The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-04-07
THE PROTECTIVE SYSTEM.
What IL Costs tho American Farmer.
Is1ns the Third Part Of (irshAm NeAdaM'
GreatTrast on That Subject.


80 lNf from UclHk I'LL cH0Hly W AHc
Farmer, / am the Farmers best
friend 1t would seem that Ii this
were true, the Farmer would he the
first to sec 1t. But venture to say,
that IL he does not already know the
arguments, he never in the world
/, would guess them. Let us examine
the more prominent OF these pleas.
THE HOME MARkEr ARGUMENT
The "Home Market" argument Is
the main reliance OF the pfotectionist
In dealing with the relations Of the
protective tarifr to agriculture. Put
into its strongest form, 1t runs about
thus:
Here, let us say, Is q farmer, loca-
ted on a bit Of land a hundred miles
away from the nearest city. That
city is his market. There are fnrm-
ers ull about him; he cannot sell to
them either his staple products or
the occasional surplus Of fruit or
garden stuff which unusually good
seasons may bring upon his hands.
He must carry everything to the city.
The cost Of transportation Is SO much
taken from his profits. And in the
case Of his perishable garden pro-
ducts he will find that when he has
sent them over the hundred mile
road, and sold them In competition
with the farmer who has but ten
miles to go he will not get enough
| to pay for cartage. Thenccforth,
lie will feed his summer apples to
his hogs, and let his blackberries dry
up on the bushes.
Here steps in the Protcctionist.
There is in this region, say, q stream
capable Of abundant water power
Let us pu. up awoolen mill here
the Protectionist urges: .let us agree
to pay something more than We pay
now for WOODEN stnffs, mud SO make
it an object for some one to come
here and start mandatory. Hun
dreds OF hands will be employed; the
railroad will be put through! We
will build up town right In the
midst Of our farms, and have mar
kct ut our very doors. Good prices
then for everything, and q ready
sale for the summer apples and the
blackherries, the eggs, the chickens,
1 tltc kttCu SOIH 0uA TIC 1OlIAHlS,
which the thrifty wife may have to
spare
/ 1t is done. The mill is built; the
railway is laid; the town grows up,
And the farmer what OF him
Strange to say, we presently find him
pulling up stakes and fleeing to the
wilds Of Kansas
Where is the mistake? It is Jus,
here.
In the agreement to "pay some
thing more than we pay now fol-
manufactured goods. In the Pro
tectionist's theory that something
more" is put away ina quiet corner;
in the actual practice it comes out
aud plays the mischief. IL the farm
crs Of this locality want WOODEN
mill, those in that locality want Il
cotton mill. and those in the mex,
county, an iron. furnace, and SO on
The result is that the farmers every.
where pay something more" FOL
Everything they buy. Fifteen pei
cent. more for the plow, thirty pei
cent. more for the hoe, twenty-iiv
per cent. more for the boots, fort,
per cent. more for the hat. TIL,
farmer pays more for the schooling
OF his children, since there ore dutic.
on paper and pens. His preaching
costs him more. for the preachel
! must live and buy protected goods
also. His doctors bills are higher
his city trips are dearer. the adorn
ment OF his home is harder: and ever
when he dies, he must pay pro-
, lection tax for the plumes on the
, hearse that bears him. for the var
nish on the coaches that follow hin
for the spade that digs his grave, nj,
the screws that bind him into hi
coffin.
Aud what does he get for all this
A '.home market for his wheat, an,
, a chance to sell his overstock 0
green corn and blAckberries! Wha
; wonder il he does not thrive? An,
when, on top OF all, comes the tow
!. taxes, which he has to pay for tn
privilege of being ut the city gates
:, and which this very protective $. )
TEN makes inordinately high, wha
wonder that he sells out, and leave
{ for the far West. He can ut least es
cape the town taxes, il he cannot es
cape the Protection tributes.
But this Is not all. The promis
: OF higher prices for wheat in tn
y -home market" calls for scrutin,
i The appeal, siftcd down. comes t
this: pension o number
OF corn consumers to com
/ and buy of you. Snbsidize an arm
8 OF artisans to settle ut the farm gat,
|. Pay them for making goods at a los.
II Ind out Of their profits they will pun
chase your abundance"
VI As Il matter Of fact the America
8 Farmer is, under the compnlsion {
g the Tariff, doing exactly what til
J, Protectionist advises. He is spend
Ing millions every year to induce tn
I artisans Of England, Scotland, Vale
: France and Germany to come ovs
e to this country and buy his whea
! here instead OF there. He makes |,
their losses, that they may give hi,
= good prices out OF their gains.
1t Now, ask, does he get these goo
J. prices? Does his wheat after al
!. bring more to him when sold in Il
!, home market than it does when sol
= in the foreign market? "Homc ma
) ket," Foreign Market"-since whe
" has wheat had two markets? 1t Ii,
- but one and this one is not bound.
s. by the tariff wall: it extends acro
= the sea. It's centre is not philaae
% phia, but Liverpool. To Livcrpo
10 you must go to get the ruling price
II OF wheat and corn. The Farmer
= market cannot be protected. 1t h;
" overleaped the limits. The rise III
9 fall OF the scale are decided by Il
5, demands and supplies OF the worl
Id But, though protection cam
n raise the prices Of bushel Of whe
: by u penny, it can and does repre-
= the export OF our agricultural pr
ducts. There are countless aoin
OF to which the fruit OF our soil mig
No Shinnal IN wa xyara nnrMittaf