Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-06-17
MHATFARsIERs SAY.

A respectable number of agricultural
journals cJme to the Office of the UNION
AND AMERICAN, and We are able to judge
as to the. depth, breadth and force of the
farmers movement from what they say in
their own papers. Our news department
would be defective, if we did not keep our
readers advised of the growth of ideas
VIII CD seem likely to exercise considerable
influence npon the policy and politics Of
the country at no distant day. In the
Country Gentleman of June Il, an Ohio
farmer writes as follows 20 td.-
Farmers in the West seem disposed
| now t. Try to do something for themselves
in regard to the high railroad freight, the
very high prices of almost everything we
| have TO buy, snd the low prices Of the pro-
duce we have TO sell. | am now offered
| less than half Of last years price at this
time, for my clip of wool, which on 220
| feeces makes quite painful difference,
| and, is, l think, conclusive proof that some
thing is wrong, aud that remedy should
/ be applied at once Wooden goods and
clothing are nearly rs high as last year, by
/ u JiIC piObCNbANJ balll VI Wv H~A SSAS'
on them, while wool in such immense
quantities is brought from foreign countries
| almost free of duty. Why should no.
agricultural labor be protected as well as
actory labor. | think justice demands
that it should have 81 least equal protection,
because Agricultural labor is lower in
foreign countries than the factOry labor Of
which We have heard go much. Give US
/ A. tariff a
| high protective tariff, while il benefits oi-
| rectly p3rh8ps oGe-tenth OF the population,
Expresses The balance Of the consumers by
causing them to pay exorbitant prices Tor
our manufactured goods, and the Govern
ment gels but little revenue, because 1t IS
nearly prohibitory." -N
The writer of the above is entirely right
wi en- he says there is conclusive proof
that something is wrong, and that remedy
should be applied at once" The remedy
lies in giving up, now and forever, the mis-
taken notion that Congress can tax farm
ers, mechanics and cay lsborers into pros
perity. The whole system is unsOund in
theory ard injurious in practice. Reduce
the tax on every article consumed rs low
4
as possible, no matter where it is produced.
4 high duty on imported wool is direct
tax on the poor mans wooden shirt,
pants and the blankets under which
he sleeps in the winter. Such tag is OBJ
Yiously unjust toward every person in the
Republic, farmers and planters included.
I except a few who raise wool to sell. Wool
raised foF home consumption makes DC
more cloth or stockings. BY reason of a high
pro. ective tariff. What one man gains in
dollars by duty or tax, some other man
| or people must loose, together With the en-
tire eos4 Of collection and assessment, TO say
| nothing of ste&iings and Incidental defalca-
tons. Officials are exceedingly fond
of handling other mems money, and
telling the masses what they may
purchase duty free, and what not. Pro-
dnctive industry is placed between the up
per aud neither mil stones Of high pro-
teetive tariff, that perhaps "benefts one
tenth of the population" To rob by the
force of law million families, each little
in order to make one manufacturer and his
family worth million may look both pa
triotic and just, but it not ethics.