Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-28
American Farmers Injured by Pro
lection.

American Farmers Injured BY Pro
lection.
Just before the adjournment of Con-
gress for the Christmas recess Senator
Beck, Of Kentucky, received a letter
from Ex-Governor Seymour, calling at
tention to the effect the policy of protec-
ton is likely to have upon the agricultural
interests of the United States This
letter is exceedingly forcible and sound.
and presents the case in a manner which
has heretofore never received anything
like the consideration its importance
demands.
The foundation ground upon which
the sentiments of both Governor
Seymour and Senator Beck rests. as set
forth in a recent issue of the New York
Herald, is that the American protec-
ZIONIST makes war upon our export
trade, and his theory. carried into effect.
tends to the ruin of our farmers while
protecting a favored class-the manu-
facturers. HE (the prOtectionis) in
sists," says Mr.. Beck, commenting on
the views in Governor Seymour's letter,
that each nation ought, as far as posi-
bic to exclude the products ofevery other
ration in order to protect home produc-
ton" That is the position of the pro-
tectiOuists in a nut shell. and what is the
natural result2 Foreign nations, seeing
that we are determined to exclude their
productions from our markets, will be
eventually driven to protect themselves
and place an import tax upon our ex
ports, and so compel US tO rely almost
entirely on our home market for the sale
not only of our manufactures, but of our
vast products of wheat and other grain.
What disaster such a course, If adopt
ed by England. would infiict upon the
American farmer is clearly manifested
BY Mr.. Beck, when he cites the produc
ing capacity of Canada, for instance. He
says:
Il went to Winnipeg last summer,
and there saw a thriving city of 10. coo
0eOple. with a railroad about finished to
Lake Superior. 1t was being pushed
with great energy and abundant means
westward to the Pacific Ocean, to reach
the trade of Australia, China, Japan.
and the Indies on English soil, with
cheap ships ready to furnish free goods
For transportation over this continent to
Europe. 1 went west of Winnipeg nearly
twO hundred miles on that road, and saw
thousands and thousands of acres of
wheat, clearing forty bushels to the acre,
weighing sixty-three and sixty five
pounds to the bushel, and was assured
by undOubted authority that, on Peace
river, 1000 miles northwest of where
| was, wheat was being produced
IN immense quantity equal to the
best l saw in Winnipeg, while great
herds of cattle were being fed without
cost on as fine grassy land as the world
affords. In short, between our north
western line of 40 degrees and "a deg
10 min. General Cass' fighting point,
there is a country owned by England
with greater grain and stock growing
capacity than all the lands on the Baltic,
the Black Sea and the Mediterranean
combined. The land laws of Canada
are now as liberal as ours as to the home
stead presumption and free claims. PEG
pie are crOwding there rapidly and towns
are springing up as if by magic. Their
great railway will reach the Pacific at
he grand harbOr of Puget Sound before
oar Northern Pacific will, and it will be
extended eastward promptly to Montreal.
The distance to Liverpool will be 600
miles shorter than any American line can
get the wheat of Dakota there; the best
steel rails are being placed on the road,
100 tons to the mile, at $50 per ton,
while on our parallel line of the North
ern Pacific like rails (prOtected) cost
about $70-S1, 400 mile in rails alone
10 favor of the Canadian Pacific"
The Senator from Kentucky then pro
ceeds further to plainly show what dam
age England might infiict upon the agri-
cultural interests of the United States
should she carry out the policy which
the American protectionist would natu-
rally enforce upon her. He says: Il
assert, without fear of successful contra
dictiOn. that if England, in order to have
fair trade and protect home industries.
shall impose tariff tax of ten or twenty
cents per bushel upon American wheat
and other grains, allowing Canadian
wheat and other products to enter her
ports free, she can bankrupt the farmers
of our Northwest. She can, by like
discrimination as to beef, pork, butter,
cheese aud other farm products, cripple,
if not ruin, our farmers all over the coun,
try, because it is too apparent to need
argument that, with our vast railroad
system, and the lands developed by it,
our own people cannot consume what
our farmers produce. France and Ger
many are moving rapidly in the direction
urged by American protectiOnists, and
there is building up party in England
whichls pressing warmly the same views
as are held by American prOtectiOnists.
The landed sristocracy of England is at
the back of this party, and, in their
greed, the advocates of this policy in
America may yet succeed in overthrow
ing and destroying the agricultural inter-
ests and prosperity of their country"
These are plain words, and the sound
ness of the argument cannot be cOntro-
verted. 1t furnishes but an additional
proof that the principle of protection
per Sc is wrong, and calculated to seri-
ously injure every class of our people
save that directly protected, while all the
rest are forced to pay tribute to mo
nopOly. The people have been deceived
so long that they have become accus-
toned to the deception, but let them
once determine TO do their own thinking
and consult their own interests, and that
moment protection goes to the wall, and
nothing more than a tariff for revenue
only will be permitted by the country.
Prohibition has overIeached itself in
St. Adams, Vermont, having assumed