The Penn's Grove record., 1900-09-21
A FARMERS TALK TO FARMERS
The Tariff Breeds Trusts and Nom
onOlfes.

0p0lies.
Mr.. ED1ToR:-With your kind per-
mission the writer will address . few
lines to his brother farmers among your
numerous readers regarding our mu-
tual welfare. Notwithstanding all that
is being published about the great wave
of farm prosperity upon lis by Editors
who willingly submit to wearing = poll
tical boss's collar and chain for the
privilege Of riding on a free railroad
pass for which We, their constituents,
are expected to pay with our votes.
we know that even here in Salem
County where our natural advantages
of soil, climate and convenient markets
are seldom equalled and never excelled
in any farming district Of our country,
farming is not now returning US even .
fair comfortable living at the prices
now ruling for staple farm products.
No further proof of this is needed than
the undeniable fact that Salem county
farm property is right now selling low
er than ave- before during our nations
al life. Our best farms seldom COM
mand v 9 the cost of the improve
ments on them. while many, once pro.
ftable and desirable properties. a
neither be sold or rented. I know
these are humiliating statements, but
being absolutely true, it becomes the
part of good citizenship to look them
squarely in the face rather than longer
temporize and put off such action upon
our part as will insure us relief and
bring us at least a return ofsOme meas
ure of a prosperity our favorable sur
roundings, coupled with good manage
ment, should ever insure us-when we
shall doubtless for the first time in
many years witness an appreciation or
advance in farm values. A consuma-
ton no doubt earnestly wished for by
us and all others who are directly or in
directly dependent upon us for their
profits.
Four years ago the two leading poll.
tical parties advocated different remed
les for the ills then existing. The
victors applied their remedies and
whatever may be said of other indus
tries the continued depreciation in farm
values proves co~nclusively that no real
benefit has come to farming, while
there is every indication that without
speedy relief values must continuously
sink lower and lower.
-Four years ago those now in power
ascribed the evils then existing to low
ering our Tariff, under what was known
as the Wilson bill, while leaders who
went abroad to study the business con-
ditions in other countries reported find
ing matters even worse than at home,
showing overstocked markets and de-
based prices all over the world even
where an increase, Or decrease OF an
American tariff could have no possible
effect. Naturally after years OF de-
preston and consequent depletion OF
all stocks of manufactures while mills
stood idle there followed a healthy
growing demand and rising values.
Despite the passage of an increased
tariff three years ago, known as the
Dingley tariff, under which production
was of course ones more aIkiaGiali2
stimulated By higher rates, With the
result that our foreign sales at our rails
ed values could not keep pace with the
rapidly increased production. Stocks
soon began to accumulate and mills to
work on shorter time or shut down en-
tirely, with the result already well nigh
assured, that we are already rapidly
approaching another era Of falling
prices and ruined business such as was
experienced in 1913 to '96.
Another case Of our stimulation fol-
lowed by natural pr%ostration, just such
as an intimate friend of the writer and
a life long Republican, who cleared a
clean profit of $3.50. 900 in twenty years
In manufacturing, prophesied twenty.
five years ago must result from a con
tinous increase of tariff. He stated
that while under u high tariff his firm
seemed to have about reached its BUSH
ness limit in this country he firmly be-
lieved that without any tariff they
could extend their sales in the entire
world faster than it would be possible
to increase their output, enabling them
to double and thribble the number Of
their employees giving all continuous
work which they could not then do by
the three thousand people they then
employed. These statements from one
we have known from earliest child
hood, whose business acumen and I'M
liiuCuluS plUOlVy uO m0A Aoc CSOA auCo-
toned, made a deep and lasting impress
sion upon the writer whose every poll
tical interest had been up to that time
and for years after was with the party
of Lincoln, Grant, Blaine, Garfield and
Robson. But as we more and more
closely studied the political surround.
ings and saw that as it became more
and more impossible for his party to
elect its ablest and most patriotic re-
presentatiyes to Office, while second
rates susceptible of being manipulated
and controlled by INSCRIPTIONS polite
al bosses had the call, and under whose
administrations jobbery and special
legislation with the view of robbing the
toiling and wealth producing classes
for the benefit of %monopolies and trusts
has become so universal that the aver
age American Farmer is now c0mpell-
ed to annually donate them from $500
tn &60O IF the animal racAinfs from hie