River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-04-12


Congressman La Toilette, in re-
Spouse to inquiries, said this after
noon:
- am heartily in favor of increasing
the duties upon agricultural products.
| have especially interested myself
in the matter during the past
few weeks, AMI have invited the at
tention of the Republican members of
the Committee Gu Ways and Means to
this important branch of the pending
tariff bills. Tie factories have always
been we'll cared for and the farmers
have been considered afteTwaId, al
though they are undoubtedly the ele
ment of all strength in our country.
and the basis of all prosperity"
what have you done especially in
this direction!'
81 have talked with the members
of Congress from Wisconsin. my col
leagues in the House, and with others
fIOm the agricultural sections of the
country, and they are heartily with
me. Do you know that potatoes are
imported from Europe and sold in Mil.
waukee in competition with our home
crop! 1t is so, and yet they pay a
tariff duty of fifteen cents per bushel.
Our potato crop amounts TO about
three million dollars annually, and our
farmers need, and they ought to have,
and they shall have, protection by the
imposition of higher duty. This is
not only true of potatoes, but of other
farm products.
"Isn't there something of politics in
that mOvment!"
None that know of but the poll
tics of justice and common sense.
The free trade enthusiasts have made
1t their especial business to assault the
doctrine of protection in our agricul-
tural regions. They have advanced
the speciOus plea that the Republican
party has neglected the farmers and
catered wholly 20 the manufacturers.
There is just enough Of the appear
ance of truth in their statements to
give them FEASIBILITY. The agricul-
tural masses of America have not
pressed their claims for protection,
and hence attention has not been
particularly invited to their rights and
needs. But they are now as likely TO
suffer from competition with the men,
dicant lahorers and serfs of Europe,
as are the skilled laborers i'll our
cities. They want protection on GER
tain articles, and the Republican party
will give it to them if possible"
lis there not u growing free-trade
sentiment in the Northwest"
Il am not willing to cOncede any
thing of the kind. The free-traders
have done their best to create sem
Jiment in that direction. and they
have in some degree succeeded. But,
in comparison with the expanded
ideas of the working reading men who
till the soil, the free-trade advance
ment is meager indeed. When we
consider the amount of time, money,
and sOphism scattered over our agri-
cultural section in efforts to foster the
fTee-trade sentiment the wonder is
that more has not been accomplished
in that fallacious direction.
How will the other Wisconsin
Congressman stand upon this question
when the tariff bill comes up for dis
cusslon!"
Nv lille | cannot answer for any but
myself, am safe in saying that all the
Wisconsin Republicans Will be true TO
their constituencies. Ours is an agri-
cultural country mainly, and we
naturally will consider the interests
of Qua people. When We cease to do
that they Will speedily send other men
to take our places; men who will work,
think, and plan for the welfare of
their constituents.
"What do the Republican members
of the Ways and Means Committee say
about this subject!"
''Mr. Reed and the others are hearth
ly IN favor of protection to farm pro-
ducts. One of the members expressed
the idea that such an article in the
bill would weigh it down, but he WAS
completely answered by the statement
of fact, namely: that the Republican
votes in this entire country come most
largely from the farms. Those stur-
dy, Intelligent, rejecting men cannot
be ignored, and nothing can prevent
The enactment of legislation satisfac-
tory to them but the inaction and
hostility of the Democratic majority"