The Republican journal., 1883-11-08
The Farmer and the Tariff.

The free trade advocates have enueayored TO .
make ii appear that the farmer is oppressed .
by Il protective tariff and that he would prosper
beyond computation were all Guties on imports .
removed. 1t is asserted, in effect, that not
only the farmers in particular but the people .
in general are taxed solely that Il few hundred
manufacturers may be enriched, and the latter
are pictured as non-producers in any respect .
This is of course very wide of the truth In
the first place the farmer is protected as well
as the manufacturer. our present laws having |
been framed especially TO secure to him the
home market, which is his main dependence.
The present tariff laws impose the following
direct protective duties on agricultural pro-
ducts: Rice, cleaned y cents per pound wheat,
20 cents per bushel; Indian corn, 10 cents per
bu>hel; oats, 10 cents per bushel; rye, 10 cents
per bushel; barley, 10 cents per bushel; butter,
cents per pound; cheese. cents per pound;
potatoes. 10 cents per bushel; poultry 10 per
cent in value; peas. from 10 to 20 per cent.
beans. from 10 to 20 per cent; tobacco, I'M
manufactured, 50 cents per pound; unsteem-
ed, 30 cents, in addition TO revenue of a
cents per pound; sugar from to ) cents per
pound; on horses. COWS. bulls, oxen. steers,
calves, sheep, lambs, goats. hogs. and pigs,
except for breeding purposes, 20 per cent;
those for breeding purposes are admitted free
to benefit the farmers beef and pork cent per
pound; mutton, 10 per cent: WOOL from 10 to
II cents per pound, and from 10 to II per cent.
added; and hay 20 per cent. These duties tend
10 keep out foreign competitors. ana leave our
home markets almost exclusively free for our
own farmers. This does not SAVIOR of Cypress
ion; and the facts here given will eftctualIy
dispose of the impression which certain free
trade contemporaries have sought to convey
that the tariff was framed exclusively for the
benefit of the manufacturers.
So far from the interests Of the farmer and
the manufacturer being adverse they are iden-
tical. Whatever helps to build up manufac-
lures helps the farmer, by giving him a better
market for his produce. Towns and cities grow
up around the cotton, wooden or iron mills.
There are more mouths to feed more money to
buy with. and the farmer has profitable, mar
ket at his door. Here is an Illustration, from
an address delivered before the New Jersey
State Agricultural Society by Hon. Thomas II.
Dudley. "NcWark, with its l3G,;lOs inhabitants
is made up almost entirely of people dependent
upon manufactures. There are varied m;inlI-
factureS, embracing almost every description OF
goods that the inventive genius of man can de-
wise or conceive from Il needle TO an anchor.
The yearly value Of the manufactured products
of this city, a. shown by the last census. amounts
TO S66,243 90. The town rests upon its uanll-
featuring industry, and al the people III It arc
fed by the farmer. 80 with Patterson, Mill
willie and other cities in Che State. a. Vel as other
cities and districts AT over the country. There
are seventeen cities in New Jersey containing
524 10 people, nearly all of whom are directly
or indirectly dependent upon the manufactures
in them, and all of whom are fed by the farm
er"
The protective tariff on manufactures docs
not simply put money in the pockets Of the cap
itali>t> engaged in manufacturing. The So
tenn, as Mr.. Dud'ey shows, is one Of protection
10 labor. 1.-THE protection we give goes indi-
rectly into the pockets of The operatives: il IN
abe> the manufacturer TO pay NOR. to labor,
Hence il Is that our operatives a> Il whole are
paid wages nearly double what tllcy are paid in
England Receiving more wages for his work
= laborcr in This country lives better than like
laborcr in England; he is better housed. better
clothed and bcttcrfrd. lie becomes, therefore.
Il better customer to the farmer consuming
more agricultural products Than lil, laborcr
in England. \ thousand operatives in the
nited States consume at slea>t il third more
agricultural products thana like number of oI,-
erative> in England" The improved condition
of the farmers Of the country generally attc>ts.
the wisdom Of this policy. But there i, no -
tenn Or policy which can help those who will
not help themselves, and there arc. professional
@rumbcr> in every trade and Industry For
tunately. they area minority in this country, If
they were not it would be les prosperous th;ru
il j. TODAY.