Show INTERESTS SENATOR of indiana offered a preamble and reo ution in congress recently regarding the wide spread depression of the agricultural interests of the country m which it wag resolved that it is the highest duty of congress in the present crisis to lay aside all discussions and considerations side rations of mere party issues end give prompt and immediate attention to the preparation and adoption of such measures as are required for the relief of farmers and other overtaxed over taxed and underpaid laborers of the united 1 I 1 states last week ha addressed the sanate on the subject of his resolution and gave some startling figures as to the appalling est ant of mortgage indebtedness of the american farmers speaking in regard to the country generally he shows that the value of farming lands has much decreased tho last twenty five years and says improved farm lands toda to da under lie most favorable fayo rable circumstances would not on a general average realize two thirds of what their value was twenty five years ago the ohio farms now under mortgage amount to in illinois 23 per cent of the whole face of the state mort sage they to forty eaven per cent in the state of michigan is under mortgage in indiana kentucky missouri kansas nebraska and tho whole northwest from 20 to 50 per cent of the farm lands are under mortgage at such rates of interest as the farmers can never pay it out of their crops to say nothing of the principal farmers alius brought face to face with ruin nor were the farmers of new england different in that respect from the western states this is truly a sad state of affairs and is mostly due to our bad tariff system protective tariff has kept out goods such as tho farmer coald readily secure for farm products for example england would buy nearly all the wheat she consumes from the united states if a fair exchange could be made with her manufactured goods but our protective tariff forbids this and the farmer must pay double prices on homo monopolies therefore wo find that country getting her wheat supply largely these days from russia and tho where her goods are received freo from such exorbitant duty as is exacted by our government the american farmer for many cause has good reasons to complain it is the most important industry of all for the support of the country and still it appears lo 10 be one of the hardest for gaining a livelihood |