The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-12-24
The Farmer and the Tariff.

rade dectrinaires IN discussing the tariff.
t assumes that the tariff is a tdr-that
he amount of this tax is added to the
ost and transportation Of the foreign
manufactures, and that the farmer Is COM
,elled to buy this foreign article, with
his tax added to what it originally cost.
rhe fact is, the farmer very rarely pur-
,hases foreign made article, whether for |
arm work or domestic use. What enters
nto his consumption, is manufactured In
his countryside product OF home indus |
.ries, built up under the encouragement OF
She protective policy. The price he pays is
On the average, less than the same article
could he had OF foreign manufacture, If
there were no tariff duty imposed, Impost
duties simply operate TO encourage and
protect home manufact ures and competi-
tion in manufactures brings the cost OF
the article made to the lowest possible
price. 1t establishes our workshops on
American soil, operated by American Ia
Dor, instead of building them up in
Europe, operated by European pauper
labor, as was the case under the free
trade policy. The result is that eve
~ article used by the farmer is pun
chased at minimum cost, and every
article he produces is furnished home
market by reason of home manufactures.
Under the operation of the revenue only
tariff, cotton cloth made in England, sold
in this country at 20 cents per yard and
nails at Is cents per pound. Under the
operation of "a. tariff Of 81 cents on cotton
cloth, and tariff on nails, causing cotton
and nail factories to be established here,
American cotton cloth sold for I cent less
than the tariff duty and nails for FIVE cts.
per Id. Instead of using English agricul-
tural implements, we are sending flaming
mills, horse powers, mowers and reapers,
plows. cultiyators. forks, hoes, carriages,
carts, cotton goods railroad cars, locomo-
tiyes, steam engines, watches, clocks,
glass and glassware. hats, caps, boots,
shoes, wearing apparel, machinery, cuttle-
~. edge tools, files. saws, firearms, nails,
India rubber goods. jewelry, lamps. sad.
dlery, harness, organs, piano fortes, paper,
stationery. printing presses, sewing ma
chimes, household goods, furniture, wood
work, tinware. and. scales, to foreign conn-
tries. These articles are made by Ameri-
can labor fed byAmerican farmers and have
built up a home market for home pro.
auctions, which consumes so per cent. OF
all the farmer raises. The value of the
goods manufactured in this country, under
| the operation of the American system OF
Protection, is estimated at the enormous
sum of *, 100000, 900. Ninety-two per
cent. or sc. 270 100000 Of these manufac-
lures are consumed at home. The labor
employed in the industries which produce
manufactured articles, is fed by the Amer
| lean farmer, creating home market for
his products, and adding to the wealth OF
the country by the mutual exchange.
Thirty years ago of the manufactured
commodities thus used in the United
States, ninety per cent. we're made abroad,
The larger portion in England, and only
ten per cent. manufactur ed at home. We
thus, under the revenue only policy. built
up foreign workshops, employed foreign
labor and developed foreign resources. aud
left our own country neglected farmer
as well as the laborer building up for.
eign market, and placing ourselves at the
mercy Of foreign enterprise and power, to
regulate both the price OF the articles
consumed and the articles we produced.
The Independent asserts that the far
mer pays nearly fifty per cent more than
he should for every manufactured article
he buys and reduces what he has to sell to
almost nothing and then asks, lido the
farmers of Augusta county enjoy home
market on account of the present protec'
tive tariff 2"
In the first place the farmer does not
buy the foreign article, and consequently
does not pay fifty per cent. moro than be
ought. Every article he uses is made in
this country, by manufactures built up
under the protective tariff, and they are
even furnished to foreign countries cheap
er and better than they can be there made.
| This is the result of competition at
home, by which every article is placed at
the lowest possible price, to Justify manu-.
facture. To localize the operation of the
tariff is to dodge the question. The
American marke is to be looked at. I'm
der the operation of the protective policy
we consume. as We have stated, % pei
cent. of our farm Notwithstanding only
| 8 per cent. to look to foreign market. Il
is the national policy which is to he con
sidered-which is changing the whole
economy of the Southern States, making
Georgia and alabama and other portions
of the South, the seats of thriving indus
tries, developing and utilizing their natu
raj resources, employing their labor and
furnishing able to pay for tht
products of the American farmer. A con
tinuance Of this American policy will soon
furnish a home market for all the pro
ducts of the American farmer, establish
our own Industrial independence and rel.
egate free trade and its disciples to the
past, in congenial association with fos-
l SllS. E5U Hlcu Jul GUtCupUAnly AVOhS q.
| the enormous tax paid to support these
few manufactures in Augusta and ada
cent counties, simply to supply home
| Market he will find that there is no
enormous tax" paid, but everything is
furnished to the farmer that he purchases
for less money under the protective policy
than ever it was under the revenue only''
or free trade policy, besides giving him q
home market for nearly all of his pro-
| ducts-the best market in the world. be-
! cause it is the nearest and easiest OF ac-
cess at less cost. Tone is given to the
American market by American industries.
They employ labor, which consumes, and
receives wages that enables it to pay for
what it consumes. But for the manufae.
tures-the creation Of the protective pol
icy-this labor would not be employed as
consumers. but as producers, there would
be no money to buy with, and consequent
ly a limited home market for the farmer.
We do not question that the tariff laws
need revision but such revision as would