The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-08-15
De. a Protective nar,r Help the

D,es n Protective lariir Help the
100 Farmer lily .a-
A reader OF the INTEL1loENCER writes TO
ss7 that he can see how protective tariff
benefits capital and labor engaged in min
inv and manufactures snd related employ
msnte, but will the ISrElLldENcER kindly
tell him how protection protects the
farmer, how 1t benefits him in any way"
Our figuring friend adds, "My idea is
that protection makes the farmer pay more
for everything he buys and does not bling
him cent more for what be sells. Certainly
you will not say that protection adds any
thing TO the price Of Whist he sells IN ior-
eign countries"
Seeing that sgrculturalists and their fam
lilies form by far the greater part OF the
population, unless the farmer is benefited
by protective tariff that policy is not only
agreat failure but a great national wrong,
and they are right who bitterly denounce
"..the robber tariff"
Il, because Of protective tariff, the
farmer pays more for everything he
bays, that wrorgs him unless he finds q
compensation in the market for his pro
ducta and the price he gets for what he
sells. II, by reason Of the tariff, the farmer
is able to buy at LEES price everything be
needs, and il his products command a
reader eale at higher prices, it is plain
that he is benefited.
There is no uee Of confusing ideas by
dealing with dollars and cents in this mat
ter. Let the farmer go to the bottom OF the
subject and See where he stands. Let any
farmer Of thirty years experience SO
through his list Of protncip, compare what
he got for any given product before the
war and what be gets low. Lst him take
bushel Of wheat and ask what he could
&c! for it in manufactured products then,
and what he gets now. He may take his
corn, oats, butter, potatoes, horses, mules,
sheep, swine-anything he pleaaes, and he
will get in exchange more farm implements,
more tools for csrpentering or blacksmith
ing purposes, more hats, shoes, cloth, calico.
nails, glass-more Of anything he needs
than he got in the day when the tariff was
not for protection. Hs will not only get
more, but he will get almost everything Of
OF better quality, design and finish.
There is not an homes. farmer but will
say, on reflection, that his land and his
work bring him more now than at any
time in his life-moro in money, and in
money Of greater comparative value. For
It Is striking truth that tho farm lsborer
gets better pay, 'he farmers industry
brings him more, manufactured products
are cheaper and the earnings Of skilled Ia.
Dor higher than at any time in the history
o! this country. In all these respects our
own country stands ahead OF any and all
other countries.
Free traders tell The farmer that the
burden Of q protective tariff falls on him;
that he pays the manufacturer bounty on
every manufactured article hs buya. Let
US see about that. A principle which ap.
plies to protected manufactures will apply
to protected agriculture. The Louisiana
planter enjoys protection for his sugar.
The average duty on sugar and molasses is
52.sS percent; for sake OF CONVENIENCE we
may call it so percent. II it be true that
the tariff is paid by tho consumer, the agri-
culturist who does not raise sugar pays duty
to the agriculturiat who does raise sugar;
and every time a West Virginia farmer
buys sl.50 worth Of sugar be hands over a
bounty Of fifty cents 10 the Louisiana
planter. 81 5.;,,.4---, ,5,i ..,..55
1tthis argument be good thus far 1t will
apply to the entire agricultural product Of
the country, valued in 1882 ut IS, 600, 600.
010) 5000 millions Of dollara. The average
duties on these products was 81 percent, or
(Sl,lle,00o.00o) l,ll6 millions Of dollars.
#.H . r. nd aH #r .#+t 81.
In other words, consumers Of farm pro-
ducts pay to the farmer as bounty nearly
one.third Of the price he receives. Nobody
who is sane will claim that the farmer is !
"robbing" the consumers OF his products
OF more than tbouaand millions Of dollars
every year to bolster up his "'bloated mo.
nopoly." II The argument is no. good as
applied to farm products, on which there Is
a protective tariff, is /. likely to be better
az applied to the manufactured products
which the farmer uses?
We have seen tina: the farmer is in
every way benefited. The fact accords
with the reason Of the thing. Under
protective tariff, which gives to American
capital and labor the preference above all
other capital and labor, an army Of work. {
srs, Of industrious, diving, high.teedlng
men, has camped neal. his faym, ready to
AXE at good prices nine.tenths OF oil he can
false. The artisan lnds his chief market
It home, Just where the farmer finds his, !
The time Is coming when the American | s
aImes will have 10 find bis grain market /