Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1888-09-28
THE FARMERS FOR OLEVELAND.
OF WASHINGTON COUNTY,


THE FARMERS FOR CLEVELAND.
In the interest of the bureau of agricul-
ture, of which the Hon. Norman ]. Coleman
is commissioner, he has been visiting quite
a large number Of agricultural fairs in vari-
GUS portions of the country. He reports
something of a revolution going on among
the farmers on the tariff question, and they
regard Cleveland as another Moses, who is
to lead them out of the bondage of a war
tax slavery as intolerable as that of the
children OF Israel under the Egyptians.
There is nothing in this gravitation of the
agricultural masses TO be wondered at, and
for many good and sufficient reasons:
First. The heaviest burdens of the Anne.
rican protective system fall upon the farmer.
Second. The farmer secures nothing in
return. On the contrary, he is hampered
in his efforts to extend his export trade.
Third. The millions which he gives an
nually for the support of the protective sys-
tenn are either appropriated by monopolies
already overpaid or are sunk absolutely in
the losses of unwise manufacturing expert
ments
Fourth. Then he is greeted continually
with the cry of protection: "If it were not
Tor protection we would be flooded with
foreign goods" "Very WE'LL" the farmer
thinks, but who are we." Ii it be the
farmer, he would like that very much.
Blankets, calicoes, spool thread, carpets,
crockerY, hardware, window glass, domestic
cottons, moving machines, rakes, harrows
cuitivators, wooden ware, threshers-a
hundred things and more which enter into
every daily walk OF the farmer and become
part Of the common necessities of life.
Fifth. Wooden manufacture was said 70
--bu IiTmry established Il 1870 1t only want
ed the protection Of from to 22i per cent
for year Or two longer. 1t is 70 years
since then, and it requires protection now
from 40 to 100 per cent. This the farmers
see and know, and the President in fam
GUS message made 1t additionally plain and
simple to them.
Sixth. The first tariff averaged only 81
pei SchS 1Aisoi W years vi ploIoCtou IL
now averages AZ per cent. This the farmers
also see aud know, and this President Cleve-
land is trying to have reduced
Seventh. The Representatives OF Penn
sylvania declared in 1889 that the manufac
turers of iron and steel were all but estab.
lished. They needed only little more
encouragement and for u brief time. They
got it at the rate of n per cent. on iron and
about I'll ton on steel. These same man
ulacturers are now protected by duties run
ming from 20 to 100 per cent. Are the
farmers blind men that they should not see
all thiss And so seeing it. why would they
not stand by the man who is so boldly and
courageously standing by them.
Eighth. Cotton manufactures only asked
for 5 per cent. protection at first. To-day
it is getting at the rate Of from 35 to 60 per
cent This also the farmers thoroughly un
derstand, and they want to know where it is
all going to end?
Never, while the protectionists control
either branch of Congress, or while rank
protection President as Harrison would be-
if elected, lies in wait with veto message
in his hand as If with keen knife TO plunge
into the vitals of Democratic Congress that
might attempt to lift some of these enor-
nous burdens from off the shoulders of the
agriculturists.
Now comes the practical question What
is the farmer going to do about it all Coz
gress made the protective tariff; Congress
must unmake it. So long as Congress is
comprised of protectionists, just SO long
will. the farmers be plundered; just so long
will the farmer be made the victim, coming
his time and his muscles into gold for the
Golfers Of his protected masters.
The unprotected masses have the remedy
in their own hands. Their votes number
100000, those OF the protected classes
only about 100000 The robbed have an
overwhelming majority, but their represen-
tatives in Congress have been Indifferent
Tariff reform was sleeping very quietly and
sluggishly indeed until Mr.. Cleveland came,
and then he shook 1t to its feet and put it
alive and alert before the country The
farmers are flocking to Mr.. Cleveland all
over the country. If they ever expect in
this generation to break their bonds and get
away from their serfdom, now is the time
They have found a leader WHO'S not afraid