Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-10-10

emit administration and its party went
into power. For eight years West Vir-
ginia has been gaining in this respect.
For the three years just passed we have
been losing, and losing heavily. We
gained without free coinage. We have
lost under free trade. IL we had time 1t
would be worth while to take up each
item that touches West Virginia, but the
decline il the number and value of our
sheep is striking enough in itself. In this
industry, az natural to West Virginia as
her mountains are, we have gone back
more than 10 years. We have now fewer
sheep by 5000 than we had in 1881, and
the value is 1891 900 less.
In 1893, the high water mark Of our
sheep ~husbandry, we had In West Nir-
ginia 326, 651 more sheep than we have to-
day, our present number being 5l4, 7S3.
The value has fallen from 81, 49, 53 to
1894, 2Sl. The direct money loss, accord
ing to this ofic'a. estimate, is 81, 624, 972-
a very heavy blow to fall on a single
branch OF our farming industry. II there
be any fault to find with these official
figures it is that probably they are on the
side Of conservatism.
WIldb Hhft gDu " Fii0N bDA WIS w
mendOus farmer loss in capital and in
earning capacity, in debtpaying power,
In comfort-buying ability? Nothing but
a broken promise. But some politicians
got some Offices. You may dismiss, If you
please, as inaccurate all the figures / sub
NIT to you. You may say that they are
too big to be true and that there is no way
TO get anything like near the truth of such
"a ,H,a-tt,.. uInn all .,1,t tn iraIr Dxfar
your own accounts-how many sheep have
you and how much money did your wool
bring you before the duty was taken OFF,
How many sheep have you now, and how
much did your wool bring you last year?
How much this year? And If you have
not time to do that, say frankly whether
you would rather have 14k cents a pound
for your wool or 2S cents Il pound.
In 1892 free trade was the bait. What
would you give-what wouldn't you give
to be back where you were in the good
old days of 1892? Now the bait is free sill
yer. Whose prophecies about free trade
have come true, theirs or ours? Whose
prophecies concerning free silver are like
ly to come true2 Theirs are not support
ed by q single page of the worlds history.
ouIS Tteb On Every illt Vi bHc iNSolN0A
history of mankind, and on the rock bot
tom foundation of common sense. They
tell you that silver was demonetized by
Congress. We tell you that it was de-
monetized by m They demon
etized your wool. We intend to remon-
etiZe il.
Other Losses.
In his recent speech before the Re-
publican State convention Senator FL
kins put the loss of sheep and wool at
only $500, 900 in this State. The Sen
ator was too conservative. The loss in
value Of flocks is alone much more than
that figure, while on all farming ami
mails the loss is 50, 900, 900 and that does
not figure the loss in the price of wool
or the reduced earning capacity by rea-
son of the decrease III the numbers of
animals.
The loss III lumber, by reducing the
cost to meet Canadian prices, has been
more than 81, 000, 900.
Senator Elkins figures the loss on coal
by the reduced tariff and competition
with the Nova Scotia and other Goals at
over $3, 600, 900.
No wonder that West Virginia farm
ers, landowners, timbermen and other
coal men are sick unto death of free
trade. Will they vote for the Demo-
cratic party and try it some more? We
think not.