The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-07-26


party stands charged is the generous
pensioning Of soldiers, sailors and
their families, an extravaganza which
emdodies the highest form of justice
in the recognition and payment Of
sacred debt. When reduction of taxa
ton is to be made, the Republican
party can be trusted to accomplish it
in such form as will most effectively
aid the industries of the nation.
AGRICULTURE AND THE TARIFF.
The agricultural interest is by far
the largest in the nation, and is en-
titled in every adjustment of revenue
laws to the first consideration. Any
policy hostile to the fullest develope-
ment of agriculture in the United
States must be abandoned. Realiz-
ing this fact. the opponents of the
present system of revenue .have la
bored very earnestly to persuade the
farmers of the United States that they
are robbed by protective tariff, and
the effort is thus made to consolidate
their vast influence in favor of free
trade. But happily the farmers of
America are intelligent and cannot
he misled ny sophistry when conclu-
sive facts are before them. They see
plainly that during the past twenty
four years, wealth has not been ac-
quired in one section or by one inter-
est at the expense of another section
or another interest. They see that
the agricultural States have made
even more rapid progress than the
manufacturing States.
The farmers see that in 1860 Massa-
chusetts and Illinis had about the
same wealth between eight and
nine hundred million dollars each
and that in 1880 Massachusetts, had
advanced to twenty six hundred
millions, while Illinois had advanced
to thirty two hundred millions.
They see that New Jersey and Iowa
were just equal in population in 1860,
and that in twenty years the wealth
of New Jersey was increased by the
sum of eight hundred and fifty mill
lions of dollars, while the wealth of
Iowa was increased by the sum OF
fifteed hundred millions. They see
that the nine leading agricultural
States of the west have grown sc rap
idly in prosperity that the aggregate
addition to their wealth since 1860 is
almost as great as the wealth Of the
entire country in that year. They
see that the South, which is almost
exclusively agricultural, has shared
in the general prosperity, and that
having recovered from the loss and
devastation of war, has gained so rap
idly that its total wealth is at least
the double of that which it possessed
in 1860, exclusive of slaves.
In these extraordinary develope-
ments the farmers see the helpful
impulse of home market, and they
see that the financial and revenue
system, enacted since the Republican
party came into power, has establish.
ed and constantly expanded the home
market. They see that even in the
case of wheat, which IS our chief &C.
real export, they have sold in the
average of the years since the close of
the war three bushels at home to one
they have sold abroad, and that in
the case ofcorn, the only other cereal
which we export to any extent. one
hundred bushels have been used at
home to three and a.half bushels ex-
ported. In some years the disparity
has been 80 great that for every peck
of corn exported one hundred bush.
els have been consumed in the home
market. The farmers see that in the
increasing competition from the grain
fields of Russia and from the distant
plains of India, the growth of the
home market becomes daily ofgreat-
er concern to them and that its i'm.
pairment would depreciate the value
of every acre of tillable land in the
Union.