Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1884-07-24

development OF agriculture IN the United
States must be abandoned healiying this
fact the opponents OF the present system OF
revenue have iaborcd very earnestly 20 per-
susas the farmers Of the United states that
/ thew are robbed by a protective tariff, and
\ the effort "a thus made TO consolidate their
vast influence IN favor OF free trade. But
hanpily the farmers OF America are intelii-
rent and cannot be misled by sophistry when
conclusive facts are before them They see
plainly that during the past twenty four
wears. wealth has not been acquired in one
section or by one interest at the expense OF
another section or another interest They
see that the agricultural states have made
even more rapid progress tnan the nianuiact-
uring states
me farmers see that in 1850 Massachu-
eetts and Illinois had about the same wealth
between eight and nine hundred million
dollars each-and that in 1850 Massachusetts
had advanced 20 81, 900. 00O, 900, while iii
nois had advanced TO ~. 200, 600, 600 They
see that New Jersey and Iowa were Just
| enual In population in 1860. and that In
tweaty years the wealth OF New Jersey was
increased BY the sum Of $3.50, 900 900, while
the wealth OF Iowa was increased by the sum
OF 81 500, OOO. 600. They see that the nine
leading agricultural stateso the West have
grown so rapidly in prosperity that the ag-
gregate addition TO their wealth since 1S60is
almost as great as the wealth Of the entire
country in that year. They see that the
South. which IL almost exclusively agri-
cultural, has shared In the general prosperity,
and that having recovered from the loss and
devastation OF war, has gained so rapidly
that its total wealth vs. at least the double OF
hat which IL possessed in 1850, exclusive OF
slaves
In these extraordinary developments the
farmers see the helpful impulse at a home
market. and they see that the financial and
revenue system, enacted since the Hepnb-
| lican party came int power, has established
and constantly expanded the home market
They see that even in the case OF wheat,
| which Is our chief cereal Export, they have
sold, in the average of the years since the
close OF the war, three bushels at home 10
| one they have sold abroad; and that in the
case Of corn. the only other cereal which we
export 10 any extent, one hundred bushels
nave been used at home 20 three and q half
bushels exported In some years the dis
parity has been 30 great that for every peck
OF corn exported one hundred bushels 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 of greater con
Germ 20 them and that It's impairment would
depreciats the value OF every acre of tillable
I land in the Union.
OUR INTERNAL COMMERCE.
Such facts as these touching the growth
and consumption OF cereals at home give us
some slight conception Of the vastness of the
internal commerce OF the United States.
They suggest also that, in addition TO the adj
vantages which the American people enjoy
from protection against foreign competition,
they enjoy the advantages OF absolute free
trade over a larger area and with O greater
population than any other nation. The inter
| nal OF our thirty eight states and
| nine territories is carried on without let or
hindrance, without tax, detention or govern
mental interference OF any kind whatever.
\ IA N-A-N. -. A.Aa - eAAA. A-I -
half million square miles--almost equal in
extent to the whole continent of Europe.
Its profits are enjoyed to-day by SO, % u
Of American freemen, and from this enjoy
ment no monopoly Is created According to
Alexander Hamilton, when he discussed the
| same subject in 1900, 'the internal compe-
tition which takes place does away with
everything like monopoly, and by degrees
reduces the prices Of articles to the mini
mum of n reasonable profit on the capital
employed" II is impossible TO point TO a
single monopoly in the United States that
has been created or fostered by the indus
trial system which is upheld by the Repub-
lican party,
Compared with our foreign
these domestic exchanges are inconceivably
great In mountaineering merely as one
tnstrumentality as large a mileage of rail-
way as exists to-day in all other nations of
the world combined These internal ex-
changes are estimated by the statistical
bureau Of the treasury department to be an
nually twenty times as great in amount ms
our foreign m Ii Is into this vast
field of home trade--at once the creation
and the heritage OF the American people
that foreign nations are striving by every
device 20 enUer. IL is into tins field that the
opponents of our present revenue system
would freely admit the countries Of Europe
countries into whose internal trade we
could not reciprocally enter; countries TO
- -. A4a.l1 h. ...- -
vantage Of trade; from which we should be
gaining nothing In return.
EFFEcT UPON THE MECHANIC n Hi LABoREh
A policy Of this kind would be disastrous
To- the mechanics aud workingmen of the
United States. Wages are ~uuiustly reduced
when an industrious man Is not able by his
earnings TO live in comfort, educate his chill
dren and lay by a sufficient amount for the
necessities OF age. The reduction of wages
inevitably consequent upon throwing our
home market open TO the world, would de-
prive them of the owe to do this IL would
prove a great casamity TO our country. IL
would produce a conflict between the poor
and the ricn, and in the sorrowful degrada-
ton OF labor would plant the seeds of public
danger.
The Republican party has steadily aimed TO
maintain Just relations between Labor and
Canital-guarding with care the rights of
each Aconfiict between the two has always
led in the past, and win always lead in the
future, TO the injury of both Labor is
indispensable to the creation and profitable
use OF capital, and capital increases the
efficiency and value of labor. Whoever
arrays the one against the other is
an enemy OF both That policy Ia
wisest and best which harnonizes the two
on the basis Of absolute Justice. The
Republican party has protected the free
labor OF America 80 that its compensation is
larger than IL realized In any other country
1t has guarded our people against the unfair
competition OF contract labor from China,
and may be called upon TO prohibit the
growth of a similar evil from Europe. IL Is
obviously unfair TO permit capitalists TO
make contracts for cheap labor in foreign
countries to the hurt and d-isparagement OF
the labor of American citizens Such a
policy like that which would leave the time
and other conditions of home labor exclu-
sively In the control Of the employer. is In
furious to all parties-not the least so to the
unhappy persons who are made the subjects
OF the contract. The institutions of the
United States rest upon the Intelligence and
virtue OF all the people. Suffrage il made
universal as a Just weapon of self -protec-
tion TO every citizen. 1t is not the interest
OF the rcpablic that any economic system
should be adopted which involves the reduc-
ton OF wages TO the hard standard prevail
ing elsewhere. The Republican party aims
70 elevate aud dignity labor-not TO degrade
It,
AS a substitute for the industrial system
which under Republican administration has
developed such extraordinary prosperity,
our opponents offer a policy which is but a
series OF experiments upon our system of
revenues policy whose end must be harm
TO our manufactures and greater harm 10 our
labor. Experiments in the industrial and
financial system is tho country's greatest
dread, as stability is its greatest boon. Even
the uncertainty resulting from the recent
tariff agitation In congress has hurtfuliy
affected the business OF the entire country.
Who can measure the harm to our shops and
our homes, TO our farms and our comm cree,
II the uncertainty OF perpetual tariff agita-
uon Is 20 be inflicted upon the country? We
are In the midst OF an abundant harvest: we
are on the eve OF a revival of general pros
per1ty. Nothing stands In our way but the
dread OF q change In the industrial system
which has wrought such wonders in the last
twenty yeas and which with the power OF
increased capital will work stiff greater
maryels Of prosperity in the twenty years 70
come.
OUR FOREIGN POLICY.
Our foreign relations favor our domestic
development We are at peace with the
worid--at peace upon a sound basis with no
unsettled questions of sufficient magnitude
To embarrass or distract us Happily re-
moved from our geographical position from