The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1888-09-21

Farmers make up more than one-half of
the industrial classes of the country, and can
derive no advantage from high protective
tariff because their produce, after the home
market is supplied, is sold in foreign cOun-
tries. Their labor, too, yields them a smaller
per centage of profit for the capital invested
and the hardships endured than any other
calling. No tariff law that could be passed
would enable them to form wheat trust or
combination that would advance the price of
grain one cent bushel. Therefore, since
they can not raise the price of their products,
they should seek some means of decreasing
the expense ofgrowng them and lessenng the
cost of living. This result would be brought
about in a slight degree by the passage of the
Mills bill, which seeks to reduce the tariff on
the necessaries of life and leaves such luxur-
les as whisky and tobacco to bear the chief
burdenNof the expenses of the government
Yet we find some farmers advocating a high
tariff, with the idea, apparently, that the best
way to cheaper an article is to put tax upon
it sufficiently high to prevent its importation
from abroad, and consequent competition be-
tween domestic and foreign products.
The farmer is directly concerned in this
tariff question, and he should vote in No
vember next in the way to promote his own
interest. On this subject of the farmers re-
lation to tariff taxation the Philadelphia Times
says
Everything of Importance that the farmer
uses on or about his farm and in or about his
house, is still subject to high war taxes except
tea and coffee. Everything he wears is tax
ed from 80 TO so per cent every implement
he uses on his farm, from a hand rake to
threshing machine, is highly taxed every
thing used III his house, from a broom or
tack hammer to q stove, table or piano, is
highly taxed. His house is lighted by from
90 to 100 per cent, taxed glass lie drinks
from 90 per cent. taxed pitcher and 60
per cent. taxed goblet, and every implement
of tinware in his kitchen is highly taxed al
though not ton of tin plate is produced in
this country.
When he needs steel for his plows, bar-
rows ETC., he is the victim of the steel trust
that is created by the high war tariff duties ;
when he writes letter, he is the victim OF
the envelope trust that is created by high war
tariff duties when he buys a pair of rubber
| shoes, he is the vic i'm of the rubber trust
that is created by high war tariff duties;
| when he buys salt for his table or stock or to
preserve his meats, he is the victim of the
salt trust, that is created by high war tariff
duties; when he binds his wheat he is the VIC
tim OF the cordage trust that is created by
high war tariff duties when he bags his grain
he is the victim of the jute trust that is
created by high war tariff duties when he
bales his hay, he is the victim of the cotton
tie trust that is created by high war tariff
duties when he builds or repairs his house,
barn or shed, lie is the victim of the lumber
trust that is created by high war tariff duties;
| if he buys oil to paint his house, barn or
| fence he is the victim of the lnseed oil trust
that is created by high war tariff duties, and
so on indefinitely is he taxed by oppressive
laws and lawless trusts created and protected
| by oppressive laws, until he is the mere slave
OF banded and Protected monopolists.
The farmer wants legitimate labor protect.
ed in our productive industries to diversity
our pursuits and consumers but all taxes
imposed upon the necessaries of business and
OF life beyond the actual protection of the
wages of labor in our shops and mills is ex-
| t0rtlon upon the farmer and workingman
and all laws which create and protect mo-
| nopoly trusls and combines are oppressive on
all legitimate labor. The present tariff taxes
are 4710 per cent. on the articles taxed the
Mills bill proposes to reduce these taxes about
per cent, leaving the largest. protection to
industry ever before given except under the
extreme necessities of war. There is no free
trade, nor the sembance of free trade, about
reducing our tariff taxes to 40 per cent, and
there is no channel Of industry SO largely ill.,
! tCresled in tax reduction as the farmers.