, 1874-09-25

THE TAEIFF AID THE FARMERS,

The D,OD0,0D0 Americans over 10 years OF ago
engaged III farming arc taxed m average Of about
II per cent on ali ihoY buy, and very heavily Oh
what they sell. for the encouragement of tic
industries which give employment to 2,70o,ooo
othor Americans. Tho farmer pays this avorage
percentage on his tools, his fencing, bis house,
hold utensila, lis clothing, g,-on about everything,
in fact. that le buys. Ho sells the product Of
Ills farm at tho Liverpool price, lesB tho cost Of
transportation. That cont is Increased in
thousand ways by tho taxes on iron and steel
and by tho other duties which Bwoll tho cost Of
railways aud Of their management Ho is taxed,
therefore, on what ho buys aud what ho sells.
Tho farming army, 100000 Btrong, ia
systematically bled Tor the benefit OF
tho employers Of 2,7oo,ooe pairs Of hands.
Tho argument in behalf Of this monatrous
wrong III tho apoclous plea of homo market.
It is said that protection to manufacturers at-
tracts operatives to this country, and that those
operatives, who would, abroad, lire only par
tialy on Amorican-grown grain, live wholly On
it hero t4at there iB, therefore, an Increased
domand for it, and tint in this way protoution
more thnn componsatos the farmers for the taxes
1t lays upon them. This is equivalent to aaying
that the grain which 1t would cost the fartnor 81
to produce undes FREQ trade, and which now
costs him s1.47, can now ho sold for enough
more to cover this Increased cost, and to give
linn largcr profit than he could c1ear II tho
cost Of bis warea Ind been one-third less.
It is proyon maxim Of political economy that
| tho pricea Of the exported portion ot anything
| produced by county III quantities beyond It's
| own needs fixes tho homo price. For, II wheat
could bo sold IN Liverpool Ut 10 canta profit and
In New York at only s. 1t would 10 bought up for
export and shipped abroad until tho inoroasod
quantity there diminished the profit and the d.
aiuiBhod quantity hero incroasod tho profit.
The PROCESS would 60 Oh until tho two we're
equal. It is for this reason that tho farmor soils
his grain at any pint in America ut tie Liver
pool price, lcas tbs cost OF transport. Ho must
always do 10, until tho population Of this coun-
try consumes all its agricultural prolucts,-a
state Of things which vory probably will nerer
extst, ind certainly will not for many gou-
crationB, No matter how many deluled
Foreigners, lural by fictitious wages that
aro high In mouoy and low In pur-
chasing power, como hero, their demand
cannot serloup]y affect tho prlco OF grain while
expectation tlxos tl,at price, 1t psosont, tho Of.
port price land therefore tho homo prlco) ia
law, becauso the cost ia high. The apparent
paradox ia eas!ly explained. England eshausta
tt.a aurnlua Of th4 European grain tloltls before
slo drawa upon AmoTiua, beea,ase that aurpluf
ia oIorod to hor 1t lowes ratos than ours ca,, bo
wlon it's cost haa been 30 swollen BY taxatou,
Tho American farnor could uudernoll hs llus.
sian rival in tho Liverpool market, and feed al
tho millions Of tho British 1ales, 1t ho wore no
hampored with tlfa weight Of taxation, II w
had free trade, ho could produce his grain ono
tllrd choapor, ard could then aava Ill that laYgt
part Of tho cont Of transportation which repre-
sonts the luterosk On tlle extra millions Of dol
, lars which protection has forced the rall
way builders to spend. Tho farmer nov
pays. on an average, two buhAols O.
wheat to carry third busho! from liH farm tt
, | Ltyerpool. Under FREQ trade. ho would Eavo
certain portion Of tho two, and could otror thi
Z portion and tho third buahel together for abou
vok nor cent lasl than no must now demand TO
tho oue bushol asono Tic aummIng up of til
, matter Ia thIa tho tarln aligAt1y eulargoa th
| homo market, poEhapa. aud destroys vor
t great part ot tho foreign marriott, FREQ traa
. rouId open tho market OF tho world to til
, farmer, aud would not diminish tho homo ma'
: kot to any approolebls oxtont,
! Tho farn,ors Of tho United Statoa layo tn
j. facts bofoso them. Will o,o0o.0 600 Of than
, ip,,ssr taxed ttr Ns bonstlt o3 nv huaaIs