Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-09-25
JUST rH1NK ABOUT THIS.

| lean hardly discuss the wool tariff will
any degree of patience because of the evil
dent lnsincerity of those who contend fol
it. If protection is intended for the en-
couragement of new industries or for the
| establishment of such as require higher
grade of intelligence, even though, as in
| variably the case, these enterprises are IA
vored at the expense of industries, some
thing can perhaps be said for it; but the
| protection of an altogether unprOgressive
Industry like wool growing to the mani
| fest disadvantage of all kinds of wool man
ufacturing, and the injury of every man
woman and child who wears wooden gar
ments, COMFORTS with no plausible system
OF protection-American, European, mod
ern or medieval tax. The tax is retained
simply because the protection party is in
need of more votes and believes it can get
| them in that way.
| Mr. Farquhar denounces the American
| system of monopoly protection as 'the
father of millionaires and paupers," and
| says that the question presented to the
public is simply: Shall we continue to
| overtaX labor and trade to fill the already
| overlooking pockets of the mlGonaires,
with the certain result of producing hard
times and disastrous commercial reYerses ?'
That is the tariff question in nutshell
as presented to the producers, working
men and intelligent and patriotic business
men OF the country"
MIR. F., in our judgment does not get
all in his nut shelf that properly be-
longs there. there are some other very
important questions; for instance, will
the reduction of the tariff increase or
decrease the importation of wool or 9TH
er articles on which there is now a duty?
Ii 1t increases importation, will it not
increase the surplus in the treasury?
Will it not also reduce the price of thear-
ticle, because of the competition between
the imported foreign article and the
home manufacture? If it reduce the
price of the manufactured article, will
it not reduce the wages of the day la
borer whether it be skilled or unskilled
labor. If the manufacturer should be
able to operate his factory he must do so
in competition with the free trade facto-
ry, and must reduce his prices to COM
petitive rates. Who will stand the cut?
Has capital ever shown itself the weaker
in the contest for the profits? And if
importation increases, one of two things
must happen in order that American
factories may be operated, either the la
borer must give up a portion of his
wages or the manufacturer must loose
enough of the present price of his wares
VIII he do it?
President Cleveland in his letter of ac-
ceptance admits that wages will be re
duced, and none deny it. Labor in this
country wont give up the home comforts
1t now enjoys, and agree to live like the
laborers of other countries, and
this they must do unless the articles
necessary to these home comforts can be
reduced from 20 to 80 per cent from the
present prices, and under these circum-
stances they must have the same amount
of employment they now have, which is
not at all certain. But keen foreign
competition will destroy our domestic
manufactures and products, and event
ually throw our people out of employ
ment and compel them to purchase all
these things from our foreign neighbors.
and at the same time takes from our
people the labor necessary to secure the
money with which to make the pur-
chase.
Take one instance which every farmer
in the state of Kansas can fully appre-
ciate, the industry Immediately referred
to by Mr.. Farquhar, the wool trade. In
1888 there was a reduction of the tariff
on wool. Up to this time sheep raising
In Kansas was profitable and rapidly
growing industry In 1884 the agricultural
reports of the state show that there |
were l ,2O6,297 sheep in the state. In 1885
under the effect of the reduced tariff,
this number dropped to about one-half, |
to S15, 1913, and in 1887 to 66f, 161. Since |
this time we have no reports, but ride |
through the state will convince one that !
the sheep, like the bison, Is almost ex-
tinct in Kansas This same fact exists /
throughout the United States. The
bureau of statistics for 1897 states the /
number of sheep in the United States in
1884 was 80, 626, 626; for 1885, 80, $50, 243;;
1886, as, 3d., 321, and in 1887, II, 7J9, 314,
showing gradual decline since the re-
luction. Let the farmer ask himself
what he has in return, and then together
with the laborer, apply this rule of rea-
'oning to all lines of production, whether
n the field or factory, whether produced
~ skilled or unskilled labor. We must
nave these articles whether we produce
hem ourselves or purchase them from
some one else.
The real question. therefore, is
lot one of taxation, but one of
political economy, whether we had
better produce everything we
want as nation and sell any excess of
production to other nations, or whether we
lad better give products of cheap labor
N opportunity to push intelligent labor
IF the stage, and eventually compel our
people to purchase the products of cheap
abor at the price fixed by the manufac-
urers of cheap labor countries, which
hey can fix to suit themselves when
hey have destroyed our industries. In
,ther words, whether a good home mar
,et is better than a foreign market,
cached only by railway and ocean
reight.
Now, who is this Mr.. Farquhar? Is he
|. laborer? No; he is manufacturer, a
as he is pleased to style him.
elf, and he denounces the system of
monopoly protection" Now, there is
10 country on the globe where free trade
S found more pure and simple than In
england, and there is no country where
and trusts are more prolific.
Why, these English trust companies loan
-ou money here in Kansas, and vet this
J the Democratic Eden of ''emancipated
ommerce" Why don't Mr.. F. point to
he splendid homes and excellent sur
of the wage worker there! and
ompare the condition of the wage
workers there with those of his own
ountry, who do manage to have farm
or own their little home in
he city although they do not get their
hare of the result of their labor: The an
wer is apparent.
If the iaDorer will take the trouble to
ook into the Encyclopedia Britannica
e will catch glimpse of the sentiment
f Mr. f. on American labor. 1t saws,
The workmen are too independent and
onsequentjy too unsettled to submit TO