Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-09-06
OUR FARM INTERESTS.

: -
OUR FARM INTERESTS.
High Protection the Worst Enemy of the
Farmer-The View Taken by Congress
man Townshend, Of IlinOis-HOw Mo-
nopOlies Are Created, Maintained and
Fattened.
The largest industrial interest Of this coun-
try is the agricultural It comprises the great
Est number OF persons; its products aggregate
the greatest value, and in divers forms are the
commodities that form an enormous part Of
our internal, and almost the whole OF our eX-
ternal commerce. To this commerce, this
great and diversified industry In all its
branches. the enormous war tariff is an enor-
nous obstruction and to the eighteen millions
OF American citizens who occupy themselves in
this industry it is an oppressive burden and
curse.
The ella: m that protective tariff is beneficial
to operatives OF any class deny in its length
and breadth But, let this claim be admitted to
whatever extent the claimants may assert,
still, no fairly informed person not swayed by
partisan prejudice will pretend that protect
I've tariff is directly beneficial to the agricult-
ural producer. 1t is true. there is a duty,
small by comparison with other duties, on
wheat. barley, oats, maize and other products
OF agriculture, but these duties have no
effect on the commerce of commodit es
whose prices governed by the rates
in foreign markets. The prices in
our own markets OF almost every product of
"
plus Will command abroad. The prices of
breadstuffs determined not in New York
and Chicago, but In Liverpool and London.
And at that market, where the surplus of our
agricultural products is sold, and which fixes
the value OF the whole production, the products
OF every American plantation come in contact
with the productions OF Russia, Hungary, even
British linda. No American tariff law can pre-
vent this competition. nor protect the Amer
lean agriculturist against it in the least de-
gree There Is q tax on corn OF 10 per cent;
the statistics OF 1885 show that we exported
= from this country and sold in foreign markets
v06arly 63, coo, 600 bushels OF corn, and yet only
$500 bushels were imported into the country.
We are the cOrn-producers OF the world. We
have no need to import corn, for the reason
that we grow more than we can use and are
compelled to seek q foreign market for the
surplus, and the amount OF corn that we
ported pro badly realized x25, 10000. The corn
that We imported did not cost us but little over
$1,000
There is q tax on wheat of 20 Ger cent In
1885 we exported 132, ISL, 1886 bushels of wheat
being over one-fourth of our whole CROP and
we imported only 212311 bushels, which, as all
know, was imported by mills on the Canadian
border, in order that they might have the
profits OF grinding it into -four mainly for ex-
portation to the markets of the world In ad-
dltion to the wheat expectation of that year,
we sent abroad $50, OOO. 900 worth OF wheat -four
and imported. virtually, not any.
But prOrec ton tells US that we must so leg
islate as to fu, nlsh q home market for all our
agricultural products. and that this can only be
done by high tariff 1t is the fact. however
that our agr. cultural products increase moro
rapidly than our population, SO that if We do
not export these products in the natural coz
dtion we must do SO by converting them into
manufactured art cle3, and export these arti-
-cles. But this can not be ne under a high
tariff. for all nat ons will buy manufactured
products where they are the cheapest, and the
nation selling the cheapest will control the
market This rule excludes our highly-taxed
manufactures made from highly-taxed mate
rails from the markets of the world, although
we have natural advantages possessed by no
other nation.
A Western advocate OF this high tariff policy
>of excluding the products of our agriculture
from the markets of the world has dilated upon
brought 10 our agrlcultors We learn from him
that the log-cabin has misrepresentation
comfortable homes, carpeted rooms, spring
wagon, buggy or carriage for the journey to
town, a country paper. books, plenty to eat
and wear" these, we are told, "are the fruits
OF protection that the farmer enjoys" Though
Ihave lived among farmers most of my life, il
has been my m sfOrtune never to have seen the
reality OF this pretty picture OF Arcadian hap
piness produced by exorOitant taXat on. No
The State, the county, the township, the
school district. and in many cases other taxing
powers, c. me to him with their exactious OF
taxes on lis land, his improvements, his cattle
even the furniture that he Is consuming by USE
II he has sold Sis products he must divide the
money received payment with the tax-gath
4erer. And where the local taxing power leaves
ON. the taxing over of Congress begins lay
ing taxes on four thousand distinct kinds o.
property, including almost every thing that the
farmer buys uses in tilling his land, in hi;
house. or his barn, or wears on his person, ant
the average rate or these taxes is forty-sever
per cent? Seneca declared that the world, il
his time, was governed too much. In our time
the tllers of the soil, changing slightly the
words, but not the meaning Of the Roman phil
~osopher may we'll raise to Heaven the cry tina
they are taxed TOO much
The rretense tina: this enormous taxation
benefits and enriches them, causes the 10.
cabin to disappear and replaces it " tn tn,
mansion aud all the appurt enances OF pastora
opulence, is ridiculous nonsense Tne farme
works harder and 10 ger for smaller gains thai
any man who eats bread in tho sweat Of b.
brow. No class of men live more frugally o
are Enc.s saving. And yet. in this twenty-sixtl
wear of the war tariff (which We were assure
should cease Ut the close OF the war; there ar
hard times and much distress amons thos
who pursue agr culture. Instead OF ear chin
lem. taxation has dev0ured their gains an
remembered their lands with debt. Hero Is q
EXHIBIT of the amount OF mortgages now rest
ing ON farmers in ten Of the great agriculture
commonwealths:
In Ohio. $500. aOo m, m
In Indiana. .............. S'osoSS"e<