The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1888-03-02
THE TARlrr FOLLY.

Our neighbor, the Dissemimafoy, In nj.
tempting TO justify the idea that Il Il rlgh,
to tax one class of people for the benefit Of
anotherthrough the medium Of such high
tariff taxes as the people are now subjected
to,says
ain considering questions OF personal
rights and financial transaction In our
every day affairs Of life the saying Is often
reiterated, that every individual has per-
feet right to sell In the highest market he
can find and buy In the cheapest. This
seems to be so simple and plain a PROPOSE
ton that II must be beyond contradiction.
But suppose that by preconcerted action
every producer of wheat In the state of
Oregon should Immediately after har.
vest sell 10 some syndicate Ia Great Britain
every bushel OF wheat produced In the
state and give possession OF the crop TO be
Immediately removed from the country.
Such a transaction Is of course improba.
ble,but by no means impossible. Where
would the Bread for the years consump.
ton of our people come from Where
then would be the community rights of
the people II Is just as plain that every
honest, laboriug mechanic in the state has
an interest in the growing crop of wheat,as
Il Is that the husbandman who produces Il
has the right TO sell II In the best market
he can find. The truth of the matter is
that In the consideration of all these sub
jects, the interests Of all must be consider.
ed as we'll as the interests of the individ-
ual."
Now, suppose all the farmers OF Oregon
sheuld sell all their wheat crop immediate.
ly after the next harvest to syndicate OF
British buyers have the mechanics and
other consumers OF wheat any authority
to prevent them Or, Is there anything
In the tariff laws or other laws to prevent
them doing so Certainly not. Can II be
possible that the DissemiaafOr Is In earnest
when It says that 'it is just as plain that
every honest, laboring mechahic in the
state has an interest in the growing crop
of wheat,as II Is that the husbandman who
produces II has the right to sell Il in the
best market he can End ?" What farmer,
In all the vast domain of the state, can be
found who would, for moment, admit
the correctness Of the DisscpiiHatOy's prop.
osition We confidently assert there Is
not one. The farmer, under eur oppres-
sive and unequal tariff laws,is not permit.
ted to bay his goods In the cheapest mar:
kets he can find, but, heretofore, he has
been allowed the pigmy boon Of selling
his wheat in any foreign country II he
could get better price by doing SO, but
now the DisseRiEat0y comes In and pro.
poses that the mechanic has such com.
munity interest in the crop Of the farmer
that the latter might be prevented by law
from even selling in the best market he
could find. We have always insisted that
the enforcement of the protection views
of our neighbor was not only unjust, but
damaging to the farmer, but we we're no,
prepared to believe that that paper would
60 so far as to say that ne should not be
allowed 10 sell his wheat In the best mar
ket ne can find. We repeat what we have
said heretofore that protection for protee-
tion's sake finds no warrant either In rea-
son or the constitution OF the country.