THE
DINQLEY BILL
AND THE FARMER.
the New Tariff Meastife: Will
Affect Agriculture.
How
VIEWS OF THE MEN
Leading Statisticians and Agricultural Experts ;
Also Commend It.
The Most Favorable Measure to Agricultura;,Ever: Presented
to Congress. . .,v .
The following expressions from leading
agriculturists, statisticians and statesmen
relative to the Dingiey bill and its rela
tion to the agricultural' element of the
community and to agriculture itself... WH
be of interest to every reader, whatever
his occupation. The class of men- select
ed forfthis exnrossion of views includes
men whose training,-: as J students oi agri-H
culture from a practical and statistical
standpoint of actual practice in prepar
ing the bill itself, renders their consensus
of opinion upon this measure- ftreuvlT.
valuable.
Hon. NeTsoo'lrtn-rJeyi'-v"
"There can be no doubt of the marked
growth of the protective sentiment in the
South." said Chairman Dingiey, -of- Ue
...Ways and Means Committee, in comment
ing on the bill. "So far as I now recall,
this is the first time that Southern Dem
ocrats have voted for a protective. bill or
expressed the strong sentiments :n lavor
of a protective tariff which we have heard.
. in the House, and which are now being
presented ar the Senate end of 'he capital
in the amendments proposed by S-nators
and others, increasing the-protective -ares
.of duty in the pending tariff bill. We
have had Democratic votes from the
North for a protective tariff bill in the
past, but this -stipport-for the protective
idea from the South is new."
"And gratifying, .of course,- Mr;- Ding--le'y?"
' . -. . '- : - - -
""Most assuredly." ' ..' r '"'
Surprising, too? "
"Not especially " so: rib. " The' development-
of -manufacturing "industries in the
Sooth n the last few years. b.as created a
-protective sentiment. There.are two rea
sons for this:-first-, the desire for the in
crease of manufactures; and 'the., direct
results inereirom. anu secouu. me-aa-
vantages to agriculture which come from.!
lutr -uuuiv uiauuiai-iinii jiivju?m;.i, uf
value of farm products' is largely depen
dent upon proxifyity to a mark$t..-..FaMn
.'p'rodnets are. bulky a-nd the-eost of traiis
- ...-;. ..- i,.....- ,J-.: n-:..tjc ...... i. .. . jA..v..'.-n:
the profits to the;(Yarmpr. ff he hag ,a
market just alongside his farm or in easy
reach ne can njak'e4 good profits out of a
business which would not be successful if
'he were compelled to sjhip his. productions
a long distance fo find sale for them"' The
establishment of manufacturing industries
jn the South has tlfus not only increased
the price which the farmer gets for his
V products, but has greatly diversified these
- products and thus further increased nis
- profits." : I : .
xiitru UU loutw upon lue iun in ui ujc
" protective sentiment as developing among
the agricujturists as 'well as. among the
manufacturing communities ' of --the
South?" - . ";:r " '
"Undoubtedly a study of the agricul
tural'histoTv and conditions of the various
sections of the country shows clearly that
the value of the land and of its produc
tions averages much higher per acre in
the. sections having manufacturing indus
tries which afford a home market for the
products and : for .diversified productions.
The people of the South are realizing this-?'
in their experience with the manufactut-".-ing
establishments which have been de-;
- veloped in that section, in . the last fev
years". So there is a groth-of protective"
sentiment not alone aincrng those interest
ed in manufactures or directry 'profiting-'
- , . i , . . . . i i. . i i. . . .
Dy toe employ uieut wmuu iut giye,,uui.
'also among the great mass of people of
that section whose attention is devoted to
-agriculture." - - '' i
"Do yon look for a continued growth of -the
protective sentiment in the South?" .-j
"Yes, the mere effect f this discussion
' and the avowed protective sentiments of
men of all parties will have its effect -in
still further strengthening and increasing
' the protective sentiment."
tc "And does this probably mean an in
crease in Republican strength from that
section in Congress and in national elec
tions generally?"
"Undoubtedly. The Republican vote in
the South has been largely held in check
in the past because parties divided to a
great extent on the color line. Now that
there is a disposition to divide on-other
.'. issues and upon the important issue of
protection, it will insure fair elections, and
. with' fair elections and increased protec
tive sentiment, it will strengthen very ma
terially the probabilities of Republican
success in many parts of that section. We
have seen this illustrated in the recent
elections in which the Republican party
carried the northern tier of Southern
States for the presidency, and elected an
.. unusually large number of Congressmen."
Hon. J. H. Kriurbnm. -.'..' - f ..
-"1 think the farmers generally withouj
regard to political associations are rather
. anxious to see a measnre like the Ding'ev
- bill passed, in order to see what the result i
will be as related to themselves. Even j
those who have not heretofore believed !
"-very much in the policy of protection to !
American industries, want to see this bill
put into operation in the hope that it w"i!l
afford them relief, and if it does they will
.. be very thankful. If it does not afford
-the relief desired then they will turn
their attention to something else.' So far
' as I am individually concerned. I have
always been on advocate of protection to
American industries.- As a farmer. I have
felt that the agricultural jnterests have
not always been fairly treated in tariff re
visions. In the MeKinley bill, agriculture
received better treatment than in any oth
er measure, previous or subsequent, cx-
cept the Dingiey bill. I had nnfcli to do
personally With the shaping of the McKin7
ley bill as related to the agricultural
schedule, being called, upon by Major Me-j
WHO FRAMED IT.
Kinley, chairman of the committee, to as
sist in this work, and I tried to make, it
afford' protection to agriculture'. We se
cured ibout all we asked for. except a
duty npon hides. We felt that as a mat
ter of justice and right people who raise
cattle are. entitled to protection' on hides
Sis well as those who manufacture leather
ind shoes have a right to protection on
Htheir. products. The farmers .unquestion
ably reaped considerable benefit from the
MeKinley law. although the apparent re
versal of the- verdict of the peopVeTnlSOO
and 1S92 prevented them from realizing
I he. full advantages - which-. tbe' ;w.on.ld
na ve otherwise reaped under the measure.
Farming-industries, as everybody Tshows,
have ..beeg greatly depressed during the
pa lit ws years, and many of .its .attribute
th is" In rgely to' the discrimination against
agriculture, in the present Wilson tariflf
measnre, which placed wool upon tfie free
list and' reduced the duty, upon agricul
tural products.
"We received . great advantages,... we
thinks from. the; reciprocity feature of the
MeKinley law which has the "endorse
ment of nearly every farmer in this cowl
try, and we were very "sorry that the
treaties were not .carried out by, the.last
administration. :We'a'fe very glad to see
(hat the niain features, of the. MeKinley
law as related to' protection to agriculture
are found in the Dingiey bill. There has.
been, some improvement, we think. 'in" th'e
wool schedule, and we are sure that the
prompt passage of this measure wilj af
ford some relief which will be very grate
ful to the farmers,. They will be very
much opposed to unnecessary delay- in itrs;
passage, as they wan? relief. "and want it
now. They will have little patience with
any 4oirg drawn out. action and dglay on
the part of Congress in puttiiw this meas
ure on the statute books. They want it
trf' become a law, The -farmers'are sder
pendent largely npon home consnmws forcd
the disposal of their products. The pro
dffcls sent, abroad are brought.into compe
tition with the cheapest" hfbor4 and randan
the' World, and sometimes theri' is-iio profit
left for the farmer after charges are .paid..
For their other products, however, not
"shipped abroad there is a great advan
tage to the farmer in having a good sub
stantial home market. The opening of
factories "and mines and giving employ
ment to the vast army of laborers in this
country at good wages will largely in
crease the consumption o,f those products
not considered staple products, such as
vegetables, fruits, etc.. and will.be of very
great benefit to. the farming class. These
laboring classes are liberal buyers when
they have the money and never haggle
overprices, sot hat we will get. if this bill
open's- factories and mines and gives the
employment -expected,: great benefits, in
this somewhat indirect manner.
"It is not to be expected, however, that
the benefits will be directly and immedi
ately felt to the extent that they wHI later.
The bonded warehouses of the great cities
are at this time crowded to overflowing
with millions of dollars' worth of impor
tations witiCKThave been rushed in under
thfr .present1 Ta w -in order to escape the
higher dsitj Anticipated by the Dingiey
MU., It ft'-Hl take some time for the peo
p!f to aliSMy-b this vat overstock of clpth
ins, and in" the meantime but small de-
laaiw" jsvill be.ra.ade upon manufacturers'
in tnis country, nor will the custom te-.
eeipts show their legitimate strength.'!-': -V
J. II. BUIGHAM.
Assistant Secretary of Agriculture..
;, v Pon. Georce W. Steele.
Major Steele, Congressman from In
diana and a member of the Ways and
M eans Committee, discussed various top
ics of the pending bill, having looked care
fully into the features of the Wilson law
as compared with the MeKinley law. up
on which the Dingiey bill is very generally
based. '; Especially with reference to live
stock he shows by his remarks in the Con
gressional Record that the decrease in
the values of horses, cattle and sheep in
Indiana .alone have been enormous, in
some cases over (ill per cent. In the case
of cattle and jshoep this decrease in value
is directly attributable to the pperation
of the Wilson law Cattle were brought
into-Ahjs country in great numbers from
Canada and Mexico. Mexican cattle were
brought in across the border at a total
cost, including duty, slightly in excess of
$S per head." and were driven in great
droves eastward, to be -Jinally fattened
in the great corn areas of the West and
then placed upon the Chicago and ether
Western markets. By this methoif of
driving, the buyers of herds escaped the
necessity of winter feeding, and they were
thus brought into competition with the
cattle raised by our own fanners at a
cost of about JF'iO per head. Vast areas of
If he grazing lands of the West are now
idle by reason of this competition. In
addition to this, infectious diseases f-
ft-cting cattle have been largely spread
among our own herds by these passing
droves, the Western cattle raiser never
knowing when his herd would become af
fected and depleted. Continuing, Mr.
Steele ,sa id that there has been" an un
doubted evasion of the law in the payment
of duty and that great numbers of cattle
have been, brought in without the payment
of auy tariff whatever.
The farmers of the middle West, Mr.
Steele says, are well satisfied with the re
turn to $4 per ton duty on hay. This will
shut out the great quantity of Canada
hay which has been brought into the
northern central section of the country by
reason of the "short haul, selling in our
markets there, while the hay of the farm-
ers of this country rots in the stacks. Ue
indicates a general satisfaction with the
wool schedule, and has not received a sin
gle complaint in regard to the bill gen
erally from the farmers. -
"It cannot be expected," continued Mr.
Steele, "that any genuine prosperity and
stability will come to' the country until
this tariff matter is settled and rates on.
all articles adjusted permanently. -TUe
trouble was after the enactment of the
MeKinley law, that the people dH not al
low sufficient time for conditions to prop
erly adj.ist themselves and to allow the
law to show its full power, before they
overwhelmed the country with ah adverse
criticism and demanded a trial "of low
tariff. The people of the country have
had opportunity to see the free trade the
ory put into practical operation and have
found it wanting, and now we hope that
when, this present bill is enacted into law
they will be patient and allow the new
law to thoroughly adjust itself to the con-
final judgment on its merits, we conn-
ut-iiiij preuiciiuac it win iniug iv'
ity to the country, but it .is not reasonable
to' suppose that it can work miracles, or
that it ran immediately place the country
upon the footing and prosperous basis
.which we had worked np to and enjoyed
through many years of continuous protec
tion prior to the advent of the Wilson law.
The country has demanded a return to the
protective system, and no class has made
the demand stronger in this line than the
farmers. Now when the system is put
into operation. .leT us give it the necessary
time, after- the past years of tearing down
the protective walls of the country, to
gradually bring confidence and the hum
of industry, which has been through his
tory the accompaniment of a protective
tariff. 'v
5 "Under free trade. pr a low tariff, the
producer or manufacturer has no assur
ance wha the prices for his products will
be.' The prices' 'are regulated by the-.floods-.
f; material and manufactured ar
ticles which are' unloaded upon our shores,
the products of the pauper labor of-Europe;
he is" thus timid about pursuing this
Jin of industry to his full capacity for
fear it will leave him in debt by finding
his markets occupied by foreign .goods;
thus his operations are circumscribed and
his purchasing power reduced to a mini
mum and many of the people who sold
him their products find themselves with
out. customer. Sucb--fl instance, multi
plied by thousands largely-1 accounts for
the loss of the home market in this coun
try." f
'--- " Hob. Walter Evans.
"The agricultural interests of "the country-are
very comprehensive and include
subjects of vast extent apd importance
corn,' whe'at, sugar, rice, tobacco,; cottort,
fruits, horses, mules, cattle, sheep, wool,
etc., are probably those that first strike
you. The farmer needs that a demand
should be created 'and sustained for all
farm products at good prices. Without an
active demand that is reasonably continu
ous and permanent in character agricui-
'iiTrnl -itffferests languish. If there is such
a demand th.eT flourish, and that is. p.re-cAsolyr-e5uivalent
to prosperity for the
fj)ngr: ,( jrhe tariff bill aims at two things
in this connection, naipety, fifsti:ttf) -guard
,onr. .faxaisrs and farm labor -against" the.
Lkiwe? wage conditionsojf-,bfr-tnue-s.
sncn.as Mexico, tanaaa ana many orners
more remote, and, second, to sq stimulate
Ethel geifcral'' 'industrial energieiVtif the
whole country as to give all the people
work at , fair compensation in one form or
dh other.' aho in that way togain- fhem
the'power to buy what. the farmers have,
for sale, and as a consequence -to create
and ustain'the demand of which I have
spoken; ' No class of our people arevmore.
dependent .than are the farmers upon the
successful operation of the doctrine of pro
tection to home industries, for, -if those
industries are prosperous the great labor
ing. .classes W'll have moue(, and will
therewith:buy freely and pay liberally .antl
promptly for what the farmer' has," but if
the laboring classes are out of employ
ment they cannot and do not buy , what
the farmer must sell.!' The last four years
have demonstrated this.aod it seems to.
me that the people will not forget it.
Speaking generally, 1 may say that no
class of our people were more thought of
by the Republican members of the Ways
and Means Committee in preparing the
bill than were the farmers, and I believe
the provisions of the bill will show this to
be a fact. We tried to do what was need
ful to re-create our sheep flocks and- the
wool clips that would follow. We esps-,
cially endeavored to encourage the pro
duction of sugar, feeling sure that our
farmers could produce -all we require if
they would go to Work at it. So with all
the other great agricultural products I
have named. And in my judgment if the.
planters of the South will-only address
themselves to it there are other crops than
those now raised there which can be cul
tivated with great profit notably, for in
stance, jute."
WALTER EVANS,
Member Ways and Means Committee. '
Hon. Pobert P. Porter.
The tariff bill is now before the public,
and it is easy to make a comparison, item
by item, of the proposed bill with the
present law and the MeKinley law. The
opposition plan is to attack the new bill in
detail, as they did the MeKinley law, and
make all the political capital out of these
attacks. It is well for Republicans to" be
on guard against these misleading and in
sidious attacks. They should recall -the
fact most potent at this time that the sec
tions of the MeKinley law which were
most bitterly assailed are the very sec
tions that subsequently proved of most"
benefit to the American producer and the
American wage earner.
The agricultural interests of the conn
try have been well cared for. directly by
the increase of duties wherever necessary,
and indirectly by the provisions for recip
rocity, which are sure to increase our ex
ports of agricultural products. Our free
trade friends have shown, great anxiety
over this reciprocity feature of the new
bill. "With sugar on the dutiable list,
what have.we got to trade with?" they in
nocently exclaim. The answer is: "Lots
! of things." The new reciprocity will au-
1 . . . r- :j . j ...
tnorize ine nraiucn io reuuee unties in
cases where other nations are willing to
reduce duties on our commodities. For
instance, an eighth of a cent reduction per
pound on refined sugar will be an impor
tant club to hold over Germany, and may
make that naf'on hesitate to prohibit our
grain and flour and cattle and meat. The
changes in the mineral water schedule
will have the same effect. So in the case
of silk and wines from France. This pol
icy should be extended much .further than
the committee has gone.. In addition to
sugar, the President is authorized to put
a doty on tea and coffee: but the rate is
not high enough to have the right effect
And in the case of the countries which
should make reciprocal arrangements for
oiir agricultural products the duties should
be placed high, and the right invested in
the President ' to reduce, if , by so doing
Germany and France would make similar
reductions - on commodities we sell to
them. It is, therefore, to be hoped that
Congress will not nibble at reciprocity, but
give the country a strong measure, even
more far-reaching than the committee pro
poses, that will give us new markets for
ourvagrieuitural .products in Europerand
our machinery and farm implements in
Sonth America. We have been doing
very well in our exports of manufactures
during the last few years.-but the gain in
that direction has not made up for the
Joss in agricultural products.' We have
plenty of articles to trade oh in the man
ner suggested, if Congress only shows the
courage of its convictions and invests the
President with the widest possible lati
tude. The proposed legislation to give'us rev
enue, increaseu home production, give
employment to American labor and in
crease our influence in the world's mar
kets is not going .to glide through Con7
gress without Opposition. The free trad
ers will put up a strong fight against it,
and they propose to make all the capital
possible out of it, even if there is no fac
tious opposition.
ROBT. P. PORTER.
Ex-Supt U. S. Census.
Hon. Martin 3tt Johnson.
The main advances in rates have been
made in the agricultural schedule. We
have- given everything that we possibly
could in the way .-of direct protection to
the farmers. I do not think there is an
exception. In every instance where we
I found that;-we couid benefit any agricul
tural products directly by a tariff, we have
done so, but the main advantage which
the farmers expect to get, anxJ will get
from this protective tariff is in increasing
their home markets, the best in the world.
The sugar, and - flax 'schedules' were made
with a view to creating or establishing
two distinctly new and great sources of
agricultural wealth. -We have passed be
yond Jhjs experimental stage in both these
' items. "We know' now that our soil and
climate are the best in the world for the
growth of flax fibre and sugar beets, and
now all we need is protection. Cause and
effect will be as cleaj cut in the natural
ization of the sugar and linen industries
under the Dingiey bill as was the tin plate
industry under the law of 1S90. By so
:,a4jtin:'aHlf.'s.-t61frtt-ect and en-
"courage the manufacture and production
of everything tifati-we' can produce or
make to advantage- tn' this country, we
create a home market for home products.
Xext to that market we expect to reopen
foreign markets ifor- flour, meats 'agricul-'
tural and other iaahinery which we pos
sessed under ourjsfittkneJ reciprocity agreements-with
the- West - Indies and jCentral
and South Amerfeafn States,' and also ith
Germany and Ffanper-In my judgjrient
those markets fartvheaf -.and flour wilf
.make, an ,a6UIftl4"''r-demand for sixty
million bushels" o1fwbeat a year, and - the
restoration of acffitii'n the mining, man
ufacturing and jgliex industries of; this
country, such as-s'e enjo.yed under, th
tariff of 1S90 wjlig: I "think, increase the.
home consumptift&Sto' what it formerly
was per capita, t"u padding about -.120-,
milliojj Jinshels aiaSygjfttijS present ipine
onsumDtion'-a,nSSihlswill, I. think iter
W e find that jjip "Wo.oten sckedHleij.
meeting with, gefieial approbation aniohg
the "farmers. I ajJi'ln-Tec"e'ipt of a letter
from the secret a ISJjoi the Wool Growers'''
Association of Xqth Dakota with refer
ence to.ih'e propoBeawool schedule of the
Dingiey ''"bin. stajGftg that" the same is
thoroughly satisfary to the North Da
kota association. s !f he woolen schedule of
the present bill is 'marked improvement
over that of the Meifialeyrlaw.. The rates,
on the firsthand ;.;s(hpnd class-wools are
the sarh.e as 'under -the MeKinley law, but
the advantage of thej schedule in this bill
lies in the fact ttiattthe coarse so-called
jj'fcarpet .wools" .frouiChina, Bagdad and
Kgj pt prmcipaIly."Tyin: under the Me
Kinley -law "si low.vate of duty, are now
rated us first-class, w-cjols. At least thirty
million pounds of tjitse wools were im
ported -as earpet wool annually, but were
converted into garjnints and cloths, instead-of
carpets, and jto meet the require
ments of the niamfftiqturers, the fashions
were actually-changed, cloaks and coats
possessing a very roajgh . fibre and finish
being worn by all classes. - h ?'
The protectionist farmers of the coun
try with 'whom I';hair.e talked or corre
sponded express themselves as thoroughly
satisfied with the present bill. : They not
6nly believe that it will help them directly
by reason of the rats levied npon agri
cultural articles, 'but have great faith that
with its enactment will .come increased
activity and good business times, and that
there will be a ready and satisfactory
home market, for their products. Former
ly there was little need of direct protec
tion to farm products as few were im
ported. Now all that is changed, as over
fifty per cent of our total imports for the
last five-years have been agricultural pro
ducts. M. N. JOHNSON,
Member Ways and Means Committee.
Hon. J. R. Dodsre.
Free traders are apt to sneer at the idea
of a tariff on farm animals, wheat, barley,
eggs and other products of the farm, and
call attention to the limited amount of
such imports. It they are intelligent, such
sneering is insincere; "if impracticable doc
trinarians, -they know no better. Without
a duty on wheat,it can be brought from
Argentine to New York at less expense
than, from Nebraska; barley is brought
from Canada in spite of ordinary duties,
and cattle from Canada and Texas. Wool
was brought from Australia, Cape Colony
and several South American States when
the duty was' 12 cents per pound, and
since it came in free, with free shoddy in
its'wake; an amount in a single year,
equal to the entire clip of the United
States, has flooded the country, sending
prices below sost of production and a
fourth of the flocks of the country to the
butcher's ; block, to exportation and to
death by. neglect; reduced the value of
those remaining and almost eliminated
value from the pasture lands. of farm and
range. The manufacturers who were
promised so much benefit from free wool,
greater variety, cheaper cost, a larger out
put and a fpreign market, have been over
run by enormous quantities and depre
ciated qv'.ities of manufactured foreign
goods, not admitted free, but at lower
duties, and the result has been the shut
ting down of mills until at one time three
fourths of the factories were inoperative,
artisans and laborers out of employ, con
sumption of farm products reduced, confi
dence destroyed, panic intensified and ey-.
ery interest of the country affected. The
wool growers and manufacturers alone
ime lost -more by this experiment of free
wot'ls and lowered woolen duties than the
an represented by the increase of the na
tional debt during Cleveland's administration.-
And who haa gained? Nobody. The
quality of clothing is reduced more than
the price, and it was never so hard for
the laboring -man or the farmer to bny a
new suit. How can a laborer be benefited
by -a reduction of $5 per annum on his
clothing and ?100 on his income? Of
what advantage to a farmer is cheap
shoddy if he cannot sell his products ex
cept at prices below cost?
A silly pretense and generally a dishon
est one, that should be everywhere expos
ed, is the contention that duties increase
invariably and permanently the. prices of
similar domestic production. This is
neither the object nor effect of duties. It
is to exclude excessive foreign competi
tion and hold the home market for home
enterprise and home labor, both in indus
trial and in rural lines. And this is not
a theory, it is an accomplished fact, the
inevitable result of which is assured in a
very brief period with our abundant cap
ital and superabundant labor, the latter
increased by 300,000 to 500,000 immi
grants yearly who cannot be kept employ
ed while our food and clothing is made in
Europe and elsewhere. This is a proposi
tion which is readily admitted by anyone
not an idiot. In this connection cannot
the farmer see how he is benefited by pro
tection? The day has arrived when the
farmers must hold the home market or
stare ruin in the face. Ten years' increase
of our population requires half as much
wheat as we export and our exportation is
threatened with decrease by Russia and
Argentina, with no prospect, scarcely a
possibility of Increase. We import half
as much food and drink as all our agri
cultural exports, and our entire consump
tion already almost equals the enormous
farm production, much of our exports go
ing to offset the cost of our agricultural
imports. What folly, then, for farmers
to seek to destroy their own market by
free trade competition. It is not the dan
ger merely of imported farm products, but
of imported manufactures which make
labor idle, non-consumptive and paralysis
of all industries,;-and that of the farmer
with inevitable certainty. Even a blind
farmer ought to be able to see this point
distinctly in the record of four years of a
semi-free trade administration.:
J. R. DODGE,
Ex-Statisticiah U. S. Department of Agriculture.
A VERSATILE AGRICULTURIST.
Secretary 'Wilaon look'ne Oat for
Vartons Farm Industries.
Secretary Wilson of the Department of
Agriculture, learning incidentally that
corn was being shipped from the United
States to Denmark to be fed to cows,
whose butter is marketed in London, at
once conceived the idea that . American
corn should be turned into butter by
American cows and marketed in London
by American farmers. -'' '
. .Upon inquiry at the .Treasury Depart
ment, Mr. Wilson learned that he had
power and authority to spend the Gov
ernment's money about as he saw fit. He
had a .purpose in view in. making the in
quiry, and at once issued orders to his as
sistants to buy several hundred pounds
of the- best creamery butter made in Illi
nois, Iowa and one or two other States.
This wijl be shipped to the Government's
animal industry agent in London, and
placed -upon the market. The butter will
be-sent in various packages, and the agent
wUl.be.jnstriicted to report what the ma'r
'ket. wapis in.jthe way. of package, color .of
butter, salt, flavor, etc. It is expected
that in this way a knowledge of the -wants
of the English markets will be obtained,
to the end that the farmers of the United
States will soon be getting a fair share
of the English butter tr&de. :.- . '
Secretary Wilson-says scientific work is
11-right, but he wants scientific work
that, has a practical value. "The trouble
with many of our scientists of the Agri
cultural Department," he says, "is that
they-work for the delectation of other sci
entists, for the approval af their fellows in
the-scientific world. I want them to work
for the farmer."
Currency Reform Sot "Shelved."
The assertion which is made by some of
the sound money Democratic papers that
the Republicans have "shelved" monetary
reform is a little, too precipitate. Presi
dent MeKinley gave a prominent place to
this subject in his inaugural address, and
suggested, the appointment of a commis
sion to go over the whole question and re
port a plan which would bring our diverse
and illogical financial system into approx
imate harmony with the requirements of
the time. A bill 'to carry out the Presi
dent's suggestion has been introduced in
the House. '
It would, be unreasonable to blame the
Republicans for giving precedence to the
tariff question. A .deficit of something
like $70,000,000 a year in the revenues is
to be provided for; and this necessity is
far greater than that of reforming the
financial system, urgent as the latter re
quirement is. The condition of the cur-rency-wilr
not get worse, for the assault
on the nation's monetary stability and sol
vency made last year has been repelled,
and it cannot be repeated until three years
hence at the earliest. On the other hand,
the necessity for immediate action on the
question of the revenues is imperative.
St. Louis Ulobe-JDemocfrat.
. Bryan's Case Hopeless.
If these immense crowds which greet
Mr. Bryan wherever he speaks mean that
he is likely to be nominated in 1900 they
indicate that Providence is going to stick
to the Republican party. Mr. Bryan is
an eloquent and picturesque man, but his
popularity does not grow on close ac
quaintance. He will never be as strong
again as he was last year. Despite his
ravings in 1896 that his defeat would
mean national bankruptcy and general
disaster, and his silly flings at the Kepub
Iican party since the election, a majority
of the people probably think he is sincere,
but a majority of the people can never be
led to think he is the sort of man this
country needs for President. St. Louis
Globe-Democrat.
. Steady Business Improvement.
A good many , people are complaining
that business is no better than it was be
fore the election. There has certainly
been no boom, and men of small means
find it about as difficult to get money as
before; but there is certainly an improve
ment in financial conditions, and people
with good collateral and gilt-edged credit
can secure money for legitimate opera
tions at a lower rate of interest than ever
known before in- this country. .
If people will exercise a little -patience
they may yet witness a marvelous busi
ness recovery, as the result of the health
ier political and industrial conditions
brought about by the inauguration of a
Republican President and the passage of
a protective tariff. Minneapolis Tribune.
The interest on our public debt increas
ed 50 per cent during Grover .Cleveland's
second term in office, but the interest in
Grover Cleveland and his party during
that time decreased more than 00 per cent
THE SILVER COMMISSION.
President's Appointment of Com
missioners Generally Commended.
President MeKinley, by his appointment
of commissioners to an international mon
etary conference, has given another strik
ing assurance of Republican good faith
in dealing with the silver question. The
pledge of the St. Louis platform to pro
mote an international agreement in the in
terest of bimetallism and the cordial sym
pathy of the Republican party for every
practical movement in that direction are
forcibly demonstrated by the President's
prompt and statesmanlike action in th
present instance. New York Mail and
Express.
President MeKinley has acted wisely in
making the bimetallic commission a radi
cal one. Two of the members are for free
silver without any qualifications, and can
be trusted to do all in their power to bring
about international bimetallism at tfife
ratio of 16 to 1. The other is a gold man
who favors bimetallism, and who, of
course, will not place any obstacles in the
w;ay of his colleagues. . There can be no
complaint hereafter that the bimetallists
have not been giveji ample opportunity to
achieve their purpose. Baltimore Ameri
can. .President MeKinley has very properly
naajed commissioners' to represent the
United States at the international mone
tary conference. Atlanta Journal, Dem.
The platform of the national Republican
convention advocated an international
conference upon the free coinage of sil
ver. The Republican Congress carried
out the proposition by appropriate legisla
tion and authorized "the President to ap
point a commission. President MeKinley
shows his intention' of obeying that legis
lation to the best of hfs ability by the se
lection' of Senator Wolcott of Colorado,
ex-Vice-President Stevenson and Gen.
Paine of Massachusetts as the members.
These gentlemen are all bimetallists. Sen-
ator Wolcott is one of those radical silver
men who can be respected for his honesty
of purpose. He is, first of all. a Republi
can, and refused to desert the party along
with Teller and Dubois and the rest of
them. The commission is" a strong one.
Philadelphia Inquirer.
President MeKinley is working in good
faith to carry out that declaration of the
St. Louis platform which pledges the Re
publican administration to do all in its
power to promote international bimetal
lism The last Congress having provided
the necessary legislation whereby either a
monetary conference might be called or
special commissioners be appointed to
sound foreign governments on the ques
tion of bimetallism, the President has
adopted the latter course. Chicago
Times-Herald. '
President McKiriley's appointment of a
commission to an international monetary
conference demonstrates anew his loyalty
to the best interests of the currency and
his desire to carry out the declaration of
the national Republican platform in re
gard to securing such larger use of s'ilyer
in the moneys of the world as may be
made with safety. The commission an
nounced is representative and its person
nel could hardly be improved. It covers
all phases of opinion on the silver ques
tion; Ohio State Journal." ' '-. .
- The "silver .Democrats have persistently
maintained that the Republican party was
not sincere when it declared at St. Louis
that it was favorable to the largest possi
ble use of silver as.a mjjney metal, and
was further favorable to a bimetallic cur
rency based on an international agree1
ment. Since the election these same peo
ple have stubbornly insisted that Presi
dent MeKinley, nor the Republican party,
would do nothing favorable to the restora
tion of the white metal as a primary mon
ey. Our dispatches this morning are a
sufficient answer to such assertions. Pres
ident MeKinley has already begun the
good work of getting ready for an inter
national conference with a view to secure
an international agreement for a bimetal
lic currency that will be acceptable to the
great commercial nations of the world.
Dubuque Times. '
If anything can be done in favor of in
ternational bimetallism this commission
can accomplish it. "If nothing an be done,
and the indications are not flattering, we
shall know the truth about the matter.
If an. international coinage ratio cannot
be established, it is possible that the re
mark of Senator Wolcott, one of the com
mission, to the effect that financial men
in Europe are eager to arrest the depre
ciation cf silver bullion, indicates that an
effort may be made to come to an agree
ment "by which nations may absorb and
use more silver as money. Indianapolis
Journal.
President MeKinley has taken the first
step towards carrying out the pledge of
the Republican national platform to pro
mote international bimetallism, by ap
pointing three commissioners to an inter
national monetary conference, in accord
ance with the act passed at the last ses
sion. The composition of this commission
is certainly favorable to the silver men.
The expectations of the country as to the
success of this commission will not be
raised too high: but if it fails it will be a
satisfaction to know that a sincere effort
has been made by able representatives of
the United States to fetch the leading
European nation into line. Minneapolis
Tribune.
Wilson's Winning Ways.
Secretary Wilson has adopted a most
effective way of disabusing the minds of
farmers, particularly in the West and
South, of the delusion that the coinage or
currency question is at the bottom of
their troubles. It will take time, of
course, to carry his project fully into ef
fect, but it marks a decided step in ren
dering the Department of Agriculture one
of the most practical and useful branches
of the Federal Government. The public
will heartily sustain him in his efforts'to
enable American farmers to better their
lot and to free themselves from the pesti
lent influences of political mountebanks
and fakirs. New York Commercial Ad
vertiser. Southern Farmers Prosperons
Hon. J. Pope Brown, president of the
Georgia State Agricultural Society, is re
ported as saying that "the farmers of the
State are in better condition than they
have been, in twenty years." Mr.-Brown
is a farmer, progressive, successful and
prosperous. He" ought to know and we
btl'.eve he is very correct. Houston Home
Journal.
gijjns of Better Times.
While the revival of industry from the
depression caused by the Democratic tariff
is slov,as was foreseen by all intelligent
men, it is. nevertheless, progressing stead
ily, and in no part of the Union are signs
lacking that the bard times are passing
away, and better couditioas returning to
all classes of trade and industry. San
Francisco Call.