Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-10-06
THE FARMER AND THE TARIFF.

Ihh II AhluGo AMI LIE A0AAk -
By the Republican tariff makers the
farmer is the worst humbugged man in the
land. They attempt to tlindiold him
to the fact that he bears the bur-
den Of the tariff. and gets nothing
in return, by making him believe
that he, also, is lin tie swim" They
throw q sop to him to keep himquiet ur-
der his great burden, in the shape Of q sort
of shadow tariff on his grain and vegetables.
A tariff on wheat! What an absurdity,
when we supply the world with wheat.
Put tariff on wheat mile high and the
farmer could not be protected cents
worth from foreign competition, for the
simple reason that he has no foreign compe-
tition. Take the tariff off or pile it higher
and not a grain of foreign wheat could be
sold in this country.
The wheat tariff is simply bandsge
placed over the eyes OF the farmer while
the really protected" moropoliss rifles
his pooh ct book and plasters his farm with
mortgages.
The Republican leaders are sufficiently
dishonest to represent to him that horde
Of foreigners are elsmoring ct our doors
waiting to flood this country with foreign
farm products. The farmers are going
over to the Democrats in body since the
thorough airing the tariff has received this
campaign and the Republican leaders will
resort to anything TO head him of.
The farmer can be, and Is, taxed to pro-
tect Others but he cannot be protected him
self.
The Louisville Courier Journal says:
The condition Of the American farmer
ought to be one of entire independence
He has free lands, free trade bet tween the
States, ctelp transportation, rich soil
and good climate.
Aboye slI other classes, he is favored by
uatuI g; above all other clssNs, he is op-
pressed by our tariff laws:
II is essy to zee how his property, the
labor of his bands, is flched from him by
the prttsnse OF projection.
In America, on the farm, labor is paid
S24 a month; in Englsnd, Sl2 Go; yet we
explrt and sell in the markets Of the
world. independent of the tariff, "a per
cent. of all the wheat produced by cur
higb-priced agricultural labor; 8 a per
cent. Of the meats; 20 per cent. OF the
cheese, and 80 per cent. OF the cotton.
Turn TO the census and ses what was this
effect of twenty years Of protection on the
farming class.
From 1860 TO 1880 the farmers increased
their aggregate wealth "a, ~, 58S. 4Sl.
During the same period tbs other classss,
comprising oue-half of the population,
against one-half engaged in farming, in
creased their wealth So. 1853, 49,, S5l, add
lug six dollsrs to their reserve to one dollar
added by tire farmers.
This shows that somebody is getting
soraething tha4 does not belong to him,
and it is not the farmer.
Nov let us make another comparison.
Ia the statement above We have put the
farmers on ore side and everyone else on
the other, bat only those engaged
ia manufactures are protected. Let us
compare the farming industries with the
manufsc turing industries and fiud, if We
can, a.y reason for tsxi1g the country for
the bent fit Of the city. To do this effect
lively we will use table from the speech
of Gen. Wbe ,ler in bis speech on the tariff:
FARMING INDUSTRIES.
Amount of capital invested, exclu-
siye OF implements, cost Of seeds
and fertilizers, work stock or cost
OF their subsistence l9I OOo 40