The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-11-15
--------- -----------
HINTS FOR FARMERS,


suade the farmers of the United States
that free trade means prosperity for
them. We showed yesterday how they
garble statistics to that end, but that is
only one of their tricks. In the recent
Oregon campaign they sought to set the
cattle raisers against the sheep men by
arguing that there was necessary and
irrepressible conflict between their in
terests. A Republican majority of 1000
answered the attempt. The same game
on larger scale is one of their favorite
moves. They are not content, or rather
they cannot afford 10 adopt line Of
argument which tends to harmonize our
industrial interests. They are sharp
enough to know that free trade and
harmonious Industrial development are
inconsistent with each other. Their
grand str itegy consists in endeavorIng
to array the farming and manufacturing
classes against each other. They depend
upon the solid Sonth for their main
strength. and, recognizing the suprem-
acy of the agricultural interest there,
they deliberately seek to create the belief
that tariff legislation in favor of manu-
factures must be at the expense of agri-
culture. OF course they are put to des-
perate straits in trying to establish any
such propositions. One great difficulty
which they meet is the lack of facts in
our national experience to back their
claims. The general prosperity which
our farmers and mechanics have enjoy
ed under protective tariff gives them
no ground on which to make their fight.
They are obliged TO go elsewhere, but in
England or continental Europe they get
but little comfort. On occasion they
have rashly endeavored to make the
point that wages in free trade England
are higher than in protected France or
Germany. Now the example of Eng
land is about the worst that they could
possibly hold up to the farmers of the
United States. Free trade has almost
ruined English agriculture. Notwith
standing the great concessions made by
landlords within few years, amounting
in many cases to so per cent, the acreage
under cultivation has steadily decreased
and on the best lands the farmers have
barely been able to make living against
unrestricted American, Russian and
Indian competition. AS to tho effect Of
free trade upon English manufacturing
industry, it is noticeable that the manu-
facturers are of late years beginning to
cry out against it, but we are just now
considering this matter more particular
ly from the farmers point of view,
France, as well as England, is suffer
ing from an agricultural depression. AT
first thought that fact might be deemed
an argument In favor of the Democratic
position, but little examination shows
the contrary. France levies tariff OF
II cents bushel on wheat, 81 cents on
oats, rye and barley, and from & to Ia
cents pound on meats; yet with the
assistance of these duties she cannot
compete with the United States. The
reasons for this are made plain in the
recent report Of Frank Mason, United
States Consul at Marseilles.
The rsvages of the phylloxera readily
account for the losses among the French
yineyardists, but beyond that prices ol
, all farm products haye declined, until
there is little or no profit in raising
them. The price of wheat has fallen
over thirty per cent. Wool, pork and
mutton have suffered like decrease.
: Population in many agricultural dis
tricts Is diminishing. as the farmers
gradually give up the struggle and seeh
other means of earning livlihood. Mr.
Mason's report shows that the reason fol
this state of affairs is to be found 10 the
direct taxation imposed upon the agri
cultural classes, While the United
States collects 65 per cent of its tots
revenues from duties, the French tariff
furnishes only 10 per cent of the Gov
erpment income. The fact that France
Q collects duties on imports is misleading
i unless their proportion to the total reve
i nue. is shown. The French Government
d levies a tax Of 10 per cent on the ne
d revenues of agricultural land, which
:. comes out OF the farmer. He has L
n give three days work year, or il
S equivalent, to the Government. He i
: taxed foI every window in his house
y Excise and stamp duties fall largely
upon him. These direct taxes NOR,
than offset the little assistance which h.
:. gets from the tariff, and enable tn
a American farmer to undersell him II
his own market. The American farme
seldom sees Federal tax-gatherer, AM
of the duties levied upon the foreigl
q articles which he consumes, most o
them are paid by the foreign producer
> and the balance, whatever it may be, h
n can well afford to pay in consideration
of the market which protected manu-
lectures and the protection he himsel
receives on bis own products. Thi
protection the Democratic party is try
It ing TO take away both from himself an
l. his manufacturing neighbors and bes
+ customers.