Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1845-09-15
DatIg GfnaR8>
MONDAY. SEPTEMBER Is. 1913.
THE FARMERS PHoFIrS.-The ~.

ihG hhMEh - fkOflIS.-Ihc "U-
mon" alleges. as the main ground Of complaint
against the Tariff of 1877, that The msnufac-
tuners are realizing profit of 10. or 10. or 20
per cent. annually, upon their capital, and
that, on the other hand. the farmers of the
country do not make more than 3 OF I per
cent. II Mr.. Richie can but convince men
who have the means or the skill for carving
on manufactures. that this is so profitable a
business, we shall feel obliged to him. We
have here, in our city, facilities for that species
Of industry, unsurpassed anywhere. We have
coal of fine quality, which can be put into the
turna at cost less than two cents bush
el. Labor and provision are cheap and plen-
", aud ,he Ohio river, running beside ms, is
an open door to all parts Of creation Now,
Mr. Richie will only convince manufactu-
rcrs that they eau make money by employing
these facilities to their full extent, he may
make speculation by it. Our City Fathers
will doubtless pay him a commission OF all
the capital he may induce to be invested here
And IL he will guaranty an annual profit of 20
per cent, he shall have at least half the profits
In fact, we wonder that our sharp sighted
wisc-acrcs, the Locos, when they found out
what immense profits accrue from manufac-
turing, did not keep the secret to themselves,
and put all their money into that business!
But let us admit the princcly revenues Of
manufacturers, for the sake of the argument,
and also, that the farmers make no more than
three or four per cent. Why do the farmers
.E,S Ia % -.
ton in their business-that is the reason-
We'll, we are not yet prepared to sink one half
the farms--nor kill one half the farmers, in
order to diminish the competition. But we
do not understand why the Locofoco friends
wi the farmers should wish to increase the
composition by breaking down manufacturers
and turning them into asriculturists also
Suppose wc keep up the tariff, however, which
- pretended TO secure such enormous profits
Ia The manufacturing business. What is the
result? Surely, men who have money to lend
at live or six per ccnt.-and mcn who own
lands paying only three ar four per cent. will
rapidly invest their means in this business
which yields 10, 20, or so per cent. With
the keen spirit OF enterprise and speculation
that marks our people, they will seize the
tempting advantage, and mills, and forgcs and
spinning jcnnies will spring up like Jonall's
Eourd, or like mushrooms in every fence cor
ncr. And how will this affect the farmcr?-
Manics;ly The price of manufactured articles
must come immensely cheaper to him than
they now doand tina, must b. vastly cheap
since they are lower now than they were when
we had no tariil-anl, at the same time there
Will b. fwsr farm rs ana more consumers. If
therefore, the profits OF agriculture are too low
'hc iarn"r ought TO go for anything that will
tempt men TO quit farming and 60 TO manu-
uIrlnS. lie may be well assured that il his
neighbors charge him too much for their man.
ulacturcs to-day they will be brought down
tomorrow by the activity Of increased COM
petition.
But 1t is said tina if we buy manufactured
articles abroad, foreign nations will buy our
agricultural products and thus raise the profits
of the farmer. How so? We now buy every
year several millions more from them, Of their
goods, than we can get them to "take out in
trade" When we have sold them all of our
products that they want or will take, we still
have 10 pay over balance of six or eight mil
lions IN cash for what we buy-and this too
with protective tariff. When the tariff was
running down under the compromise act this
Balance became enormous against us We
then bought some hundred and fifty millions
worth from them and yet they bought no more
from us than they now do. But we are add
vised to buy more from them-break up our
home supply and home demand and deal with
foreigners! Our farmers had better try first
u they can get the foreign manufacturers ia
trade out with them this little balance of six
or eight millions, instead of running up bill
oi twenty or thirty millions-to be paid in
cash. Whether foreigners will not take flou,
or wool, or beef, or bacon for this balance we
do not pretend to say, but we do know that
our farmers in this part of the country sell
their wool and bacon, and flour at Lowell. O,
some oth,r American market and never think
oil trying to do better By sending those pro.
ducts abroad.
NEW DRESS GOODS, FOR FALL, ANT
WINTERS Rtcr corn.r oC nf:...,x