The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-07-28
THE FARMERS AND THE TARIFF


tonic upon which more absurd nonsense
has been written and uttered than upon
this To the producer, it makes no differ
ence whatever Where his corn or wheat
finds a consumer. The only question OF
importance 10 him is, at what price he can
sell. II his corn, sold for exportion To-
Europe, will bring him one cent more per
bushel than It will If sold for consumption
in the nearest village, then it is better for
him TO find the consumer in Europe. The
price at which the farmers can sell, wheth-
or for transportation TO a distant consum-
er, or for consumption at his very doors Is
governed absolutely by the export price.
This country produces, and as long as It
has abundance of cheap and unocupled
land always will produce, more OF the lead
ing agricultural products than it can con
sumo. That surplus governs the price Of
the whole crop. IL corn for exportion can
be sold in New York at 20 per bushel'
and not higher, aud if the cost of getting
it into the hands of the exporter at New
York, with all charges Of transporters and
middlemen, is 81 per bushel, the farmer
cannot sell single bushel for more than
20 cents. no matter whether he sells TO a
home purchaser OF 10 an agent for expor-
tation. This is an indsputable fact which
the farmers Of the West have learned by
years Of trying experience and they treat
with deserved contempt the sophistry of
those who ignore it, and continue TO pirate
about the advantages of a home market.
These facts being indisputable, says the
Chicago Tribune, it follows that the far
mer can he benefited only in one of three
ways: First, by increasing the export
price of his products second, BY decreas-
ing the cost Of Transporting them to the
point of expectation third by decreasing
his cost Of production Now the cra2iest
advocates of the high tariff system do not
pretend that il does either TN the con.
trary, il is easy 10 prove, that the high.
tariff system tends TO diminish the export
price that II increases the cost OF trans
portation and that 1t increases the cost
reproduction. Thus it Injuries the West
ern farmer at every point at which It eau
possibly affect him at all.
Turning first TO the cost Of production
every farmer knows that he is compelled
10 pay more for labor, more for nipple
ments and machines, and more for mate
rails necessary 10 the carrying on Of hi
business, than he did under the lower
duties which preceded the tariff of 1851
The largest item in the cost of production
is the cost OF labor But the tariff increases
the cost Of the clothes, food and shelter Of
the labOrer, and consequently forces him
a. demand higher wages Although 1t /,
known 20 every farmer that he scompelleJ
~ pay higher wages for every hand EN-
poyrd than he did In 1860 yet the cauS,
l. not by all fully understood nor do al
laborers themselves realize that they ar
not benefited because the increase in thei
wages has been less than the increase ii
the cost Of living, Whether the iarme
cultvates his own ground in whole or il
part, the effect is the same he has 10 pa,
more for his own labor more for his cloth
his hats, his boots, his lumber
glass. iron and other articles in the build
lug or repair OF his house or barn NOR,
for the clothing of his family, and NOR,
for the food of himself and family an,
these burdens make his own labor NOR
costly. Carctilly-eollected statistics prov
that the increase in the cost of living sine
$50 has been not less than 60 per cent.
and the increase in wages of labor not les
than 30 per cent, and to this extent tn
cost of production, 50 far as it depend
upon the cost of labor, Is necessarily in
creased Nor will any intelligent tarme
overlook the increase in the cost Of imple
ments or machinery, and Of repairs. Fron
the horseshoe, the harness and log-ehaln
10 the wagon, aud the mower and reaper
every implement used has become NOR
costly in consequence of duties upon iron
steel aud other materials. People win
know nothing about this subject and peopl
who knowing something, still find It thei
interest % cheat the farmers, may reasoi
that some implements actually cost les
money than the same cost in 1850. Bu
the farmer will not forget that, ii inventio
and improvement have lesseued the cost q
making these articles, he is entitled 10 hi
full share Of that benefit, and that the
could maniestly be sold at "A much lowe
price but for the duties which increase th
cost Of the materials used in their constru,
ton. In short the tariff imposes upon th
country q tax Of hundreds of millions b,
yOnd what i paid into the treasury, an
this tax increases the cost of all labor an
Of every article used or produced by labo
One-half Of the lab0rers Of this country al
farmers, and they have o. bear more tina
one half Of this enormous burden, becau.
in the end the larger part Of it falls upo
the producers, and not upon the carriers
middle-men
But secondly the carriers aud dealer
have 10 bear some share Of this burdeI
and the cost OF transportation is thus il
creased Heavily taxed iron makes rail
rolling-stock, bridges and engines MOI
costly. Every pound Of iron used in
railroad has ~ be replaced az often as one
in thirteen years and by far the larg,
part much oftener In this country thei
are used every year, In railroads alone, n,
less than 100000 tons Of iron in form n
cheaper than the rail The cost Of all tn
iron Is increased at least ~ per cent |
duties, and much Of il still more But Il
transporters, having a monopoly in the
business, do not permit themselves to su
fer in consequence Of these burdens, an,
by charging higher rates for freight tho
throw 1t all upon the shipper, the drove
and the farmer Nor is this all A lars
share Of the cost Of transportation is
the labor Of the three hundred thousar
persons engaged as officials, clerks, en-
DioJtss anu ldbVitIn VI IdllIOdu COlnpdUle
and draymen in cities, and these also ha,
their cost of living increased by needle
taxes. The railroad companies COMPEL,
% pay more for every form of servic
throw that additional burden also upon Il
farmer. Thus every dollar Of the increa
ed expense Of transportation Of farm pr
ducts, whether in cost Of iron or other M
terial, or in cost Of labor, has at last
come out of the farmers
There is but one other way in which Il
farmer can be aided or injured-by
change in the export price Of his product
The facts prove that in that way also
has been injured that the export price
corn aud grain has been lower, on the a
erage, during periods of high duty tht
during periods Of low duty ON the man
featured products which we bring fro
other countries in exchange for our cor
wheat and cnttoO The advocates of M