Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-12-16
WHAT Is GOOD FOR TIE MANU-
FAeTURERsHoULD BE GOOD FOR
THE FARMER

FAcTURERsHOULD BE GOOD FOR
THE FARMER
President CLEVELAND in his message
said Of the farmers: "None labor harder or
more continuously than they. No enact
ments limit their hours of toll, and no in
terposition of the Government enhance to
sny great extent the value of their pro-
ducts. And yet for many of the necessa-
ries and comforts of life which the most
scrupulous economy enables them to bring
into their homes, and flor their implements
of husbandry, they are obliged to pay a
price largely enhanced by the unnatural
profit which, by the action Of the Govern
ment, is given to the more favored manu-
facturer."
In the revision of the tariff the Presi-
dents words should have weight Ofthe
direct benefits of the tariff, the small pro-
lection given to wool is about all the
farmers receive. The prices oftheir wheat
their beet, their corn, their pork, their
chief staples are fixed by competition l n
foreign markets. They have to sell their
products in competition with the 'pauper
labor of Europe and the slave labor OF
Asia and Africa. OF course this would be
different if the farmers produced less than
is consumed in this country, and consider
able wheat, pork, beef &c. had to be i'm
ported. For example the duty that now
remains on wheat and -four would afford
protection and be a strong stimulus to
farmers to increase their production. But
As it is at present, it is of no use whatso-
ever and is only a dead letter on the
statutes Of the United States.
The Bureau of Statistics shows that from
1856 to 1886 the export price Of corn fell
from 50 to so cents per bushel; salt pork
from rs to SO cents per pound; salt beef
from SO to 6 cents per pound; wheat from
81 Sc to 81 cents per bushel. But IN this
the decrease in the cost of the manufac-
tured articles which the farmer had to
buy Was very little, and on some
important articles nothing. The manu-
~facturers reaped the benefits Of protection
and the farmers were left out in the cold.
According TO our last census there are
1870, 1873 farmers in the United States,
and the entire number of people known as
producers is but II, 1872, O99. The number
engaged in agriculture is twice as large
as that engaged in manufacturing. oi
those engagedin manufacture, but S3O,ON
are affected by foreign competition. These
are protected by the tariff and are but little
more than one tenth of the number who
are engaged in agriculture, who are pro-
teeted very little or not at all.
We merely state these facts that the peo-
pie may watch closely the action of Con-
gress in revising the tariff. There is a
movement on foot among Eastern manu-,
f~acturers to remove the duty from
I WOOL, 81 ludL lhNAl " HSA
be greater. This would desprive the farm
ers OF the Ohio Valley of any protection
whatever, and add to the already great in,
Justice in the the adjustment of the tariff.
It is not enough to tell the farmers that
they receive their benefits through home
market for part of their products. II
there are direct. benefits of protection tc
manufacturers, there should also be direct
benefits to agriculturalists. What Is
sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander,
This fact should be borne in mind: As
the farming population Outnumbers the
manufacturing by two to one, il the
manufacturers expect to be pro-
tected they must accord the same t.
the farmers. Ifthey do not, they may
find themselves badly left by the farmers
some time in the future.