Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-08-09
The Weekly ExpoSitor.
PUBLISHED ON THURSDAYS.
81 A YEAR-60C FOR SIX MONTHS
soc FOR THREE MONTHS.
o
JAS. A. MENzIEs,
Editor 81 Proprietor.
Newspaper Law,
Free Tradeis Unjust to the Farmer.

The advocates of free trade are es-
pecially earnest in their appeals to the
Western farmer, as the voter most like |
~ to furnish aid in overturning the ex-
listing fiscal policy of this country and
once more trying that of England. In
their efforts to this end they are untir-
ing. ingenious, INSCRIPTIONS. No pos
sible resort remains untried no illus
tration unused, no appeal long neglect
ed. They seek to infame the worthy
ambition to better ones condition i'll
life by picturing a mythical market
which is at once both the cheapest for
the buyer and the dearest for the seller.
They seek to create sectional prejudice
by persistent repetitions in speeches
and writings of the antithesis western
Farmers" Eastern Manufacturers,
just as if the West had no manufacture
es, the East no agriculture. They ig-
more the commOn-sense inference that,
if the people of the United States paid
the duty on foreign competing articles
sold in this country, the foreigner
would be 10y no means so persistent for
the removal of our tariff. In view of
such tactics it will be well for farmers
to keep III mind certain facts which
with practical men are likely to out
weigh al the theories of British free
traders and their attorneys in the Unit
ed States.
Money is necessary to the existence
of government Under our fiscal system
the main reliance of States, Counties
and municipalities is upon taxation of
property-the exception being the sale
of licenses for carrying OH certain lines
of business. Money raised by taxation
comes from owners of factories, mach
inery and other personal property, as
we'll as from farms and farm equip
ments, and is the price paid by the
owners for defence of their rights in
property and the peaceable pursuits Of
the business of their choice.
TO exempt any one mans property
from taxation would be an injustice to
all compelled to pay taxes. Yet this is
just what free trade proposes to do.
American owners of farms, houses, ma
chinery, ETC., are to be taxed, while the
same rights they enjoy are to be given
free to others-to men who owe no al
legiance to our government and who
seek profits from trade here to be spent
in other countries.
Hay, barley wheat, wool, ETC., ARE grown
in large quantities by Canadian farm
erS who never paid cent of taxes to-
ward the support of our government.
If these men prefer to send their pro-
ducts here to be sold in our markets,
why should they not be taxed, at least
as much as our farmers are taxed, for
the privilege? But the free trader says
no, let the foreigners have our markets
without cost, although the American
farmers taxes need to be increased i'll
consequence, and then complacently
suggests that if growing such articles
under this one-sided arrangement
proves Improbable our farmers can
turn their attentions to some other pro-
auctions.
Protection insures our citizens not
only the first, but always the best.
chance in the markets of the country
they have helped to build up. This is
both patriotism and good business pol
icy. It's opposite is the un-American
policy advocated by the President and
other free trade advocates, and for
which they have received the plaudits
of the Golden Club and every promi-
nent journal in Great Britain. 1t re-
mains to be seen if majority Of Am
erican farmers agree with them.