Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-11-03

lyuCuiHS zee IN the SOuCl, WIN the
smell of burnt flesh on his clothes, is
invited to speak at some northern
Chautauqua and aesthetically objects
to the President allowing colored
man to eat bite in the same room
with him.
Significant Condition.
"If you want significant clue to the
condition of laboring men in America
today look at the deposits they have
in the savings banks. Since 1897 and
up to 1904 savings banks deposits have
increased $s96,oOO.oOo, $166,ooO,OOO
| per annum.
THE deposits in all banks of the
United States have increased since
1895 from O0,000,OOO to $9,525, 0O0,-
600, almost double In Iowa they have
increased from $7S,0O0,00 to $211 ,OOO,.
600, more than 40 per cent. In Kan.
sas from 100000 to $4,000, 900,
over 154 per cent. In Nebraska, from
$35,00O,OO to sS2,0O0.O0O, 1874 per cent.
| The aggregate deposits west Of the
Mississippi have increased from $701,-
| 100000 in 1895 to 81, 700 000,0 900 in 1903,
142 per cent increase.
Cost Of Living Increased.
ut is of course admitted that the
cost OF living has increased during the
last eight years but not so great
per cent as the increase of wages. The
very fact, as witnessed by savings
banks deposits, that laborers have
been able to constantly increase their
savings shows that their expenses
have not kept pace with the increase
of their wages. A thorough investiga.
ton made by the United States depart
ment of labor, the result of which was
published in July, 1904. shows that
while the cost of a laboring mans liy-
ing has increased less than 1916 per
cent his wages have increased 1873.
Helps Farmers
ut happens that under the operation
Of the existing Dingley tariff law, the
farmers of this county have been and
are now unusually prosperous. During
/ the operation Of the Wilson German
tariff they were extremely unfortu-
nate. remember when l went to
Washington shortly after the election
of Grover Cleveland in 1892, rela-
tive Of mine wanted me to sell his
farm in Cedar county, Iowa, for $55
per acre. 1t is excellent land and a
part of the tract entered by my grand
father away back in the early forties.
| could not find purchaser at $55 an
acre at that time, nor during any year
of the last democratic administration.
"a year ago less valuable land in the
same vicinity sold for hundred dol
lars an acre and you couldn't buy his
land for that today. Two years ago
| met a prominent farmer of Linn
county, Iowa on the train during the
fall campaign. He said to me: You
needn't work so hard for your Office
in this campaign. have made more
money today than your salary for a
year. | realized $4,000 clear on one
piece of land l bought year ago and
sold today
Attack on the Farmers.
more than decade ago at har.
vest home gathering in Linn county.
Iowa, took occasion to predict in the
presence of my county friends that ii
would not be long until the man who
owned half section of land in the
corn producing region would be the es.
pecial object Of political attack and ]
have lived to see that prediction come
/ true. At that time democratic stump
ers and other reformers were bemoan.
ing the condition of the farmers. They
were yelling about everything on his
breakfast table being taxed SO that
they couldn't see how he had the
heart even to return thanks.
To-day these same reformers are
screaming about the cost of living and
are advocating either compromise or
removal of duties on agricultural pro
| atc A
democratic journal Of this country
published in three leading cities de-
clared editorially: If the people of the
United States knew enough to take
the tariff off meat. hundred thou
sand steers would be driven across
the frontier from Mexico in a week
and the price of beef would fall imme
diately.'
Canada Also.
That was bald proposition to sac
rifice the interests of our farmers and
to put him in direct competition with
the greasers of Mexico, without pro.
lection. Since that time a good
many reformers have proposed to
sacrifice our protective duties on i'm.
ports of farm products from Canada.
IL AoSI the1I plopOolLlOu uOW U6luS
urged and threatened by tariff re,
formers generally. 1t is argued that
4 conditions of farm production are
4 practically the same in Canada as
4 here and therefore a reduction or re-
moval of our tariff duties would not
impair our markets nor injure us in
any way.
i Whoever makes such misrepresent,
atoms is either ignorant of the situa.
ton or seeks wilfully to mislead our
people. AS a matter of fact condi
tions of agricultural production in Can
ada as compared with Iowa, for in
stance, are vastly unequal. l quote
from the last official census Of Canada
on the subject of agriculture in the
| province of Quebec concerning the
rental value Of land.
|