The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1886-02-20


the present low price will get IS per cent.
more sugar than bushel OF wheat would
buy when it (wheat) was IS per cent
higher
Thus the ''facts and figures" the basis
of all true reasoning, show that nearly
everything the farmer has to buy, whether
to eat, TO wear, to use on his farm, has
been cheapened under the present pro-
tectlve tariff---that a.gfaE tas which the
freetrader claims is so burdensome' to
the farmer.
But we cannot close this branch of the
discussion without making a couple of
short extracts from two speeches made in
congress, one by prominent Republican
and one by leading Democrat.
The Hon. J. T. Updegraff of Ohio, in
his speech of April Il and IS, 1882, in the
House of Representatives said:
MIR Chairman, / have been a farmer all my
life and every year for thirty years have sold
the products of the farm. When manufacturers
were fully protected and lonrishing have never
seen the time when judicious agriculture was not
PROSPEROUS; and when manufacturing under
revenue tariffs was crippled or broken down |
never saw agriculture hourishing. Is there any
gentleman in this house who has Z Sometimes
a certain product may be in demand temporarily,
but the uniform rule is a. | have stated it. II
any member has seen it otherwise, let him de-
clare it. (Applause.) No; the real and perma-
uent industries of people are always in har-
mony and independence with each other. Each
member of a community profits by an increase
n whole
That advantage is increased and multiplied by
every increase in the diversity of employments.
The farming interest above every other is bene-
Gted bv this diversity, which saves the necessity
II carrying bulky products To distant market;
Tor every Intelligent farmer knows that the man
" no is compelled to 60 TO market must, in some
way, pay the cost Of going, and that the very
first of all the charges paid, by labor by hand,
Is that for transportation.
But Mr.. Montgredien says in his Golden
Club pamphlet, the farmer neither IT. lives nor
-eeks legislative protection False aga'n. He
ioes both The farmer has carefully aRG intelli
Gently studied this question: not merely by
theories of bookmen, but in the school OF prac-
teal affairs. He asks, and has received fair
protection for his industries 1t is just that he
should, for many agricultural products are pro-
duced in other countries by pauper labor, against
which it would be "A monstrous outrage that the
American farmer should be forced to compete
surely this English teacher could not be ignorant
If the fact that protective duties are imposed on
al leading agricultural products where protect
ION is practicable. American farmers know
that these duties were laid to protect these art-
Giles in the home market which consumes nearly
90 per cent. of all the products of the farm.
1T is not necessary to give full catalogue OF
all these products and the duty on each, but I
mention enough, taken from our tariff list, to
have been considered The duty on Indian
corn is 10 cents a bushel; on wheat 20 cents a
nnshel; oats, 10 cents Il bushel; barley, Is cents
a bushel rye, IS cents bushel; peas and beans
0 TO 90 per cent; potatoes, IS cents bushel;
utter cents pound; cheese, 4 cents pound;
poultry, 10 per cent; sugar, TO 5 cents per
pound; leaf tobacco, 35 cents pound; manu-
actured tobacco, so cents a pound; beef and
pork, / cent pound; mutton, 10 cents pound;
hay, % per cent; all domestic animals ex-
.ept for breeding purposes, 20 per cent, but
those for breeding purposes admitted free in the
interest Of farming or stock-raising; wool, from
20 to II cents a pound, with from 10 to II per
cent. added.
Not only is his interest thus protected but
he farmer knows well that the protection 10
The manufat turer benefits him still more. He
,nows that when the great manufacturing in
dustries of various kinds are active and flourish
iag that there il always a demand for all the
variety Of his products in the home market. He
understands ttat the product price of the
grea. staples Of wheat and corn, part If which
may be exported, are no measure Of the bene-
it 10 him Of home market which consumes at
ready prices the still more abundant and profit
able products of the farm which cannot reach
distant or foreign market.
Representative and ex-senator Eaton,
Of Connecticut in spite of threats to read
him out of the Free-Trade Democratic
Party if he dared to utter even part of
the truth as to the benefits of protection,
said in his speech to the House, May I,
1884:
The duty then, of the patriot alone
has gone by; as patriot alone | would
not have this question before Congress,
but now | come to it as a party man,
Democrat of forty years standing-yes
sir, offorty years standing; and | am to
be read out Of the party, am :
But to the members of this House |
desire to address myself, to those who
are talking of robbery, of plumber, cor
ruption, stealing and thievery. There is
not a single article bought in the South,
from the wagon that draws the farmers
cotton to the markets to the pin that his
wife uses, that is not 100 per cent. cheap
er than it was fifteen years ago. No
matter how wrong the principle of pro-
lection may be, that is the fact. | grant
YOU that it is wrong; but the fact re-
mains the same. 1t has cheapened every
thing under Gods heavens that men,
women and children use in this land
everything. And there is reason for it
As the lawyers say, eve think we
have made out a case" We have shown,
and no man who is intelligent and honest
will dispute the figures given, that what
the farmer has to sell has increased, and
that what he has to buy has decreased in
price under the operations ola protective
tariff law. What more can he ask Is
not this just the condition of affairs he
seeks to have established Upon this
question as upon all others, the opinions
IF eminent men who from their observa
tons, research and experience are quail
fed to speak, should have weight. Here
are two brief extracts from congressional
speeches
Representative Brumm, Of PennsyIva-
MIA. In his speech before the House, May
:. 1884 said:
II ..member very well, and I want
Won f1mrrS to remember-I remember
very well ia my short lifetime when it
.ooi. Il good COW to buy good cooking
stowe To-day good COW will furnish
lie best kitchen in the land with cook
.~. .tal. aHj all the utensils necessary
iii 4 ,.e.i g.. zulated kitchen,
Is,.tAe. TOR years rs matchmaker,
Ills: it..aembrr well when it took a good
s...esa huy good clock, and to-day
.as e.. IT,, ola good horse will set YOU up
in respectable watch and clock business
Clocks for a dollar.
''Why, sir, it used to take, in my short
lifetime, a whole calf to buy saw. To
day you can buy the best of Disston's
make for the hide of a calf.
Il remember when ittook pound of the
best butter to buy pound of nails. To
day you can buy pound of nails with a
quart of skinned milk.
yet you talk about protection to the
farmer, Where has his commodity fallen
in price? Every other commodity has
fallen by reason of protection, while the
farmer has always held his own, or rose
4. L.. .,