The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-04-02

Take our factory for example. We
have now in transit to Leeds, England, a
shipment of plow buttons consigned to a
manufacturer of steam plows. We have
also lot of chilled plows and cultivators
in transit via New York for Mexico and
South America and we sell our imple-
ments TO Australia and New Zealand.
Now, upon all these goods we have paid
protective duties on the raw materials in
them, and besides the freight to New
York, we have to complete with manu-
facturers of other countries who are not
handler p ped with piSsectiye duties. We
also sch large quantities of our plows to
Manitoba, and it so happens, to pillow
manufacturer of Canada, who runs a
branch house at Winnipeg, and who also
prefers our goods for their superior
quality, though he has to pay on them a
duty of 30 percent. to the tariff collector.
We can thank our eastern friends for this
lby their abolishing reciprocity with
Oanada.)
| think | have shown above that tariff
hurts us as exporters and that we get
no benefit from it either. directly
or indirectly Now as to home
trade. Our customers and those
who support us entirely are farmers.
They are our only prop and support, and
must be our friends. What helps them
helps US, and what hurts them hurts u.s.
1t is our interest that everything they
buy, they should get at the lowest price,
and that everything they have to sell
they should get to market at the lowest
rate and get the highest possible price
for it, Now. how does the tariff affect
them? We have shown that we are forced
to sell them and everybody our plows and
cultivators at an advanced price by rea-
son OF our having to pay higher prices
for raw material out which they are made,
which is caused by protective duties on
these materials. They pay an average of
about 80 per cent. increased price on
everything they use and everything they
wear, even when these things are staples
such as trace chains, all kinds of hard
ware and wood, screens, blankets, clothing,
hats and caps and boots and shoes. When
these same farmers come to sell their oats,
corn and wheat, their hogs, cattle and
sheep, do these protected manufacturers
pay these farmers any more for their
produce than the markets of the
world quote them at? They do not
The only pretence protected monopoles
have for making the farmers pay this
the farmers to produce and pay for them
a far better price than the farmers would
otherwise get TO show the utter fallacy
of this argument. l will mention the fact
that the protected industries of this coun-
try employ less than Z per cent. of the
population employed in manufacturing;
that the employees of protected industries
do not constitute two per cent. of the
population of the country including and
counting their families The farmers can
sell the produce and meat that these two
per cent. would consume anywhere out of
this country at as good a price; or, if they
had to burn it, or even one tenth of their
produce, they would be better off, il by
doing so they could buy what they re
quired at half price or even one quarter
less.
Congress has no right to tax one section
of the country to support another If the
farmers can raise more than they can sell,
they have to hold it or sell it for fuel. If
the crop does not bring enough to pay
the cost of raising, congress never
comes to the aid of the farmer with a
Subsidy. Those who run protected indus
tries are constantly at strife with their OPP
eratives, and the latter are demanding
some portion of the bonuses" granted
them, but rarely get 1t, except temporar
lily. They are generally in a destitute
condition. This matter of protection has
SO grown and fattened off the customers
that the duties are demanded as right and
not as gift to few monopolists. The
farmers are the great source of wealth to
this country. They should see that they
are no longer robbed as they have been.
If they choose to pay Pennsylvania and
largely increased prices for
their protected goods, land they have to
pay for their goods just as if they i'm
ported them,) let them understand that
they pay these extra prices simply as a
charity, and not to help themselves. If
Lhe farmers would vote against every
no matter what his politics,
hey would soon see their rights recog
1ized. With my best wishes for the Free
Trade league, remain
Yours truly,
B. d. BUFoRD.