Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 February 1888 — TIMIELY TOPICS. [ARTICLE]

TIMIELY TOPICS.

Farmer* Warned Againat Free Trade' Hop hi* try. BlMk’t Work* and L»«-ed»..A Mat Held by Gross Fraudß.-CU veleaxl’a Anu.Tantf Position Mot the Leeatot Bit Ml«tak»a. Florida vote* to exclude D ikota from Statehood. Florida cast last year 57,000 votes for members of Congress; at the same rate Dakota would be entitled to four Representatives in Congress. Louisiana votes to rob the people of Dakota of their share in the National Government Louisiana cast last year about eigbty-five thousand votes for members of Congress, at the same rate the people of Dakota would be entitled to seven Representatives. Georgia votes to rob Dakota, and to keep the inhabitants of that Territory in a dependent condition; in the State of Georgia 27,430 votes were cast for members of Congress last year, and at, the same rate the people o. Dakota would be entitled to thirty-eight Representatives. Mis sissippi and South Carolina vote to shut out Dakota; those two States cast in all 85,000 for members of Congress, and at the same rate Dakota would.be entitled to seventeen members.-[Mew York

Tribune. Could there be a clearer demonstration of the total lack of equity in the treatment received by Dakota frem a Demo eratie Congress? Southern States addicted to the old practice of suppress ing the colored vote now propose to suppress the great free white vote of this vast Territory by denying it Statehood, and so rendering its vote virtually nugatory. THU MISTAKES OE GROVER. Washington special, As the President nears the completion of his message he is more frequently in consultation with such ultra tariff reformers as Mr. Carlisle, and when the end is reached that portion of the paper relating to the redaction of the revenues will contain more of Carlisle than of Cleveland. It will be chock fnll of blue grass and corn juice statesmanship. Those regions which have the most vital interest in the question will not be represented or considered. At least their representatives ere ignored. Mr. Cleveland is noted for his peculiar manner of selecting hisadvisore. They are not called because of their intimate acquaintance with the question on which a ivice is desired, but because the President has taken a personal fancy to them. This insures him the companionship of a good fellow,bnt it is riot conducive to that elucidation of great questions which is likely to most benefit the public. Democrats shake their hea<ls sadly as they listen to the freshest reports of conferences which are to blow the tariff to smithereens, as far as the President’s message can do it, and ponder whether, after all, Democratic success is insured for 1888,asthey have been inclined to believe. A Democratic Congressman Mid to-day: “If a firm stand is taken by Democrats in favor of a tariff for revenue only, and if the Republicans adhere to the principle of a reasonable protec ive tariff, I would not be surprise*’ to see three, ard perhaps four or fivi, of the States that are called Southern give Republican majorities next year. Virginia has shown clearly that she has a popn lar Republcin majority; Maryland, and West Virginia,, and Georgia, and possibly Tennessee,would give a majori♦y for the tariff if that were the leading issue. No man is bigger than his party, and popular as Mr. Cleveland has been, be appears to me to be making a mistake in this matter of the tariff which may easily defeat him if he be renominated. The Republicans are exceedingly pleased with his course in regard to the tariff, and are refraining from criticism, that he may not be alarmed, and so grow orations and diplomatic. He is treading on dangerous ground.” black's words and deeds. In bis annual report for 1885, Pension Commissioner srid: . At one time the Pension Bureau was all but avowedly a polh cd machine filled from border to border with the uncompromising adherents <f a single organization who had for the claimant other tests than those < f the law, and Who required in addition to services in the field submireion to and support of a party before pensions were granted. Chi ft <f divisions, assistants, clerks, messengers, messenger boys, watchmen and laborers were all bnt entirely from one pditioal political school. Veteran service could not secure cuitinuanco in office, and at the behest and demand of partisans beyond the office old employes were cut adrift and zealous rustlers placed in their stead; leaves of absence were granted that the active men of the party might dominate over theelections. It was widely proclaimed that the pension system of the Ur i ted States; this vast and unmatched beneficence, depended for its continuance on partisan stceess. The glory of a noble gratitude was taken from the people arid made a masquerade as a party accomplishment, and men were taught that the immense sums levied on all onr borders, a grateful the veteran soldiers and their dependents, were party contributions and would cease if a change in Governmental administration occurred. These charges against Republiean administration of the Pension Office the

“Physical Wnck” strained every nerve before a Congressional Committee.to prove, but foiled ignominiously in the effort, and has been carts il not even to bint at It in his subsequent reports. It remains for B(rck himself to prove c inclusively that his own administration has been grossly part sin in the very distribution of ths Mcred trust lands at h's disposal; that be has in f ict made a great Dsmocratic “bar*!” of the appropriation f»r pensions. To prove this it is necesMry only to examine bis own annual report for 1887. From the table of pensioners and pensions paid, given by counties, some rough calculatiops will show the relative value of the pensions received by pensioners in the different Statej, the Democratic States being placed in one column and the Republican States in another: The most casual glance at this table shows that the soldier abiding in a Democratic State receiver as a general thing a larger pension per annum than his less fortunate comrade who lives in a Republican community. The Kansas soldier, for example, receives $lB 15 less a year than the veteran dwelling in Mississippi and slll3 less than the soldier of favored Indiana. The men of Ohio appear to be bedly off, while the condition of the hosts who hail from Pennsylvania and Nebraska is pitiable in the extreme. It would be very well for every Reputuicau member of Congress in a close and doubtful dis trie’to take a tablet a d Black's tables for 1886 and 1838 and address himself at this opening season of the year to a statement of account and strike a balance between himself and his conscience, “The Physical Wreck” and bis chances for re-election. From the interesting tables which furnished the data tor the averages quoted it can be shown that even in Copiah and Kemper counties, Miss., the Democratic pension “bar” has been tilted upon end so that its ciq scions bung hole sends gurgling floods into the wide funnel with which the “unterrified” prone upon the sacred soil, hath garnished his thirsty lips. All, that Commissioner cf Pensions has charged against the Republican adminis*ration of bis office he has himself been guilty of item by item and the record of which he now convicts himself beggars all partisanship ever before attempted. Before the next appropriation for pensions is ma H e pledges should be extor’ed from the “Physical Wri ck” for its fair and honorable disbursement. WHERE AGRICULTURE FLOURISHES. South Bend * It is evident in this country where manufacturers aie prosperous there agriculture flourishes. The most valuable farm land, the most remunerative husbandry, exist where the best local demand from the mechanic and the trader creates good markets at home, for bread and meat, eggs, milk and fruit. Those farmers who compete for the foreign trade in wheat and corn will never secure the competence witbin the reach of those who seek to supply those engaged in home manufactures. Those political economists who seek to remove the duties now laid on wool and other farm products are mere theorists, and would destroy A merican agriculture,the bulwark and mainspring of our National prosperity. Let our farmers one and all resist the silver tongued appeals of the fred traders, who would enrich Great Britain and Europe at the txpeuse of theUniteOtateO., ■ - ~~~ . A BEAT HELD BY GR S 8 FRAUDS. The House Committee on Elections, January 21, heard an argument in behalf of the claim of J. V. McDuffie to the seat now held by A. C. Davidson from the Fifteenth Alabama District. This district has become notorious on account of the fact that, although it contains a Republican mij irity of some 20,000 votes, no Repubuein candidate for Congress has received a certificate of election since the State Government fell into Democrat c hands fourteen years ago. In all that period Democrats have been regularly returned m “eheted” and have c »me to Washington to help make laws for the country. In two casee the seat has been contested anccessfully: ote> when the Republicans controlled the House, and once when tne Democrats were in a majority. The argument of C. C. Lancaster, Judge McDuffie’s counsel, bristled with an array of facts, as shown by undis pntfd testimony, which must have startled even some of the Democratic members of the committee. According to the returns in the office < f the Secretary of State of' Alabama, Davidson was “elect.-d” by a majority of H. 357 votes over 1 fcDuffie in a district which contains a Republican majority of 20,000 at least. How was that feat accomplished? The ex} lanation is simple and it is fortified by impregnable testimony. Votes which were cast for McDuffie were counted for Davidson by thousands. According to the testimony gathered and presented this form of cheating pervaded every county and precinct in the distric: except one county in which a fair election was held. Proof of the full extent of the frauds could not be obtained on account of the delays and other impediments cast in the way by the ebntesteeand his friends. In one town, for example, his counsel occupied three entire days in the cross examination of a Single witness by ask-1 ing frivolous and irrelevant questions,*

which obviously were framed for the sole purpose pf consuming time. Enough proof, however, was obtained to show a maj irity cf 8,517 votes for McDuffie over Davidson. Trie Committee continued the hearing. ATTEMPT TO BAMBOOZLE FARMEES. Cor. Chlcago'lmer-Ocean. In one of the Chicago free trade organs a few days ago, I noticed on its editorial page an article headed, “Twenty-five Millions of Free Tracers by compulsion,” the closing sentences of which article were as foliowi: “If these farmers would bestir themselves, exert their intelligence and not be fooled, bamboozled and awindled before tbeir very eyes by the aid and connivance of rural Congreasmen, they would arise in their wrath and smash the whole robber conspiracy that is devouring their substance and keeping them perpetually in debt And discouraged.” I claim the above article, and particularly thia closing sen ence, is one of the greatest attempts to fool and bambotzle intelligent people I have seen in a long time. The statement is there made that no operative protective tariff law does or can benefit the Western farmer. This is a> sei ted in the face of the great development that has taken place in the West during the past twenty-five years, which, according this writer’s statement, nave been years of high protective war tariff. Could such a development have taken place if this tariff had been such a robber conspiracv? The devouring process must be very slow, as I happen to know that the farmers of this county at least have been growing richer from year to year. It is true the prices of grain here are regulated by the Liverpool market. What then would be the condition if the peop’e now employed ip this country in manufacturirg should be compelled to turn tbeir attention to farming? Would not the surplus of farm products fir export be largely increased and the price on the Liverpool market be correspondingly reduced, and thereby a low er price for these products be established at every railroad station all over the West. This being the case what advantage would free trade bring to the farmei? Let the writer referred to answer. He further states that the farmer of the west is placed at a disadvantage in placing his surplus products on the Liverpool market by the ocean voyage, which tells so hard against him in competing against the slavish ryots of India (that is the expression). He fails to state, however, that while New York a miles front London, Bombay, the) nearest Indian port, is 11,320 miles distant from it. If this is not “bamboozling” what is i ? With a bold effrontery he aske: “Where does Congress get its authority?” Let him read again the Constitution of the United States and lhe particular clause “to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several States and with the Indian tri oes.” Let him further learn that the clause was born of a bitter experience ot an attempt by the mother country to so restrict the American colonies that they could not make their own nails or hats or even transport wool by water. To this same condition does the Cobden Club desire to bring üb; its whole energies and the vast funds at its disposal are bent to this purpose, and ably are they assisted by such writers as above referred to. Protection does benefit tue Western farmer. Ihs proof of. thii assertion is not farfetched, aßr.Te,Y6hargnmeirtß<mthe free trade side of the question. He has but to compare bis own condition with that of the generation that preceded him or his own condition thirty years ago. Merchant.