Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-02-07
Congressman Are Receiving
Complaints From the
\: Tillers Of the Soil
DAKOTA SENATOR
FLAYS DEMOCRATS
Calls Upon Party to Return
What 1t Has "Stolen
From the People"

Washington, D. c., Feb. 5.-(speciaD
Personal losses on account or the ne"
democratic tariff law are being report
ed to members Of congress by farmers
and stock raisers In every northern
state. The testimony is all one way
so far as the farmer is commemorative
tariff law dealt him body blow.
One farmer after another has writ
ten his congressman of the loss which
he has sustained because of the free
grain and free live stock which are
pouring into the United States from
Canada and Argentine. One farmer
In the middle west wrote to his senator
telling of shipment of fat cattle
which he had made to the stock yards
at South St. Paul, humping into mar
ket overrun with Canadian stuff. other
shippers have written of similar ex-
periences at the Union stock yards IN
Chicago. This sort OF information IS
coming to senators and representatives
in a manner so direct and so force1ul
and from such large number OF their
constituents that no room is left Tor
them to be uncertain as to the way the
farmers feel about the new democratic
tariff law. =
Democrats in congress fully realize
that opposition to their tariff law is
developing fast with the farmers OF the
north and are hopeful that the trust
Hesitation being advanced by the ad-
ministration will divert the storm now
gathering force, 50 that control OF the
house Of representatives shall not be
wrested from them this year.
The awakening which is taking place
among the farmers Is exactly what re-
plblicans in congress predicted day az
ter day during the discussion OF the
Underwood bill. Leaders Of the party
are confident that the tariff issue alone
will defeat democratic candidates in
many northern states this year and
overwhelm the party In 1916.
Senator McCumber of North Dakota,
IN the senate the other day, made
great speech on the injurious effects
OF the tariff, 80 far as it relates to the
farmers. McCumber proved by hard,
cold, ofiicial figures, obtained from the
department of commerce, how utterly
and foolishly wrong had been those
who preached that taking the tarin
duty on Canadian live stock and grain
would work no injury to the farmers
OF this country.
Senator McCumber relentlessly pour
ed hot shot into the free trade !egis-
lation. He supplied lot OF valuable
figures which wide awake farmers by
the hundred have been asking for.
These included statistics showing the
number of head of live stock and
amount of grain imported into the
United States in certain months OF
1912. when the old protective duty was
on the statute books, and the number
and amount imported in corresponding
months in 1918. after the Underwood
bill became law. The figures OBJ
tanned by the senator were for the
months of October and November:
those for December were not avail
able. for the reason that thy have not
beer wholly compiled. The senator de-
clared that the December figures would
prove that the situation was growing
worse each succeeding month.
The speech of Senator McCumber
was made during the course of the de-
bate on the bill of Senator Hoke Smith
of Georgia, to provide for cooperative
agricultural extension work between
agricultural colleges and the depart
ment of agriculture. The senator be-
gan by declaring that this bill was "a
sop to the farmer
1T you honestly want to do justice
to the American farmer" said the sen.
ator from North Dakota, pointing a
long bony finger at the senator from
Georgia, restore to him that which
you hove robbed him of-his market,