Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-06-29
THE OHIO FARMER.
A NOn-Partisan Papers Views OF
Hon. ]. T. Updegraff.

The following from that excellent
non-partisan and purely agricultural pa
per, the Ohio Farmer, shows the esti-
mate placed upon the services of cur
member of Congress by paper that
looks at the services rendered and not at
the man or party:
The Hon. j. T. Updegraff, of Ohio, has
made an excellent record in Congress in
behalf of agriculture, whose interests he
has always defended and supported.
During the debate upon the tariff COM
mission bill he made one of the most
effective tariff speeches ever put upon
record, in favor of protection to our in
dustries but mainly bearing upon the
protective system upon the agricultural
interests of the country. this being the
central target of free trade assault. We
desire to call attention to some points OF
his argument, in this connection, that
may be new to many of our readers, or
at least, but imperfectly understood.
"He first pays attention to the specieus
arguments of the Mongredieu pamphlet
so extensively circulated in this country
by the British Cohen Clubs free trade
organization whose principle object just
now is to break down the protective sys-
tenn in this country. The club assumes
that American farmers are an ignorant
class, silently enduring an oppressive
system because they have given the sub
ject little or no attention, and that to
convert them to the policy Of free trade,
it is only necessary to get them to read
this pamphlet. They are being robbed
and do not know it, but still doggedy
insist that they are prosperous and hap
py. The meaning of the whole argu-
ment is plainly expressed in a few quo
tations given by the speaker. and is sum-
med up in few words-fAmerica sho'd
only raise crops and let England do the
This is answered by
tie pertinent question: why shall raw
material be carried 5000 miles to be con-
verted into finished products and then
carried back 5000 miles more, when the
food for the workingmen must also be
sent with it, and when it can be as well
done by American labor, consuming
American coal and American food at
home?'
"The farmer neither receives nor seeks
legislative protection" is an assertion of
Mongredieu's which Mr.. Updegraff an
swers by mentioning some of the arti-
cles produced by farmers upon which
duty is placed, as: corn, 10 cts. per bu.'
wheat, 20 cts, oats, 10 cts, barley Is cts,
rye 10 cts, butter 4 cts per h., cheese 4
cts, sugar 2 to 5 cts, leaf tobacco 35 cts,
manufactured tobacco so cts, beef and
pork Ct, mutton 10 cts, poultry 10 per
cent. on all domestic animals Except
for breeding purposes) 20 per cent.
those for breeding purposes are admitted
free In the interest of farming and
stock raising, wool 10 to II cts. per h.,
with 10 to II per cent. added. This
does not look as though the farmer re-
ceives no protection. But Indirectly, by
protecting and building up manufac-
lures at home, the farmer IS benefited
more than by placing a duty upon farm
products, for home market, which COR
sumes at ready prices the abundant pro-
ducts of the farm that cannot reach a
distant or foreign market without great
loss, and many of them not at all, is of
much greater Importance than the SELL
ing of our surplus wheat and corn. "The
vicinity of a manufacturing town or es-
tablishment raises the price of land and
gives daily market for perishable and
small products, such as fruit, dairy pro-
ducts, vegetables, eggs, poultry, veal
mutton, hay, straw, fodder, berries, wood
and multitude of minor articles,
thousands and millions of dollars worth
Of which no absolute record can ever
find Its place in national balance sheet,
and these are the most profitable pro-
ducts of the farm"
We should like to give further ex-
tracts from this part of the address
showing the instability and uncertainty
of the European market for onr surplus
farm products, but space forbids; suffice
it to say that our home market consumes
92 per cent of our farming products and
81 per cent. of manufactures the de-
mand from abroad for our surplus varies
every year, the only reliance for full
demand being mainly on the chances OF
war, famine, or pestilence; no safe OF
prosperous agriculture ever existed OF
ever can exist without the reliance of q
regular, healthy home demand; and
finally, "a steady, uniform, reliable Euro
pean market for American farm pro
ducts is an absolute impossibility.
The argument throughout is convinc
ing and unanswerable, and should bt
read ny every farmer in the country.
THE demonstration attending thu
meeting of the national encampment o.
Grand Army of the Republic in Balti
more Wednesday of last week, was ont
the greatest ever seen in that city. Tit
city was crowded with people from al
parts of the country. The grand parade
of Grand Army posts, state militia ant
visiting militia brought out twelve thou
sand, making it one of the greatest pa