Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1888-10-27

| Cleveland (but not including him)
| had favored this system of "home''
first, the countries beyond the sea,
afterwards, the Judge completely
riddles the idea of cheap clothing
and the surplus. We can only give
the closing thoughts of his letter:
sand so with all the working men
of the country. 1t would be bitter
mockery. II would be adding insult
to injury, for free trader to tell
factory operative about cheap Eng
lish goods, when he has been thrown
out of employment and has no money
in his pocket, and sees no prospect
of obtaining any. When the Eng
lishman comes in and undersells the
American manufacturer, the factory
is closed and the operative is out of
employ. The Englishman cheap
goods have been the ruin of the
American workman.
A few days ago / was standing at
the window of house in Hampden.
I had passed over this very spot of
ground some thirty years ago, when,
with the exception of few stray
Cling houses, there was no Hampden,
no Woodberry. Now there is a pop
ulation Of many thousands. All this
is the outgrowth of the protective
system. AS | was thinking of these
things wagon was driven up loaded
with the finest potatoes | ever be-
held. 1t was soon surrounded, the
potatoes sold, and the farmer-the
son of one of my old friends--started
back to the Sixth district of Balti-
more county to bring another load.
Here was a home market for the
farmer created by the protective tar
iff. Would the Englishman have
bought the farmers potatoes Oh,
no but he would have offered him a
cheap coat. But the farmer must
sell before he can buy, and unless he
can find home market he cannot
dispose of his produce. There are a
vast number of Hampdens and
Woodberrys created by the protec-
tive tariff. Let anyone travel over
this great country, and he will discov-
er hundreds of manufacturing places
| created by the wise policy of pro-
lection, and afording home market
for the farmers products.
The evil of the surplus in the
Treasury can easily be obviated. Let
them remove the duty on sugar and
many other articles which ought to
come in free, and there will be no
surplus. But is it apparent that
men who will keep the duty on sugar
and let foreign wool in free, so that
our farmers will have to compete
with the wool-growers Of Australia
and Europe, are the safest deposita-
ries of political power? The state of
Maryland has cndeavored to protect
our wool-growers by tax on dogs
in many of the counties, but the
present dominant party in the House
of Representatives proposes to rem
der such legislation useless by letting
in foreign wool free, and thus inJur-
ing our farmers more than would be
done by a thousand sheep-killing
dogs turned loose in every county
In conclusion, l would say that
any farmer or any workingman who
votes for party that is moving in
the3 direction Of free trade, will be
voting to impoverish himself, beggar
his family, and bring on the country
the calamities which afflicted us in
1910. In that year cast my first
vote for General William Henry
Harrison, and in this year it is my
intention to vote for his worthy
grandson, General Benjamin Harri-
son, who, l believe, will make as good
president as any man now living
in America. With much respect, |
am gentlemen, Very truly yours,
GEORGE YELLoTT.