Emmons County record., 1911-05-18
THOSE FREE.TRADE BILLS.
The Democrats Proposed FARMERS
AID Law Is Even Worse Than
Reciprocity, Itself.

The st. Louis Live Stock Exchange
makes a protest against the Under
wood bill, which proposes to place on
the free list meats and many other
things which the farmer produces.
This action by the meat-raisers. re-
marks the st. Louis Globe-Demo-
crat, is just what ough to have been
expected. They get thirty or forty
per cent less for their products than
they did last November. That was
the month in which the Democrats
won their big victory, by which they
have gained control of the House of
Representatives and reduced the
Republican lead in the Senate to a
very small figure. The reduction in
meats began a little earlier than
November, for Democratic success
was foresecn prior to the election.
But the election sent prices down
faster and farther.
And now the democrats have
framed another assault on the
farmers. says the st. Louis Globe
Democrat. The bill to put meats
and scores of other articles on the
free list, many of which the farmer
produces. will further diminish his
income. The bill will pass the house
by an immense majority, and it may
get through the senate. a measure
on these lines, but probably much
more sweeping. will surely be enact
ed should this one fail in the re-
publican senate or by veto of the
president if the democrats should
carry the country in 1912. The
democrats last fall made their cam
paign on free-raw-material cry,
and, as they Won the election, they
naturally inferred that they had
been given mandate to carry out
that policy Under republican sway
the farmers Of the country had paid
off their mortgages and had become
independent of the money changers.
They rolled up big balances in the
bank, bought many automobiles,
and dressed and housed themselves
better than they had ever done in
the past. But the democratic wave
which swept the country in 1910 also
swept away large part of their
profits, and they have more Difficult
ty in making ends meet than they
have experienced since the panic
of 1898, which began when Cleveland
entered office the second time, and
which did not disappear until the
republicans resumed sway in 1897.
Now, what do the farmers think
of the fairy tales which the dem
ocratic politicians told them i'm 1910?
The democrats raised the cry of
high cost of living" and declared
that this would bereduced if a dem
ocratic congress were chosen. They
pretended that the farmer would
have cheaper shoes. clothing and
everything else which he had to
buy, and at the same time that he
would receive the existing high
prices for what he had to sell. And
sufficient number of farmers be-
lieved this tale to turn the scale in
the election. In the agricultural
districts of the north and west,
where the republican party had its
chief strength heretofore. enough
votes were turned to the democracy
to give them the ascendancy. And
now the inevitable has come ohand.
The farmers have been injured in
stead of benefited. While some of
the things which they buy have
been lowered in price, the reduction
is trivial compared with that which
has taken place in the articles which
the farmer raises and sells. His con-
dition is worse than it was previous
ly. His markets have been mar
roWed to the extent in which mills
have been closed through fear of
destructive democratic legislation.
All the legislation of the last half
century which has benefited the
farmer in any important degree has
been placed upon the statute-books
by the republican party. Their
financial measures brought every
dollar of the country S currency up
to the gold level, and have kept it
up to that line. BY its homestead
acts the republican party gave free
land to millions of persons and have
8peopled the waste spaces of the
west. Agricultural colleges and eX-
pertinent stations are the creation
of the republican party. as also are
the rural free-delivery routes, which
place the farmers of the remote
districts in close touch with the
great business centers. But, be
cause Of a foolish pique, the farmers
last November turned against the
republican party and placed demo-
cratic house in power The reduc-
tion of thirty to forty per cent in
the prices for everythingwhich they
sell is the penalty which they are
paying for their blunder.