The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-03-20
The West for Protection.

The election of Edward H. Funston the Re-
publican candidate from the Second district of
Kansas to succeed the late Dudley c. Haskell,
is a victory for protection over free trade. His
competitor. Mr.. Riggs, received the nomination
of all Shades Of tho opposition, and took the
broad ground OF free trade declaring on the
stump that he would eliminate every protec-
tive element from the tariff. Mr.. Funston is a
leading farmer and proteetonist. The Phila-
delphia Press gives the following undeniable
facts and figures in connection with the above
result
The farmer is benefited, both directly and in
directly, by Protection, Wool, sugar, rice, and,
indeed, all food products are protected. The
Indirect protection is of far more value to him
than the direct. The growth of our manufactIlr-
ing cities and towns has increased the value OF
the home market until the farmer is now SELL
ing " per cent. of his production at home. The
value OF his land increases, and the per capita
value of the product, as diversified industries
follow the line of agriculture, Strengthening
are not blind to this. They are capable of ex-
amining the facts, and the facts show that the
rapid progress of mining and manufacturing
has not been made at the expense of agricuI7
ture. During the period of high tariff the num-
per OF farms IN the United States has doubled.
1850, to $lO 000 100000 in 1880. The production of
cereals has increased under protection from l.
in 1880, an increase of 100 per cent. The annual
value Of farm products has increased So 600 OOO,-
40. The tariff on wool has increased our fiocks
from Y to $4,000, O05 and wool products
from 100000 pounds to 325, 100000 pounds.
During this time all the manufactured pro-
ducts used by the farmer have been steadily In
creasing in COST The practical farmer knows
and understands this; the economic dude may
try to set him against the manufacturer; but in
the end the farmer of the West will use his own
Judgment.
ut is claimed that the farmers of the West
want Free Trader" said a reporter of our CO.
temporary the Times to Colonel Victor E. Piol-
let, the head of the grange movement. Here is
the shrewd farmers reply:
80 lew politicians say, but farmers are be-
ginning to look at this matter in different
light. My advice to this class of political phi
losophers Is to move cautiously or they will get
left. The National grange, in which thirty-two
out OF the thirty-eight states were represented
at meeting last year, supported the doctrine
which have suggested. The Western farmers
If that organization may be taken as fair rep
sentation of their sentiments favor giving agri-
culture the same recognition in tariff and all
other matters as Is accorded to manufactures.
And all have to say is II any party wishes to
test this, let them try free trade platform and
see where they will land.
While we have shown the steady progress of
agriculture in the United States under Protec-
ton, the Western farmer will find some in
structive statistics in the decline of agriculture
In Free-trade England. Land is rapidly going
out OF cultivation, and the farmer is told to try
something else or emigrate. Free Trade has
not helped the British farmer and cheap man
ufactured goods has not furnished him the
mOn0y to buv them.