Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-01-28
Points in Protec ton
Contributed.


Mr.. Editor In looking over the Audu-
bon County Aduocate some time ago,
noticed an article headed, "An Illustra-
ton OF Protection" And as have little
time and no other use for the day, believe
I will answer Mr.. Henry George, the
gentleman who wrote the article to which
l refer. He tells us that the United
States can impose no tariff which would
encourage the grain grower or the stock
man. Now | contend that the grain
grower, the stockman and indeed, every
other industry, in order 10 succeed. must
have protection, and this is the reason &C
cording TO the last census, that we have
S,OO0,OOO men who make their living
by working in our mills, our factories and
our mines Now, these nine million OF
men are large consumers Of all that The
farmer and stockman produce, and many
of them make $T5 and many of them
make SIPS per month Three fourths OF
these men live up TO all they make and
their wages 90 into circulation at once and
aft going TO the merchant, the grocer,
the coal dealer. the landlord and the differ
ent channels, it naturally finds its way to
the producer. Now then, work is plenty
and consequently money is plenty; the
farmer has home market at good price
Tor all his produce and gets the money for
it, and is able to pay his taxes, improve
his farm and keep his family in comfort.
Now let us look at the other side. We
have no protective tariff, and what is the
consequence? To illustrate we will take
from 1854 until 1860, We might take a
longer time but this will serve the purpose.
We then approached as near free trade as
we could, and as as near bankruptcy as it
was possible without becoming entirely so.
Notwithstanding Speaker Carlisle says it
was the golden era OF America. AT that
time our mills, blast furnaces, mines and
factories all stood idle, and everything was
exceedingly cheap Why, could go to
any farm and buy No. work horse for
$50, prime COW for $l3 and bushel of
wheat (winter wheaD for 80 cents, proyid
ed could get money enough to pay for it.
One year the farmers stock was sold TO
pay the taxes, the next year his team was
sold and the third his farm was sold, and
yet prices were never SO low. Undoubted-
ly The farmer had not much encourage
ment under free trade. The gentleman
also says that a tariff does not encourage
the builder, the horse sheer or printer
Now | must differ with the gentleman
again. | am a horse sheer and general
blacksmith, and during the six years of
which have been speaking, my prices for
horse shoeing were 81 for four new shoes
and % cents for setting four old ones and
other work in proportion, and my pay
consisted Of just what the farmer had to
give. If | received one dollar in montE
considered myself fortunate. True, |
could get dressed pork by the wagon load
for z 4 and 3 cents per pound and beet at
2 and "a cents per pound, but could not
dispose OF it, and we were all bankrupt in
the midst OF plenty. Now, what was the
cause OF this? We were having free trade,
and our neighbors across the water were
flooding the country with their products
cheaper than we could make them, and
our mills, mines, etc, we're closed
throwing millions of men out of
employment and sending their wages
across the water to pay for the cheap pro-
ducts instead of giving it to the producer
at home. Now then, in 1861 a protective
party came into power and before two
years went round the farmer was getting
$1.5G for his wheat $50 for a COW and
$500 and $3.50 for horse, and instead OF
Is cents per bushel for corn and oats he
was getting 80 and 60 centsper bushel, and
the builder was erecting fine houses and
barns for him and getting his money when
the work was done, while the horse sheer
was getsing 81 for setting shoes and 81
for new shoes, and where three and four
families had dubbed together to get one
copy OF their county paper, each and
every family was taxing from two to three
papers. Now tell me my brother, does
not protection encourage the farmer, the
stock raiser, the builder, the horse sho-r
and the printer? Does not the whole
country prosper under projections
A Horse SuOER