The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-02-24
Protection and Agriculture.

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1t is growing more evident that the
future prosperity of the agricultural in
terests in this country depends to great
extent on finding home market for
the great bulk of farm products. Hon.
John w. Bookwalter of Ohio, who is a
free-trader, has given the result of his
observations in foreign countries in
recent paper TO BrddstreetS. He says
that the wheat fields of India have been
developed to such an extent as to Sc
riously affect the market for Ameri-
can wheat abroad, that the English are
going to Australia and the Argentine
Republic for beef and other meat, and
that ultimately England will draw her
supply of cotton from Egypt instead of
America. According to Mr.. Bookwal-
ter's theory, England has been forced
to look to other fields for these products
because she could not get a mutual
trade with the United States. He pro-
fesses to be considerably alarmed at
the prospect, and thinks the only saliva
ton for this country is in an immediate
reciprocity in trade. Now it is very
probable that the farmers of the United
States are suffering to some extent
from foreign competition; they have
depended too much upon a foreign
market, whereas the home market is
the only safe and profitable one for the
farmer. Professor Thompson of the
University of Pennsylvania, in lecture
at Yale College, the other day, on "The
Relation of Protection to Agriculture, "
showed conclusively that agriculture in
this country cannot thrive without pro-
lection or by driving our manufactures
out of the country. The policy of
America has had for its object the es-
Enlistment of great farming COM
munity. Different policies have been
pursued from time to time, but none of
these have been the free-trade policy.
Among other things, Professor Thomp-
son said:
Sugar-rasing, for instance, without the
tariff would be losing business. From the
climate of Louisiana, which is colder than
that of the West Indies, it is in need of pro-
lection, and yet this matter of the tariff on
sugar has provoked the hottest of fights Its
repeal, however, has been successfully re-
sisted, and yet to-day we import eleven times
as much sugar as we raise. Rice promises
never to come up to the demand as it did
before the war. Growing it is a difficult
and costly business and can be maintained
only by protection. Protection makes our
cotton trade the important factor in our
wealth. Before the revolution but little
was done in this business. Indigo was the
South product, but after indigo was crushed
out of the South by Britains introduction
of the culture into India, attention here was
specially directed to cotton, and the very
first thing that was done by the South was
to ask congress to lay protective tariff
upon it. The request was fought by New
England and Alexander Hamilton, but con.
gress knew better than they. The tariff on
wool is the thing that has built up that in
terest. There is great cutlery that raw ma
terials are being taxed; and why shouldn't
they be? The tariff is not for the manufac
turers, but for our industrial independence
We should rather extend our list of pro
tected articles, grow our own flax an hemp
and make our own linen. Yes, we SHOULD
increase the raw materials on the tariff lis
instead of decreasing them"
The protectionist's idea, continued
Professor Thompson, is to make all W,
can at home under reasonable condi
tons. 1t will be a good day for thu
farmers when our imports are confined
wholly to the products of the tropics
We want varied interests. Our markets
are growing more risky. What W.
want is to find a market for our owl
crops at home. 1t will check the rails
ing of great single crops for distan
markets, and prevent land exhaustion
resulting from the raising of the sam
crops year after year. Professor Thomp
son is on the right track; Mr.. Book
walter is not.