of the late
Senator Stamford, the chief advocale
of this Scneme. and the disastrous eX
perience in the Argentine with farm
mortgages guaranteed by government.
little has been heard or the PROPOSE
tion in this country. Certain it is
that current interest rates on farm
mortgages in this country are too
high. The business cannot pay from
5 to per cent on borrowed money. 1t
is full time for mortgaged farmers to
pool their issues and refund their
mortgages at lower rate Of interest,
just as the railroads have repeatedly
scaled the interest on their bonds.
We would never advise the repudia-
tion which railroad robbers so shame
lessly practice, but the mutual inter
est Of both lender and borrower, of
money on farm mortgages, requires
lower rate OF intereSt.-MetrOpOl
N. Y.
The proposition, in the Omaha plat
form, for government loans, was hor-
ribly ridiculed by the ribald Republic
can papers; and now we find prom
inent New York paper advocating
something of the same kind; and Sails
bury, the English prime minister pro-
poses that his government should
borrow vast amount Of money to re-
lend to the farmers at low rates, to
save them from universal bank
ruptcy.
The old-party papers are an abso-
lutte curse to the people of the United
States. The country would be better
off if they were all sunk in the sea.
We ask our readers to name single
one Of these sheets, big or little, that
has ever advocated new idea for the
betterment of the condition of the
people. We cannot recall a single in
stance. There may be such.
Take out of the old party journals
the Wall street lies, the Qualifications
of robbery, and the excuses for ras-
cality, and there would be nothing
left-but some plate-matter and
mortgage advertisements. THE REP
REsENTATIvE has, in three years, eX
ploded hundreds Of their cunning lies
SO completely that no reply has ever
been made or attempted. But as soon
as we slice the heads off one batch of
falsehoods another brood pops up, his
sing and ms olent. and as devilish as
those we have destroyed. The coun-
try is in the jaws Of despair. THE peo-
pie poor and dispirited, and property
almost valueless; and yet not one of
these miserable abortions proposes Il
single remedy, except the Mckinley
tariff. And yet we all know, and they
all know, that the Republican party
was driven out Of power, in 1892, by
an overwhelming VOTE, although the
country had been living for many
years under that identical tariff.
And under the operation Of that and
similar tariffs, Gas the census OF 1899
show j one-fourth of the farmers were
tenants: and there were nire million
mortgages on real estate, for $i.o)0,-
900, co; and THIRTY thousand tamuis acned
one-hdJ of all the aUealM of this gre 1t no
ton! And yet, knowing all this, these
| papers are trying to sacindle the people
into putting the party back into pow
er that covered the land with this