The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1870-04-07
now q matter Of yital inportanee.

nary, 1870, l find thstin Massachusetts
Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut
j, and Vermont, FIVE New England States
the average price Of wheat on the Isl
of that month was 81 6s, while the av.
erage price of farm labor per month for
the season, with board, was Ss6 22. Al
the same perie in Iiliaois, Iowa, Min
nesota, Wisconsin,, and Nebraska, five
States Of the Northwest, the average
price was 81 cents, while the average
price Of farm labor per month for the
season, with board, was $2S I6, show.
ing difference of 81 or against the
western farmer while be only has So 06
per month for labor 10 his favor; and
about the same relative difference in the
price Of other cereals is noticeable. No
one pretends 'thatla reduction of tariff
duties would give the western farmer
any better price for his produce, but on
the contrary it is urged with great rea-
son that owing to the high price of labor
in this country II the duties were re-
ducsd manufacturing would decline and
corresponding decline in the price and
demand for produce would ensue, and
not only so, but tens, If not hundreds
of thousands of laborers now engaged
in manufacturing would betake them
selves to agriculture, thus becoming pro-
ducers instead of consumers. -
Probably the recent construed on and
introduction of RailrOadsinto the grain
growing countries of Europe, especially
into Russia and Hungary, enabling
| those countries to put their grains upon
the English market at pleasure, and the
low price paid for the labor employed
in production, may veqiite as much
ito do with the present low price of
wheat in this country as the abundant
crop Of the past year. Thus intelligent
American labor is brought in direct
competition with the pauper labor of
Europe, and must so continue a 8 long
as we rely upon an English instead of
a home market for the sale Of any con
siderable amount of our breadstuffs.
Common sense teaches that the far
mer's independence viii be enhanced
just in proportion 10 the increased do.
mestic demand for their products, and
consequent decrease of the necessity
for exploration. .'t""l .. h'.'a.'.'
The free-trade theory looks to Eu-
rope tor a,large proportion ofour man
ufactured supplies in exchange for our
crude agricultural productions, just as
Portugal and Turkey did century and
a half ago, by which England will be
made the work shop of America and
the power of her monopolies increased
and perpetuated. This involves the
necessity for cheap labor to enable the
American producer to compete with his
European rival, and farmers and labor
ing-men are called upon to aid this
suicidal policy by their votes, which if
adopted will certainly eventuate inruin
to the farmer and oppression, poverty,
and degradation, to the laborer But
4 against this anti American heresy and
labOrsdegrading moVementthe farmers
and laborers of the country have their
remedy by uniting heartily with the
friends of the American system of pro-
| lection to every industry against the
| pauper labor of the Old World.
This will build up and extend our
manufactures all over the land, insure a
home market with remunerative prices
for farm products, ample reward to
labor, lower rate of taxation, the de-
velopment of the resources of this
grand country, and assure the stability
and Independence of the Republic. All
this is within the power and at the
command Of American farmers and can
be accomplished by their ballots. g
20 MANuFAcrtREs n TIE WEST.
| The development of manufactures in
the Western States is a question OF SC
much vitality TO the country at large
and especially to the grain growers Of
the prairies, that every indication oI
growth in that direction is matter fol
congratulatiou. With her immense
coal Gelds, ore-beds, water-power, and
railroad facilities, who can doubt tha
at no distant day if legislation shall b'
{ favorable the great Mississippi valley
with her teeming population, will b
supplied with iron and steel, eottonant
wooden goods from her own manuiac
lures .,.,.. .,. .. -..-..s -.
Ii is difficult to understand why morC
than three. fourths Of the laboring mel
Of the Western States should even nov
, be engaged exclusively in agriculture
, to the neglect Of mining and manufac
} turing. Who fails to see the reason
:. why Massachusetts farmers are nov
getting 81 rs for their wheat Will,
: those Of Iowa are getting only 81 cents
Q If the former State were not covere'
g over with factories, giving employmen
to large proportion Of her men, wo
h man and children, wheat would be wort
f no more there than in the latter +.
Il Atno period in our past history hay
o the English markets for breadstuf
r been Of any great value to America
# farmers, having taken for the last fort
= three years only about FIVE per cent
n our annual wheat produOtionsi an
g now, since heintroduction Of railroad
n into the food producing countries
s continental Europe, thereby giving
e new competitors, they will be wort
!. still less, The grain-growing distric
n Of The w est are situated upon an ave
y age some /, 600 miles distant from Il
M sea.hhard. giving our competito