The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-07-14
Read 1t. Study II.
ARE THE FARMERS P00LS7

So evidently thinks the Chicago Inter
Ocean, which, adopting the idea of the as
tute e. ID. r., of the Ottawa Republican,
maintains that the tariff of 20 cents on
wheat Is a genuine protection TO the farm
ers Of this country, because II prevents a
heavy importation of wheat from MIAMI
toba, Canada and Nova Scotia" and to
show how important this protection is, the
Inter ocean gives the production OF wheat
In certain counties In Kansas In 1879 and
the amount Of protection enjoyed" by
each, as follows;
Atchison. 1869 ,07S bushels; protective du.
ty on them, $72, 4l56O.
Butler, 37S,25S bushels; protective duty
on them, 1861 so.
Doniphan, 5lS,140 bushels; protective
duty on them, $l0362S 90,
Conley, 1914, 535 bushels; protective duty
on them, 1924, 1907 co.
SedgwiCk. ga, TAI bushels; protective
duty on them, $l14,94S 20.
Is there In all Kansas, or In Minnesota,
Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, or ahyphere, farm
er so hOpelessly demented as TO imagine
that he got cent more a bushel for his
wheat In 1879, OF any year, on account of
this 20 cent tariff The exportable surplus
of the Canada wheat crop, like that of the
Z pited States, depends on Liverpool for It's
price, where It all ultimately goes, and
where alone the Manitoba or any other
Canada wheat grower comes in COMPETE
ton with the wheat growers of the United
States If, therefore, the entire tariff on
the importation of wheat from Canada was
removed, the only effect would be TO give
the millers and the carrying trade of the
u. s. an additional business TO the extent
of whatever importation might take place.
The wheat growers of Manitoba, In that
case, instead of submitting to the robbery
of that hideous monopoly the Canadian
Pacific Railroad, to get their wheat to the
sea coast, would send 1t to Minneapolis TO-
be converted into flour, or to Chicago In
bulk. American millers, shippers and deal
ers would have all the profit of handling 1t
and taking II TO the coast for shipment
abroad. The tariff on wheat therefore,
while not working one cents benefit TO the
American farmer, does work serious an.
nual loss to our millers, dealers and ship
pers.
Equally fraudulent and deceptive is the
claim of the Inter ocean that the farmers
of Illinois profit by the tariff on oats as 1t
illustrates by the following crop figures of
1879:
La Sale County, 2,l1O752 bushels pro.
tective duty On crop 2ll,075,20.
Mclean County, 2,l10,790 bushels; pro-
tective duty on crop, sell 079O0
Ogle County, 1897 1863 bushels; protec-
tive duty on crop,$229, 1850.
VIII County, 2,7Ol67O bushels; protec.
tive duty on crop, $27O,16900.
Cook County, 2,223052 bushels; protec-
tive duty on crop, $222 ,30520.
"Or over million of dollars" claims
the Inter Ocean, have the farmers of these
five counties alone been benefited by the
tariff on oats!"
The reports of the Illinois State Board
Of Agriculture for the last half dozen years
show that the oat crop to the farmers of
this state, year In and year cut, has been a
losing one-that the cost Of preparing the
ground, sowing, harvesting and threshing
the crop has been greater In dollars and
cents than the crop was worth In the mark
ct. Illinois, therefore, raises no mere oats
than she needs for home consumption
What little her farmers send TO market Is
distributed from Chicago, Peoria and St.
Louis. Is any one fool enough to imagine
that Canada, In the struggle with the rigors
of her climate and desolating thistle, can
raise oats go much cheaper that she can
carry them q thousand miles TO compete
with the western farmers in the markets of
Chicago Peoria and 81. LOUISE II she
can, let her do so! Illinois at least can swap
agricultural implements. glass, beef, pork
and mutton for her oats and make money
by the operation.
And so with buckwheat, potatoes, fax