The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1888-09-25
- "arons Steal Sixty Millions ~
rear from American nAgricu,.u.:.
"FLEEC1NG" WITH A VENGEANCE
"o mercy 'oho'on he 7fUers of the Soil
dy Mr.. Blaine's Hgh Protection"
Friends.

oy Mr.. Blatne's " High Protection"
Friends.
VII WILL THEY DO ABOuT ITP
Does the American farmer understand
the part he must assume in order 10 GO.
cure tariff reform? Does he fully com.
prehend that the Mills bill and the re-
Communications of President Cleveland are
more IN his interest than in the interest
OF any other class of producers and con.
sumers! Certainly he, more than anv
other laborer, has had to pay dearly for
ms protection piper The question is
Does he consider the music worth the
money he has to pay for it?
republican authorities, authors and
malntalners OF extreme protective princi-
pies, organizers of trusts and combina-
tlons, tell the farmer that his salvation
ana theirs rests upon the same basis. Tn
less he will consent to continue to sell
under keen free trade competition and
ouy under extreme protection at prices
regulated, not by natural causes, but bv
monopollstlc cllques, he is told universal
rum will supervene. Well, if it is to be
conceded the tiler of the soil doesn't
know good from bad bargain if he
doesn't know when he is being robbed
why, possibly, he will accept the ruin
theory. tie has very large interest in
the subject, and as most men are influ-
enced somewhat, at least, by the pocket,
1t ought not to be difficult to determine
which way the farmer will turn when
the critical moment arrives.
According to the census there are
twice as many farmers and farm laborers
as there are mechanical and industrial la
borers in this country For instance,
there are:
Engaged in farming. ....... ........ 7610 4g3
Professional and personal service -. 7074 23S
Trade and transportation. ........... lsl025
Manufacturing, mechanical, mining. 1885,, 1l2
Total earning livelhoods - 1882 .099
Number of farms Observation-Disclosures. 1908 907
Value OF farms. 81, 200 900 900
While capital invested in manufac
lures is only about 2s per cent of
this, or. .................. 2,79e272 ,6O6
Showing value in farms over value in
manufactures ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 400, ,727, 1874
These are large figures and convey an
idea of the enormous extent of agricul-
tura interests. 1t would seem, therefore,
that whenever national legislation of in,-
pOrtance is contemplated the American
farmer is necessarily involved in it, Let
US see how he was treated when the tariff
of 1888 was framed
A VERY LOPsIDED ARRANGEMENT.
The farmer builds his house, his barn
and out-bulldings generally of wood.
Most of the implements he uses on the
field and the apparatus in his dairy, the
furniture and bedsteads in his rooms, &c,
are of wood. Well, the tariff barons con-
demned him to pay 81 for every thousand
feet of timber he used, in addition to the
real market price, as a tax to protect
somebody in Maine or Georgia or Michi-
gan. What advantage was he given in
return? None.
The iron and steel in his ploughs and
harrows, in his skimmers and reapers. in
his spades, forks, hoes, rakes, his scythes,
on the harness for his horses and on his
wagons was taxed from As to 6S per cent,
so that in $3.50 worth of implements he
received only about $50 in goods-the re-
manner, the $50, went to swell the bank
tected. Did the farmer get anything at
all for this 500? Not cents worth.
The leather from which the harness for
his horse is made was taxed so that he re-
ceived in 800 bargain $40 worth of har-
ness to $50 worth of tax.
If the farmer needed saw, hatchet,
a hammer, an adge, nails and spikes, and
a chise tor his tool box, say to the extent
of S., he received $2.75 in tools and 1925
in taxation. If he bought lock and
chain and hinges for door or gate to the
value of 81, 40 cents represented the
goods. the other 60 cents he had to pay
to protect" some lordly manufacturer
What is offered in return for this "protec-
ton ?" Nothing. The farmer is told he
ought to be grateful that be is permitted
N live under the same irnament with
barons.
Ifhe wanted blanket for his bed for So,
he got 49, 20 of blankets and $3.50 in pro-
lection.
IF he bought a suit of clothes for $40,
he got s6 in clothes and 81 in protection.
And in the same ratio for everything he
used or needed or could possibly need,
the good tariff barons condemned him to
nav from 35 to 90 cents on every dollar
more for his goods than he ought to have
paid. and more than he will have to pay
# the "barons are routed at the next
election. The barons " have taken ad-
vantage of the farmers comparative
isolation. They recognized there could
be but little organized resistance from
" Hodge :" that he couldn't and wouldn't
{" line together like factory hands in
trades union or general assembly. They
Lnew he couldn't go to Washington and
iobbv in tbe halls of congress-, 81 40, ooo,-
600 strong" They realized he had no
cohesion. 50 to speak, and therefore they
cave him little consideration arter 'lec-
ton" ;,
Tbev even Disseminated against him.
Nov the farmer and fisherman both use
sslt n quantities So the barons decided
to to let the men of Gloucester have their
sslt "a for curing fish free Of duty, while the
ss.s ss,sr ~. was Condemned to pay 80 pei
cent. duty on salt in bulk and 81 per cent
;n | hscs Thus, if he bought IS worth Of
a.,t a. il lay in heap in store ne got
OK Ok cents in salt and $4.l5 in protect'on-
that Ib s be paid s4ls for the privilege o,
I.r;rg from . monOpolist IN Syracuse ol