Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-08-11
RECIPROCITY AND "GARDEN SASS"
The Springfield Republican of a recent
date had the following editorial:

GATE Hdu Tue IouoWluS cuitoliai'
It is considerable of a bees nest that Speaker
Blaine has moved into in his little JOB OF eating eating
Commercial isn't scared by his long list of farm
products, in which the present tariff is supposed
TO protect the American farmer and In which also
the proposed reciprocity treaty will bring on Tree
trade. Butter. cheese, lard, oats, pork and beef
the St. John market SO it is difficult to hew the
present protection serves 10 keep up prices in
Maine. or other products, as rye and barley, the
potatoes certainly cannot be protected as they are
selling now in Bangor for Is cents bushe
likely to be injured by free trade with Canada.
Bangor has the lowest market quotations Of any
city that we know of in New England Of 20,oOo In.
habitants. We have often noticed that the prices
Of meats and all farm produce are not much more
than half what they are in Springfield. On the
other hand we fear that the reciprocity treaty will
we now get it, except perhaps meats we might
as well get our beefsteaks of the great Canadian
level as from the West. In green groceries we
should certainly be entitled to the Montreal staples
and prices II we could have them, inasmuch as our
farmers have gone into tobacco to such an extent
that have to 60 to Boston for good deal OF our
garden Sass" With the rich Connecticut valley
stretching above and below Us, Springfield has to
pay generally rs high as, or higher that, New York
for all green groceries, item that enters
largely into the cost Of every wholesome dinner as
meat itself ", we pay pay f nrd more fhan
tering prevails, and where a rich agricultural
country daily pours its green wealth into the city
treaty would help us out Of this state of things.
The Springfield Republican favors the
reciprocity treaty in the hope that it may
aid to reduce the price Of garden sass
and good dinners in Springfield. So that
the editor cheapens the price of the dinner
set upon his own table he does not care if
his poorer neighbors, the gardeners and
farmers of the Connecticut valley, are
pinched by competition with the Cana
dams. The reciprocity treaty will not in
jure his business, because that does not ex-
tend beyond the border of the United
States, and if reciprocity will cheaper his
garden sass," that appears to him to be
ample reason why he should favor it,
though it bear hard upon native producers.
This is an argument for the treaty easily
understood, and we call the attention of
our farmers, our lumbermen and shipbuild-
ers in Maine especially to it, that they
may consider whether they will support
the men and the party whose great desire
is to cheaper garden sass" lumber,
ships and labor without regard to justice
and right Let US look at the facts bear
ing upon the case. Our government is
deeply III debt. To pay its obligations
our people are heavily taxed. The farm
or is taxed on everything he uses in his
business, on the plough, spade, and hoe
with which he cultivates his ground and
on the horse and cart with which he car
ries his "sass" to market To meet these
taxes laid upon him by the government
and which he is compelled to pay, the
prices of his products are necessarily in
creased. So are the lumbermen and the
ship builders taxed in the same way, and
hence the prices of their products are like
wise enhanced. Our friend of the Spring
field Republican exacts and obtains a
larger price for his paper than before the
war, and if he requires for his printed
"sass" served up daily and weekly great
er pay on account Of taxation, why should
he object to paying the farmer in the Con-
necticut valley who takes his paper pro-
portionate increase on the price of his
garden sass
Over in Canada is a government with no
heavy war debt, and with no expenditures
to provide for except the current expenses
of carrying on the government. Taxation
there Is almost nothing. Wages too are
cheap and land plenty. Having no taxes
to pay and being able to get labor at pau
per prices, Canadian farmers can raise
crops al less cost than the farmers o.
Maine or Massachusetts can. For the
same reasons their lumbermen and ship
builders can undersell the lumbermer
and shipbuilders of the United States
Now, since this government burdens oui
producers of crops, lumber and'ships with
taxation, obliging them to ask higher
prices for their products or starve, is il
fair, having burdened them thus for it
own benefit, to invite the Canadians Il
bring in their untaxed products under ;
IA isnamed reciprocity treaty and stea