The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-11-08
Farmers and the Tariff.

Farmers and the Tariff
soME~ INTERESTING STATISTICS WHICH
WILL INTEREST AGRICULTURIsTS.
There IS no doubt that the subject of the
tariff IS to he prominent factor in the
discussions among politicians pending the
next presidential election, and as every
class OF our people is interested in 1.-THE
farmers as well as the mechanics and man
ufacturers-the bearings of the question
should be honestly and fairly investigated.
1t should never have been a policical ques-
ton, but one of an economical character ::
and it was not until Mr. Calhoun's aspira-
lions for presidency that it was brought
into the arena Of politics. That gentle
man IN his earlier career boasted of his he
ing the father of what was afterwards
termed the American systemn; but when
| MI. Clay became q prominent candidate
1or that high position, and espoused the
| doctrine of the protection of American in
dustry by the tariff, and the making of
roads and canals and the deepening of riy-
ers by the aid Of the general government
the people interested in these measures the
more readily looked up to Mr. Clay as their
friend and supporter than to the South
Carolina statesman. The consequence of
which was that the latterj changed front.
and declared that the system ''did not
enure to his benefit, and went over to the
extreme of the other side of the ouestion
Mr.. Webster,lin his early political life, was
opposed to the protective system. His
state Massachusetts, was mainly engaged
In shipping and commerce, and Webster
represented. what was considered her in
terest; but he, like Calhoun, likewise af-
forwards chopped around and became the
most powerful advocate of the system. and
continued, with Mr.. Clay, to establish it
upon the country to the day of his death
and the New England States became more
largely engaged in domestic manufactures
than any other section of the country. and
by which she has become the richest and
most Independent.
Inc question OF protection is one on
Which much can be said on both sides of
1t but the results of the tariff in opera
zion since 1863, which was higher than ey-
Ell before, proves that the prosperity of the
nation has been unparalleled in ain it's ma
terial interests. These facts are history
which no one can gainsay. Our object how
ever, is not to present the political bear
lngs OF the question, but to show it's oper
alton upon the farmers. Because we OK.
port vast quantities of our grain to foreign
countries the impression abroad is that the
farmers have no interest in the duty on the
cereals but case in point will show the
error OF this idea. Almost every article
that the farmer raises has a protective du-
ty on it, and to show the effects of the du-
ty on one OF these we will take wheat, and
for the purpose we will avail of the statis-
tics presented to us by the Industrial
World, OF Chicago, whose editor engaged
IN conversation with Western farmer.
who complained that the duty, on barbed
wire caused him an increased price in his
fencing, We will quote the language of
olr contemporary. He alluded to the fact
hat IT the farmer did not support the in
terest of the manufacturer, the latter
would not help that of the farmer.
Il haven't any protection to lose,', was
his answer.
There you are mistaken we continued
Almost every article you raise is protect
ed by the tariff from destructive foreign
competition. To begin WITH. you have a
duty of 20 cents bushel on your whpat
and'1-
He broke in impatiently mo protec-
ton in that we export wheat to all the
world, we don't import it. The dntv
might as well he off as on for an the good
it does rs farmers. y
There you are mistaken again. we
persisted. I'VE do import some wheat ey-
cry year, and would import many millions
Iof bushels annually weqe it not for the du-
ty. Although you esteem it 50 lightly.
this duty secures TO you a large and regu
armarket for wheat in the Eastern States.
Massachusetts, does not produce wheat
enough to afford Il pound apiece yearly to
her inhabitants. Connecticut's crop would
not supply four pounds per capita to her
people. Rhode Island does not grow wheat
at all. Maine, New Hampshire and Yer
mont do not raise sufficient for three
fourths OF bnshel to each person. TAX
ing New England, New York, New Jersey
and Pennsylvania together, these states do
not produce nearly one-half as much wheat
as they consume. The rest must come
from somewhere. and, except a little from
Canada. it comes from the West. Fake off
the duty, and nearly all of it woaHd come
IN from Canada, Just Us it did under the
Jug-handie reciprocity treaty with that
Bcountry. abrogated Ill 1865. Thatseastern
market is worth to the Western farmer
| in wheat alone, between Sorty and fifty
million bushels Il year, much larger
quantity than we exporte,r i'm any twelve
months previous to lS74-s quantity, too.
likely to increase cs population increases
i'll the East M 1870 those states we have
named took front he West only two-thrds
/ as nAlsoh wheat rs they do now.
/ When we haa more fully explained this
Bview of the matter to the Nebraska farmer
the was Obliged to admit that he was pro-