The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-08-14

the principles laid down In the Republican plat
form and challenge comparison OF the acts Of
that party with the principles avowed
IL declares itself in favor OF protecting Amer
lean industry and American labor 1t pledges
itself TO correct inequalities in the tariff laws and
TO reduce excessive taxation. IL recognizes the
Importance OF fostering sheep husbandry; de-
clares itself in favor OF an international unit
value between gold and silver; the regulation OF
commerce with foreign nations and railroad cor
porations between the States; the establishment
OF bureau of labor and the enforcement of the
eight-h hour law; the settlement OF all questions
between nations by international arbitration; Is
against the importation OF contract or servile
labor and in favor OF reform in the civil service
IL declares Its opposition To the aquisition OF
large tracts of the public donna by corpora
lions or individuals and the forfeiture of all
unearned railroad lands. IL expresses gratitude
TO all the Union soldiers and sailors for the sup
preston OF the late rebellion: declares in favor
of the Monroe doctrine; the restoration OF our
navy; the rebuilding of our merchant marine,
and the establishment OF our commerce upon
the seas; for the suppression OF polygamy, and
declares that the Government OF the United
States Is hation. and IL greater than any OF its
parts; it denounces the fraudulent practices OF
ballot-box stuffng and declares itself at pres
ent, as in the past In favor OF liberal pensions
10 the soldiers and sailors OF the Union The
State platform is equally explicit.
The history of the tariff in this country begins
with the adoption OF the present Constitution.
The first tariff act was passed by the fathers in
1890. The constitutional questions as TO the
power of the Government to Law imports upon
foreign commerce. for the double purpose OF
raising rev enue and protecting home industries,
was in the first instance thoroughly discussed;
Wash ngton, jefferson, Franklin, Madison, and
Hamilton were among the men who advocated
the doctrine of tariff for protection Tariff laws
from that time forward were constantly enacted,
modified, amended, or repealed, until the year
1876, when the Robert j. Walker act, or free
trade law, more properly speaking, was enacted
and become the policy OF the Government until
the year 1861.
During the recent session of this Congress a
nota Die measure of free trade was brought for
ward by the Democratic party in the lower
house of Congress. 1t is known as the Morri-
son tariff bill Its title was specious misrep-
resentation, for il pretended 10 reduce war tax
alton, when in fact, as Mr.. Findlay, of Mary
land, said, 1T meant 20 per cent. of to-day, 10
per cent tomorrow, not TO get rid OF war taxes,
but To get rid OF the protection part or the tariff
law. 1t was step in the direction of free
trade, from which, IL IL had been taken, there
could have been no retreat save by the repeal OF
the law. And, instead of its producing less
revenue, its tendency was TO increase il.
So good a Democrat as the Hon. w. w. Eaton,
of Connecticut, found 1t necessary, in the course
of his remarks on the Morrison tariff bill in the
House OF Representatives, TO notify those gentle
men from the South who were clamoring for
free trade that they were not acting under the
clause of the Constitution of the so-called Con-
federate States, which had gone down in
bloody struggle, but were acting under the
Constitution of the fathers of the Republic, who
had given an Interpretation TO the general well
fare clause in harmony with the protective sys-
TEN. Is il not strange that a Connecticut DEM
ocrat should find IL necessary to warn the great
bulk of his party against the pernicious doc
trines which they had so recently fought TO
maintain IL is not surprising that he felt IL
incumbent on him to warn this section of the
Democratic party that they must cease their
warfare upon the industries OF this country,
and administer 10 them fitting and proper
bulle for their attack upon the doctrine OF the
fathers, that had brought TO his State such
prosperity and happiness. Mr.. Eaton was not
single in his party in administering rebuke
TO the free-trade wing of the Democracy. Hon.
Sam j. Randall and other eminent Democratic
statesmen warned their party that. IL they
persisted in advocating that fatal policy, de-
struCton would not only overtake them, but
the country would be plunged in utter ruin.
A few facts, briefly stated, overturn the
protection is a robbery and theft on the
farmer An old saying is TO the effect that
figures won't lie. useful lesson may be learn
ed by the figures OF our census table, showing
the wealth of the farming community in 1860
and 1880, Tor upon both of these periods the es
timated value was upon coin basis. The num-
Der of improved farms in 1860 was little over
100000 The number in 1880 was little over
1000, O00 The number of acres of improved
land in lSC0 was a little over l63,OOOOOO, and the
number, in 1850 was little less than 2S5,OU0,0OO.
SO IL is seen that the farms have doubled in
number and the acreage of improved lands has
almost doubled between these periods, while
the ratio of inhabitants during the same period
has increased at a much less per cent A greater
advance has been made i'll the product OF the
farms during these periods. Corn advanced
from total product OF S3sO00,OOO bushels to
l. 754, 00) 900, or l09 per cent, while wheat went
from 49, 600 900 of bushels 10 400 900 900 bushels
or 165 per cent. of increase All other cereals
from I,239 100000 of bushels to 1907 100000 of
bushels, or lis per cent. Cotton from
100000 bales in 1859, TO 6,950,0OO bales in
1882. Fifty years ago GO per cent of our export
trade was cotton; now 1t only amounts TO one
third of our expectation The consumption of
cotton in American manufactures has increased
in still greater proportion; from 422,0OO,OOO
pound, in 1860, we now consume over 75O,O0D0OO
pounds, with a very rapid increase since 1880.
Our wool product in 1880 was four times as much
as in 1860. We now produce about 3O000O,000
pounds of WOOL and our manufacturing estab-
lishments pay to the farmers the enormous sum
of more than 800 900, 900 for that product alone
Our wool product has become so enormous that
we only import about one-tifth of the wool re-
quired for consumption in our manufacturing
establishments and almost all of the imported
wool is of the coarser grades, known as carpet
wool, although a small proportion of supertine
wool tor intermixture with our products for the
finer qualities of cloth is still imported; but the
amount is inconsderable.
1t is estimated that since 1860 our cattle have
been improved, both by breeding and in num-
ber, so That the value exceeds the total value OF
1860 by S2S7O00,00O The cattle exported in 1860
averaged only $3S head, while the exports OF
1881 averaged $7S a head In 1860 our entire ex-
port OF animal products $40, 000, 0O0 In 1880
Il announced to l75,000,000.
need not go further into quotations of sta
tistics TO prove the enormous increase OF our
farm productions and the advance OF prices
over the days of free trade. The facts are known
to all intelligent agriculturists.
III the tariff laws have produced robbery and
theft as freely charged by the doctrinaires OF
free trade. why is it that such unparalleled pros
perity has been realized throughout the country?
The answer is easy when the facts are scruti-
nized We consume in this country 80 per cent
of our own farm products we export but 10 per
cent. The home market is always a better one
than the foreign market The expectation OF 10
per cent. of our farm products conclusivey
shows that we have not vet arrived at the full
tide of manufacturing prosperity. There should
be such division of labor that this country
could consume the entire product of the farm
and field This is apparent 70 the farmer when
he takes into consideration the fact that his
wheat, when exported, comes in direct COM
petition with the wheat of the Baltic and
of India. 1t is significant to examine
the increase of the product of wheat
| IN some OF the foreign countries in
| the last two three years These industries
have been stimulated largely in the last few
years in Egypt, Algiers, Australia, the Argentine
Republic and Chilli. Add to this the product of
the Baltic and of India, az given us by reliable
statistics, and IT will be but year or two before
| the markets of Europe will be shut in the face
of our farmers. / say then, to the farmers of
| this country, that your only safe guide in the
| future is to look TO the home markets for the
| consumption OF the surplus of the farms. This
| can only be brought about by increased and
diversified industrial pursuits. Thirty per cent.
of the people of this country will produce suffi-
cient agricultural product for all. There is now
engaged in agricultural pursuits about AZ per
| cent OF the people of the country. The direct
| influence, therefore, which free trade will have
upon the farms of this country will be, first, TO