Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1888-01-07
FROM THE
What Some of the Producers Have
to Say.

OuIle soI,t inquiries 10 u NUMBER OF farm
ers and related agricultural represent.
atlves in regard to their views on the
subject Of protection. The replies re.
ceived were in answer to the questions:
"What, if any, changes in the protec.
tive tariff are demanded by the welfare
of American farmers2" and, "Do the
farmers favor q protective tariff" The
responses published number fiftv-one,
from persons residing in nineteen differ
ent states. OF these, seven are eastern,
Eve are southern, and seven are western
states, the latter being Illinois, Ohio,
Colorado, Wisconsin, Missouri. Indiana
and Michigan. This group of states is
represented in the list by eighteen cor
respondents, of whom ten are secre-
taries Of oranges, n a past master Of
q grange, three members with no other
designation, one the secretary Of the
National B~ee-keepers' Association, one
the secretary of the Michigan State Bee
keepers Association, the secretary
of a farmers club, and one designated
simply as a farmer. The official posi-
ton occupied by those who responded
shows, without any other reason being
necessary, the very probable opinion Of
the grange or oranges with which they
are connected. The fact that 80 many
of the correspondents are masters or
secretaries also indicate that they are in
the best possible position to be fully
acquainted with the opinions of the
members Of the bodies they represent.
The document on this and all other &C.
counts il a strong one. and should sug-
gest very emphatically to those who
claim that call the farmers Of the coun.
try are FREQ traders" that their assu,np.
tons are without foundation.
A further analysis of the responses
published in the New York Tribune
bring out some genarel facts which will
be read with interest, and which ia earn
estly commended to the free trade liter
airy bureaus and organs throughout the
country. OF the entire fifty. one replies
gwen, five arc from officers Of agricul-
tural societies and associations, two are
from officers of bee. keepers associations,
two are from officers of farmers clubs,
two are from mechanics, six arc not
specified otherwise than as farmers,
thirty are officers of oranges and three
are members of CHANGES, and one is q
college professor-Isaac P. Roberts, pro.
fessor of agriculture of Cornell Unlver
sity, Ithica, N. Y.
OF the ~ffty-one responders only one
is against protection. He gives his
name as ]. L. Runkle. West Grove, Ga.
and he says: "Our grange has disbanded
They were divided on tho tariff. I an,
for free trade and every fellow for him
SELF" No wonder the West Grove
grange disbanded, when "every fellow
was for hlmself." The remaining fift,
persons were for protection and reported
that their oranges, clubs, associations
societies, etc., were either unanimously
or practically unanimously for protec
ton. There was everywhere reported
a strong opinion for protection. Tn
lecturer Of the National grange, MORT
mer Whitehead, of Middlebash, N. J.
is strongly for protection. 1t will be o
interest to farmers to know what he ha
to say. In his communication he states
III have lately completed a lecture tril
out west, covering ten different states
and in every lecture have advocate.
equality in the tariff and opposed "fre'
raw materials" Farm products are al
raw materials in a certain sense, and 1,
another the products of skilled labor
The Farmers congress at its last session
took the same ground. Farmers ar
coming to understand the question BET
ter"
Professor Roberts, Of Cornell Univel
sltv, remarks: "If we have a protect
i've tariff at all, we want II that pre-
) tects not only the farmer but the me
chanic from the pauper labor of Europe
We are abundantly able to produce u
. orr own sweets if suitable encourage
ment could be given by congress an
the department of agriculture. l woul
! not reduce duties, but raise them. Tn
8 surplus revenue should be used in pr,
serving and fostering timber growth, j
j the dyking and improvement of OF
Y great rivera nofahlu the Mississinn