Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-01-13
The Tarir and the Farmers.

That a high protective tariff is OF no
benefit to the agricultural classes, but on
the contrary involves a constant drain OF
their resources, is a proposition so plain
that it seems needless to argue it. Under
the protective system the farmer gets but
the market price for his products (Which
isregulated by the demand of the world,
while he is compelled to pay for manu-
featured products an artificial price, the
increase in which, above what would be
the market price in a normal state Of af-
fairs, is caused by the excess Of duties
levied to protect the manufacturers.
The factory hands themselves derive
little benefit from the system, while the
other classes of the people are made to
pay tribute to the benefciaries of the
tariff. For years, though confronted
with the injury wrought them, the
farmers Of the West have supported the
Republican party, the special patron Of
the protective system. Years OF loss,
however, are at length bearing fruits of
enlightenment, and the protectionists,
realizing the changing sentiment of the
West, are turning Southwark in the hope
of deludlng the planters with their fala-
cies.
True, Senator VOORHEES, and exGov'
ernor Hendricks, for obvious reasons,
have seen fit to second this move, but in
marked contrast with their specious
counsel are the utterances of that tried
Democrat, ex Senator Joseph Z. Nc
Donald, of Indiana In a speech, which
he delivered at Indianapolis few days
ago, a mastery effort that laid bare the
iniquities of the protective system, there
occurred the following passage, which,
in cogent argument and cold, clear truth,
is a marvel of terseness and logical
power. Said Mr. Mcdonald
Let me call your attention to the eff
fects of the tariff upon the farmer and
| producer as compared to the benefits de
rived from it by the manufacturer. OF
these $685., 900, 600 Of domestic merchan-
disc exported during the last fiscal year
so per cent were products OF the
soil and farm, the chief of which were
cotton, breadstuffs, provisions and to.
bacco and live stock. The prices for
| this vast amount of farm and agricultu-
| raj products were fixed in Liverpool and
London. The price of wheat goes up
or down in the Board of Trade at Chi
cago as it fuctuates in London or Liver
pool, so that the foreign price determines
the home price Our imports for the
| last year upon which a duty was paid, as
you have seen, was over SAG, 900 600;
of this amount 80 per cent. were
articles of manufacture. The price of
these was fixed IN Lowell and other
manufacturing centres in this country,
and not at the port at which they were
| shipped There might be a difference of
| anywhere from 30 to 100 per cent. in the
price there and here, the price might be
| that much less in the foreign market
than in this country, but the consumer
| could have no benefit from that, for the
tariff would absorb it all. So that while
the farmer and the producer had to sell
! to the manufacturer their products at
foreign prices, and they were compelled
to buy both foreign and domestic goods
| at home prices enhanced by a protective
tariff, the manufacturer purchases all
| farm products at the lowest prices and
! sells his manufactured articles at the
| highest prices.