Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-05-25

minneapolis journal: Henry ".
Hansbrough, former United States
senator from North Dakota, at the
West hotel last evening, gave out a
statement explaining his reasons for
favoring the success of the regulars
in the big conflict for control of the
republican party in North Dakota.
AS recently stated in dispatches from
North Dakota to the Journal, Mr..
Hansbrough has Joined hands with
the organization republicans again,
though two years ago he was in bit
ter conflict with them. He says he
is not in politics and is not candi-
date for office, but he is firm sup
porter of the national administration
and of the present tariff system.
Hopes for Victory
II hope and believe that the regular
organization will win in North Da-
kota," Mr.. Hansbrough said. II am
firmly convinced that present condi-
tons are most favorable to the farm
ers of North Dakota, and when we
say the farmers, we practically mean
the people of that state. I do not
believe they stand to gain by the
political agitation that is now going
on in the state.
HAS the average North Dakota
farmer forgotten the tribulations that
came to him from 1890 to 1900? I
do not believe he has. During that
decade congress revised the tariff
three times, and there was much pc.
litical agitation, accompanied by wide
spread business disturbance. The
country changed administration three
times in those years with some re-
markable results upon the prices of
farm products. When Harrison came
to the presidency in 1889, following
a democratic administration, indus
trial and commercial affairs were at
very low ebb. A republican tariff
law was enacted in 1890, and bust
ness revived at once, nOtwithstand'
ing the dire predictions that were
made as to what the effects of that
law would be. In some respects the
political agitation Of that day resem-
bled the commotion that is now in
progress in several sections of the
country. 1t was called populism
then. The movement for change of
gained such Roadway
that, even in the face of the better
conditions that set in after the Nc
Kinley law was passed, the republi-
cans were voted out of power.
Democratic Revision Calamity
"Mr. Cleveland, thoroughly commit
ted to a tariff for revenue only, be-
came president in 1898, and the fol-
lowing year we had another revi-
sion, this time by the democrats.
Business disaster and commercial
chaos Immediately followed as a re-
suit of this revision. The prices OF
farm products fell to the lowest point
since those delorous days preceding
the civil war The people soon real
lied and regretted their mistake, but
were obliged to wait In patience and
poverty for four long, miserable years
before a remedy could be applied.
Then, almost regardless of their po-
litical beliefs, they elected the patrio-
tic American, William Mckinley, as
their president. Again there was an
industrial revival. This was greatly
augmented by the enactment in 1897
of the Dingley tariff law by repub-
licaa congress. That was thirteen
years ago, since which time an era OF
unbroken prosperity and confidence
has prevailed.
"All this is a matter of indisputable
history. The most profound causists
have failed, and will continue to fail,
except for political purposes and In
a spasmodic way, to convince anyone
that republican party policy did not
have much to do with it.
$50, after ten years of varying ad-
verse economic experiences, with
low-priced products for the farmer in
times of political agitation against
the tariff and under resultant demo
cratic policy, with ten years of living
prices for the farmer and the COM
parative business repose under repub-
lican policy-after two decades, the
one of gloom, and the other of hope
fulness and happiness, we are now
in the midst of biennial campaign
in which the North Dakota farmers
and business men generally are ask
ed to return to the worse than stag
nant conditions that prevailed from
1890 to 1900. .
Compare Prices With Former Ones
Every farmer that kept books in
that period of political turgescence
and industrial catastrophe should
turn back to his accounts and exam
inc the prices he got for what he had
to sell, and then compare them with
the prices he is receiving for the
products he is now selling If he
contracted debt in those times-and
most farmers were obliged to do so
then-when he expected to pay it
from the products of wheat sales at
from 20 to 60 cents a huahel it will