New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-05
.y IBGUuENT FOR PRIMERS.

Fraa traders in the United States address
.ho;r ARGUMENTS mainly to the agricultural
oIassas They appeal to the selfish instincts of
farmers They affirm that q high tariff does not
nrotoct tbe products of agriculture They
assume that tho agricultural classes have noth-
ing 10 lose and everything to gain by
the scaling down of the customs sched-
ules to the level of the English system Oh
free trade. The Democratic leaders Ill Con-
gress influenced now as ever by sectional con-
siderations, are proposing al alliance between
fine Southern cotton field and the Western
prairie against the Pennsylvania mine the
New England factory and the varied industries
of New York. This appeal to planters ana
farmers is most insidous one, and protec-
tionists cannot afford to have it go unanswered.
If they can satisfy the agricultural classes that
the economic system has steadily promoted their
interests and doubled the measure OF their
prosperity, they may rest assured that the
industrial development OF the United states,
which is already tho marvel OF the modern
world, will not be interrupted or retarded by
the abandonment of protection. 1t was TO the
farmers of the country that Mr.. Mongredien
addressed his sophistries in the interest OF
British free trade 1t is to the farmers that
protectionists must offer their most convincing
arguments in favor of the development and
Investigation of American industries
A forcble plea of this nature was recently
made by the Hon. William Walter Phelps AT
Trenton. He discussed the relations OF agrlcul-
ture to other industries and proved by Official
statistics that the prosperity of the farmers not
ONLY of New-Jersey but of the United States,
was attributable in large measure to protection.
ismasterly address, the full text ofwhlch ap-
reared in THE TRIBUNE, was the most powerful
argument which has been addressed to American
agricultural classes since Mr.. Greeley's fingers
were stifcned in death. Mr. Phelps demon
stratcd that tho increase of non-agricultllral
population in the States of the Union was
accompanied by rise i'll the value OF farm
lands rise in the value of farm products con-
shutting the farmers income, and Use III the
farm laborers' wages. In other words that
farms were most valuable, farmers incomes
largest. and farm -labOrcrs' wages highest III the
States where the proportion OF agrlcul-
tural population was the smallest ana
that of other industrial classes the largest.
AS the extension OF the nOn-agricultural classes
and the Investigation of industries are the
main objects of the protective system the
prosperity of farmers and farm laborors
was in this way shown to be directly dependent
upon the economic system for which the
Republican party is responsible.
Mr. Phelpss conclusions are fully confirmed
by the February report of Mr.. ). X. Dodge,
satistician of the Department OF Agriculture
In that pamphlet and i'll the December issue
of the same series are presented diagrams
which bring these facts clearly before the
readers eyes Tho general principle Is this !;
values in agriculture, whether OF land or pro-
ducc income or wages, are enhanced by an
increase of nOn-agricultural population. Inc
proof is furnished by a series OF tables Illus
trated by diagrams, the States and Territories
being divided into four groups for purposes OF
comparison. The following table, which we
make up from the two reports, gives general
synopsis Of the results:
.cp,rtrr TtpF AFFECTED BY OTHER INDUS