The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-09-19

1t has long been apparent that a great

| LII mas long Deen apparent tnat great
question in which the public prosperity
is largely involved, and which should
have been considered and solved outside
of the heated arena OF political action,
has been seized by politicians, and is
being used for their private ends. Men
who became political bankrupts by the
results of the strife between the North
and the South which they created, now
seek to cause an antagOnism between
the East and West, between producers
and consumers, in the hope that in the
commotion that will ensue they may re-
trieve their fortunes. The Democratic
party, not content with its past attempts
to disintegrate the nation, seeks to re-
vive sectional issues in o new guise.
We do not object to the formation of
new party. We have of late frequently
pointed out the necessity of an opposi-
ton possessing some claims to public
respect as needed corrective III the
action of a free Government. But n
new party upon this issue, organized as
it is plainly intended this shall be or
ganized, can end in nothing but re-
newal of mischievous sectional strife.
The difficulty in the West arises from
n surplus of agricultural products,
which cannot be got to market, so that
it can be sold at fairly remunerative
price to the producer This is all there
is at the bottom of the agitation con-
corning rgilroad monopolies, cheap
transportation, and all the different
names for the same thing which are fill
ing the newspapers. Surely there is
nothing in problem so easily solved to
call for tariff dispute between the East
and West, or to justify the clamor
which is taking the place of reason III
this matter, and rapidly leading the
| country away from the consideration of
the real merits of the dispute. There
can certainly be a method devised of
bringing the granary of the continent
into connection with the workshops of
the country and the world on terms
profitable to both, without kindling
sectional passions which may lead the
nation to irretrievable disaster. In
deed, there is no question that there
are several ways by which partial if not
complete relief can be secured, and by
a combination of them all the burdens
of which the farmers complain can be
lifted. But the application of any one
or all of these remedies requires calm
ness and time to seek relief in hasty
and heated political action is to incur
new dangers, and postpone indefinitely
the relief which the agricultural inter-
ests require.
In the first place, it is certain that it
is within the power of both the State
and National Governments to correct
whatever there may be of extortion in
the freight charges of railways. But the
farmers must not expect that this inter-
ference will be such as to cripple the
railroads. That would be resisted by the
great majority of the people as destruc-
tive of the best interests of the nation.
But it is possible to do much to secure
cheaper transportation without decreas-
ing the usefulness of the railroads. AS
auxiliaries to this remedy, we have the
several schemes for providing an ade-
quate water outlet from the West to the
ea-board, which have been so much
discussed, and to so little purpose.
There has not been, nor is there now,
any agreement among those most direct
ly interested, as to which Of these
schemes is practicable, but each set pro-
ceeds upon the assumption that its par
tlcular project is the one required to
solve all difficulties. During the first
stages of the controversy, it has been
assumed that cheap transportation is the
one measure needed to cure all ills with
which the farmers are afflicted. 1t is
this fallacy which is about to ripen into
lhe delusive political shibboleth Of
''..free trade and farmers rights"
Before giving heed to designing politi-
clans the farmers should carefully study
all the facts involved in the controversy
AS they become better acquainted with
the merits of the case, the rashness of
the politicians who are seeking to lead
them astray will be more apparent, and
they will begin to doubt whether cheap
transportation is all they require to in
sure their prosperity. We do not pro-
pose at this time to enter upon the con-
sideration of the effects of protection
or of free trade upon the country.
Whenever any of those who are trying
to introduce this issue into the contro-
very give it practical application, it
must be considered more fully. Mean
time it must be remembered that what
these theorists mean by free trade is an
absurdity that no party would ever at
tempt to put in practice. If it could be,
it would have no effect upon the trans
portation question, since it can be easily
shown that the tariff has in no way en-
tered into the problem. Absolute free
trade, if such thing were possible,
would not diminish the cost of transpor-
tation sufficiently to make any appreci-
able difference in the profits of the farm
er. 1t has been demonstrated, for in
stance, that the duty on iron has en-
HANGED the cost of transporting bushel
of wheat 1900 miles not more than one
and one-ffth cents. The ruin to farmers
which can be found in this exhibit ex-
cites ridicule rather than sympathy.
While farmers are learning that the
tariff has nothing to do with their
troubles, they will also discover that
their most effectual remedy lies in the
diversifcation of the industry of the
States most directly interested in this
problem. The States are Illinois, Iowa,
Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska
and Wisconsin. OF their entire popu-
laf,D,, Ia Gffxy- fc,1r