Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-08-29
"wHY DON'T FARMING PAY ?o


ton from -. NJ. b." who now lives in
Wisconsin and who was formerly one
of our leading citizens, and who in adj
dition to sharp practical mind, anda
large business experience both in Yer
mont and Wisconsin, hassthe still fur
ther advantage of having the oppor-
tunity and observation through which
he can Understandings compare the
interests of the two localities. Conced-
ing his ability and his large opportuni
ty for comparison of a variety of
interests, we yet beg leave to suggest
that whatever may be said about the
remedies of the evil, he has not con-
WINGED us that inequalities and unjust
burdens are not laid upon the should
ers Of our Eastern farmers. Most of the
difference between us and our esteemed
correspondent grows out Of the nisap-
prehension of each others statements
perhaps. Now he says "What rule
but the one you complain of would al
low the shipping of hides from Texas
to be made into leather in Massachu-
sets, and from there shipped in
leather or manufactured into boots and
shoes, to all parts of the far West? v
!" y Imagine yourself paying local
freight on iron, steel and coal to New
England to make axes, scythes and
thousands of other articles which have
the largest share of their uses in the
West. Then compel as to pay local
rates to bring them here and how soon
would manufacturing spring up in the
West, and we should see large cities
growing to immense proportions almost
in day all over the West, and popu-
lated by your skilled laborers." Now
we have never suggested any such rule
,of traffic as that. For to compel the
Western man to pay local freights
would be to put him under the same
burdens of inequality which now rest
upon the Eastern man under the pre-
vailing rule, so that our correspondent
in behalf of the Western man is COM,
planning of the weight of the stick
turned end for end, with the butt rest
ing upon the shoulders of the Western
man instead of the Eastern where it
now rests. Both should not pay the
same price per mile, but the whole
freight paid to get bushel of corn to
market by the one who has the least
facilities for producing it ought not to
be more than that paid by the man
who can produce it cheaper to get his
corn to the same market. So that ey-
planning the terms we use, our cores
pondepts argument is entirely in
accord with our views.
We concede of course that it is an
advantage to the Eastern farmer to
have low rates whenever he gets the
advantage Of themD on those produc-
tons which he is obliged to purchase;
but on those with which he comes in
competition, we still think the rates
should be such that he can get to the
same market as cheap mot per mile)
as the Western man. ..t
Certain rights we concede do not be-
long to.farmers tthat should be with
held from other interests" The con-
verse of this proposition is also true.
that other interests haveno such rights
that should be withheld from farmers.
Now when our correspondent says
that ''any locality can atford't to exempt,
the taxes of any manufacturing inter-
ests' he assumes that manufacturing
interests are paramount to agriculture,
and here we differ If they are both
of equal Importance, only the weaker
or most neglected require encourage
lnent. So that our correspondent must
be careful lest the tendency of his ar
gument be to educate manufacturers
''to the belief that certain rights belong
to them that should be withheld from
farmers. Now applying this logic to
the various interests, does not his reas-
oning accord with ours in this respect
also? t,,
We quote again with great satisfac-
ton "favoritism should be nleted out
with caution" and we add, should |
neoer exist in matters of taxation.
Again protection builds up monopo-
lies and makes few rich at the expense
of the many" Where do inonopolies
exist I? Certainly not among the FARM
ing. interests. But are we really in any
danger from monopoly of enterprises?
Suppose an enterprising man should
start a new business beside our CORES
pondent, would his keen observation
and Yankee enterprise suffer it to grow
into. a monopoly before he would pitch
into the same thing and apply the
remedy of sharp competition which
would bring it to its proper level? We
opine not.
We have no time to examine his free
trade doctrine at present. But it does
really seem to us that trade should also |
be free from the burdens of UNEQUAL
taxation. The fact that among the
professions there are Unsuccessful |
members who ought and might have |,
been good successful farmers is an adj
ditional reason which had not before
occurred to us, why they should not be
discouraged from going to their APP
propriate occupations, by burdens
which do not rest alike upon all avo-
cations.