Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-10-25
WHEAT AND THE TARIFF.
rhe Great Issue Discussed from tho Farm
crs' Point of View.

CTS oilt Oh VIEW
The most singular feature of the tariff
discussion is the assumption on the part
Of free-traders that the farmers are. and
ought to be, in favOrof free trade. When
Golden started his free-trade crusade in
England his FIRST assault was on the
English corn laws, with the ayowed OBJ
ject Of lettering the condition of the
workmgmen employed IN English man.
utactorIes by furnishing them with
cheaper food. After the repeal OF the
corn laws he extended his propaganda
to this country, trying to persuade Amer
leans that instead OF building up manu-
factories Of their own they had better
bay what they needed from the we'll
established factories of England and de-
vote all their capital and energy to rails
ing food and exporting it. This, too,
was with the object OF getting cheap
cd for English workingmen in fac
rios and wider market for English
manufacturers, so that their working
men could live better and get better
wages. Cheaper food for English work
iugmen meant then and means now
lower prices for American farmers. The
breaking down of American manufac-
lures and the turning Of their employees
TO labor in the fields means much
larger surplus for American farmers 10
sell abroad and consequently lowe
prices for what they have to sell. Mr..
Golden concerned himself about Eng
lish factory hands and English manu-
fuCturcys exclusively. He cared moth
ing for American factory hands or man
ufacturers, or for American farmers and
farm laborers. He was looking out for
the interest of Englishmen exclusively,
and for those of q particular class Of
Englahmen, the wOrkmen in factories
especially. His sympathies did not even
embrace the English farm laborers, the
most hopeless and wretched Of their
'ass almost il the world His effort
was simply to induce Americans Of all
classes hy the most plausible argument
he could command to subordinate their
interests to tho interests of particular
class OF English workingmen. He was
not even the originator cf that idea of
working the American farmer. for be-
fore hIm the cotton planters of our South
Atlantic states began an assault on
American manufactures on the theory
|that it the food producing states should
Happily an their labor 10 raising food, in
.steld OF dlve.ting a large part of il TO
manufactures, 1hev could hay fooi for
Itacu' slaves SD much cheaper that they
Ic3uid control the European narla, f0c
Ira ron These cotton planters We're 3ly
.EpUjeus faithful uiles, ana formed the
!U9sis of party i'm this country to sup
|p1rt ami disseminate his doctrines, and
from them sprung the free-traao ele-
Iment i'm our present parties. The fun
Ed4mcntal idea OF the free traders was TO
lgat food cheap for English factory hands
land the slaves of cotton plantations,
land cheap food means low prices for
Farmers.
/ Our farmers ought to know by this
thine that England would nOt buy
bushel of their surplus grain If her own
colonies could supply her, and thas she
viii prefer and does prefer Canadian
}ui australian and Indian wheat 10
I .ueirs. and would take 1t exclusively if
/ she coull got enough Of IT,
Foreign markets and distant markets.
laye uncertain and least profitable. WASH
|ngton, Adams. jefferson, Madison
Monroe aud jackson aii dwe't on the
Importance Of % home market for the
surplus products of the farm. and of tine
advantage To the farmer of diyertins
part of the labor Of the country from
agriculture to manufacture, i'm order 10
bui.o up u nomr market. Those farmers
make most money who 1--we near large
cities The nearer the factory IS TO the
farm the better fox the farmer His
products are bulky and many nf the most
profitable viii moo bear long ,ransporta-
ton.
There IS uo class :. oar people more
beneiiJe by ,ne policy which builds up