The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1888-10-05
Protection for Farmers.

General Harrison in receiving country
delegation at indianapolis. on Tuesday, made
some remarks, in which he sought to show
his farmer friends that they are benefited by
the tariff laws. He said:
ut has seemed to me that the Mills bill was
framed for the purpose of driving from the
protection column the agricultural voters,
not by showing them favors, but the reverse,
by placing agricultural products on the free
list, thus Withdrawing from the farmer the
direct benefits he is receiving from our
tariff laws, as affecting the products of his
labor"
The farmer will search in vain for any
direct benefits he is receiving from our
tariff laws" or any indirect benefits, either. If
farmer will think for few moments about
the operation of the tariff laws, as they affect
his own interests, he will scarcely call that
blessing which takes money out of his
pocket and gives him nothing in return 1t
is true the present schedule imposes tariff of
20 cents bushel on wheat imported into
this country.
The farmer derives no benfit from this
tariff, however, for the only wheat imported
is seed wheat, which costs our farmers lust
2O cents more bushel than it ought to cost
because Oft the tariff. This is, perhaps, a
blessing in disguise, for no sensible farmer
can distinctly see how it helps his interests
This is the extent which the farmer is "pro-
tected" in the products of his toll aud indus
try.
When he wants to build house or barn,
he gets another view of protection. The
high tariff enables home manu- mclurers to in
crease the price of heir wares nearly up to
the point which imported articles, after the
duty Is paid, would cost, and the farmer
must therefore add the duty and more TO
the cost of everything he buys for his house
or his barn.
Thus the farmer must pay the tariff tax on
his lumber, on his nails, on everything, in
fact, that goes into the construction of his
building.
When he wants to furnish his house the
same system of high protection compels him
to pay enormous profits TO the American
manufacturer on his carpets, his oil-cloth,
his china and glass ware, his stoves and tin
ware, upon every article he buys to make his
family comfortable.
When he goes to the store for clothing for
himself and his boys or for material for the
garments of his wife and daughters, he is
again met by tariff charges which largely in
crease the cost of these necessaries of life,
and all in the sacred name of "Protection I"
This is protection, it is true, but it is not
protection for the farmer. He derives no
benefit from high tariff. He is consumer of
everything upon which tariff tax is laid,
and because more breadstuffs are raised than
can be consumed in this country the farmer
must send his surplus across the ocean, to be
sold In the cheapest grain market in the
world, while lie is compelled to supply his
wants in this, the dearest market for manu-
featured articles on the face of the earth.
This is the sort of protection General Har-
rison promises to farmers. Perhaps they
can be deceived into believing that they may
be benefited by paying high tariff on what
they buy perhaps they may not.