The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-10-18
FROM the Baltimore American
Observation-Disclosures and State.
lBy our Agricultural Editor.1

tBy our Agricultural Editor)
A paragraph in an agricultural
journal notices the fact that-whilst
the national debt is being rapidly
paid on with surplus In the treas.
ury which cannot be applied because
So large portion of the debt cannot
be called In befOre a certain period in
the future, and which the holders of
the bonds will not part with except
at an enormous premium-there is
great danger that the public debt of
the cities and states is destined to be
increased and the property of the
farmer, always in sight. will have to
bear the 6runt of the increase. The
remark brought forcibIy to our mind
to suggest to the farmers of this and
Other states, as we'll as to the property
owners OF the cities, to turn to their
tax bills ola dozen or more years ago,
and compare them with those which
theyare called to pay for 1884, and
they will find that the increase for
the local purposes has been going on
as rapidly as the decrease in the ma
tionl debt has progress d. And then
let these same tax payers examine
theif bills for subsistence of their
families and see whether there Is any
evidehet-except among the wealth.
lest classes, who buy high-priced
wines and braadies, and silks and
satins, and the exquisite jewelry of
foreign counties-that they pay a
single dollar for the support of the
national government by means CT the
tariff upon all foreign productions
except sugar. Letthe general run of
citizens. and more especially the la
boring men of the cauniry, ask them
selves what it is tina the duties at the
custom-house impOs. upon them. In
the first place, the duties on the prin-
cipal articles which Affected them (tea
and coffee, among othels). upon which
duties were paid to obtain the means
Of supporting the government during
the civil war. and afterwards for the
payment of the debt incurred there
by, have by the act of Congress been
discontinued years ago. Then let
them look at their bills for clothing,
and compare them with the prices
paid in former years, and it will be
founI, with the exceptions made
above, that every stitch of clothing
they now wear, perhaps with the bare
exception of their shoes, in which
there is not so great a reduction, is
Obtainable at lower price than has
ever before been know in the history
of the country; and the advertise
ments of the clothiers in our daily
papers show the marvellous induce
ments held out to purchasers. Ger.
tainly, whilst we are sending millions
of bushels of grain and tons of meat
to fed the nations of the outer world.
the tariff cannot materially affect
them; for competition at home, and
in the markets of our usual competi-
tors abroad. as is the case just now
with those and all other products,
keeps prices down to point which
will yield to the raiser but small
percentage beyond the cost of pro.
ducing the same. And so we might
90 on to the end of the chapter and
prove that if the tariff is reduced to
so low rate as to permit the pro-
ducts of labor to be introduced here
in competition with that of this coun-
try, the great mass of the people, and
especially the daily laborers, would
be the principal sufferers, and the
wealthy citizens would be the gain
ers /; for they would pay the less for
their gewgaws and finery, and the
railroad capitalists would get their
iron and steel rails at lower price
than at present. The English and
other foreign agents of New York
and other cities. and the importing
merchants, might be benefited for
awhile, but eventually the prostra-
ton which will have been brought
upon the land will reach them as
well, and produce bankruptcy and
ruin, as we have on former occasions
shown resulted from similar efforts in
earlier years. Let the working classes
and the farmers think of these things.