New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-04-10
killing the Goose that Lays the
Golden Egg.

Through the influence, and at the d.ctation
Of the Chicago Tribune, a violent free trade
and reform paper, the farmers of Illinos
are doing SOME very stupid things. At their
recent State convention, held to devise some
remedy against the exorb!tant and ruinous
freight charges Of railroad companies on ag-
ricultural products, they seem to have lost
sight of that object, and to have contented
themselves with an assault upon the pro-
tec!ive policy Of the country. at any rate,
they almost entirely oTerlooked the real
cause Of their complaint and expended their
efforts mainly upon proposition requiring 6.
repeal Of eli duties on certain staple articles
in the hope that they could induce the rail-
roads to give them cheap freights, and thereby
secure high prices for thei- wheat and corn.
They embodied their notions n the following
resolution
Resolred, That we are In favor OF the i'm
mediate repeal of the protective duties on
iron, steel, and lumber, and all materials
which enter into the construction Of railroad
cars, steamships, sailing vessels, and agricul-
tural implements, and that we urge Congress
to take immediate action for this purpose;
that cheap railroads and cheap ships are
necessary to cheap freight, and that we in
vite the railroad companies to cooperate
with us to that end.
Instead II complaining of tl,e railroads .oT
their extortion, they propose 10 form an
alliance, offensive and defensive" with
these grinding monopolies, against the pres
ent protective tariff, innocentiy assuming
that the railroads are unwillingly forced into
their high freights by the high prices this tariff
compels them to pay for +" iron, steel, lumber,
and all the materials which enter into the
construction Of railroad cars" &c.
Perhaps these yerdant Illinois farmers have
been made to believe so by their free trade
tutor of the Tribune, but We think it would
puzzle their silly heads to point out q single
railroad which does not charge It's customers
the very last cent for freight they can eA-
tort. As the price OF wheat, or corn, or
coal, or lumber goes up, their freight charges
90 up accordingly. They, and not the farm
ers or producers, are the gamers by Il rise in
the market. When corn is worth dollar
buslel The farmer will get very little moro
for it than when ii IS fifty cents. They
regulate their tariff Of charges by the price
a commodity will bring 10 the market to
which it is to be transported. No one with
an ordinary amount Of practical common
sense will believe that railroad will trans
port :, bushel Of wheat, ton Of coal, or a
thousand feet Of timber any cheaper IN a car
that costs them twenty-five hundred dollars
than in one which costs them four thousand
dollars.
But the absence OF common sense and
close observation is more strikingly exhibited
in their suppositlon that the repeal of the
tarin on The articles they enumerate will
cheaper their prices. The truth is that
tharn Is not an article u he list that Is not
much cheaper than it would have been if We
turer for them. All intelligent men, and all
men who read and Judge for themselves,
rather than take their options from free
trade theorists, .aoso this.
And the farmers Of Iiinois ought 10 know it.
They ought to know, too, that if Congress
should obey their Wild demand" it would
throw at least three hundred thousand men
engaged in these various branches Of IL
dustry oct Of employment. From Consumers
of agricultural products Of CTR farms, they
would Of 4eccss.ly become producers. Can.
not rag1iers understand the calamity this
:ou!i be to themselves as well as to the
operatives thu: deprived Il their present
lucrative employment? We lear not, and
We fear, too, that home market, built up
by our manufacturers, where they dispose of
nine dollars worth of their products TO every
dollars worth they dispose of in foreign
FIRE waste ~ .urther words on them.