The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-24
AGRICULTURE AND THE TARIFF.


the United States. OF these but 594, $40
were women, leaving 1915, 1888 men who are
practical farmers. This is by far the largest
general class of citizens in the country. Their
welfare, therefore, is of prime Importance,
and their influence in the politics of the ma
ton is essential to party success. No polity
of government detrimental to their interests
can long be pursued, since the general pros
perity of the country is so intimately con-
nected with the prosperity of our vast farming
population that what affects one unfavorably
must to some degree exert detrimental in
duence on the other. Hence it is that in
framing platforms for political parties the
needs of this class of citizens must be consid-
cred first. And for this reason all questions
of tariff and protection, in common with
others, must be decided on their merits as
their effect upon farmers may determine. He
is a superficial observer who does not
see and admit this, and he has
none of the essential qualities of
craftsmanship who does not endeavor to an
ticipate the needs of the future, Our vast
extent of territory, scarcely one-half of which
has yet been touched with pillow, compels ag
riculture, on account of its proftableness. 1t
is this fact. as much as any other, that &C
counts for the decline in American shipping,
investments in farm lands being altogether
safer and more remunerative. When the wild
lands shall all have been taken up and less
opportunity is offered to realize good dividends
on money invested in them, our shipping in
terests will revive from natural causes, and
probably will not until that time. At the
present time, and for some years or decades to
come, the great question of public polity is:
How shall we best conserve our agricultural
interestsi How maintain a healthy demand
for farm products, and preserve the necessary
equilibrium between supply and de-
are equal to any demand that
may be made If the demand became
greatly increased it would be the work of but
a year or two to add five, ten fifteen or fifty
million acres to the nearly 300, 900, 900 already
improved The only immediate source of
danger is that the present demand may fail to
an appreciable degree-a condition that would
work incalculable harm to our farming popu-
lation, and through them to the entire indus
trial economy of the country.
1t is but wisdom to make study of the
future, and anticipate if possible, the demand
that will be made upon the producing classes
of this country. Hon. John W. Bookwalter,
of Ohio, a native of this State, and Demo
cratic candidate for Governor of Ohio in 1881,
made tour of the world recently for the
purpose of making a study of the different
countries he visited, their resources pros
poets, etc In several letters that have
been published from time to time he has
called attention to India as wheat producing
country, and has presented figures calculated
to astonish the Western world That his CON
illusions are correct admits of no doubt, and
study of their import must result in the feel
ing that Americans will soon be obliged to
find home market for American field
products. Mr.. Bookwalter's last letter. pub
lished in ''Bradstreet's" of Jan. II, states that
''the first trial cargo of wheat was sent from
India to Europe less than ten years ago, and in
1875 the export was about 1500,0 bushels.
In 1872 it exceeded 37,000,0 900 bushels,
while the wheat export from Bombay and Cal
cutta for the first nine months of 1888 shows
the enormous increase of $500, 900 bushels
over the same period of 1882, being an excess
of more than so per cent" There can be lit
tie wonder that the foreign demand
for American wheat has fallen off
so greatly. The writer says further that
there is in India 100000 square miles-96,-
600, 900 acres-of land that has not been cult
waited, but lies wild and waste, that is suitable
for the culture of wheat The recent open
ing of the Sirhind canal has added more than
million acres to the wheat-growing area,
and new railways are already projected that
will soon bring the whole territory of India
within easy reach of ocean navigation. The
millions of acres already cultivated for wheat
are worked with the crudest appliances and
yet, as has been shown, the natives exported
say 10000, 900 bushels during the past year.
There is enough in these figures and in the
prospect of the near future to cause American
farmers to wonder how long it will be until
they are practically shut out of the European
market. What is to be done about it, and
how shall we proceed to counteract this unfa-
vorable state of tradei 1t certainly would
be folly to cripple domestic industries upon