The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-17
HOW FARMERS ARE ROBBED
FLEEcED OF SIXTY MILLIONS A YEAR.
No Mercy Shown the Tillers of the Soil BY
Mr.. Blaine's 4" High Protection" Friends
AN Array of Startling Figures
What Win They DO About 1t?
N Y Herald-1

What VIII They DO ABOUT it'
n. y. Herald
Does the American farmer understand
the part he must assume in order to Sc
cure tariff reform? Does he fully COM
prehend that the Mills bill and the recon-
mendations of President Cleveland are
more in his interest than in the interest
OF any other class of producers and con-
sumers? Certainly he, more than any
other laborer, has had 10 pay dearly Tor
his protection piper. The question is,
does ne consider the music worth the
money he has to pay for 1t?
Republican authorities, authors and
maintainers of extreme protective princi-
pies, organizers of trusts and comblna-
tions, tell the farmer that his salvation
and theirs rests upon the same basis.
Unless he will consent to continue to sell
under keen free trade competition and
buy under extreme protection at prices
regulated, not by natural causes, but by
monopolistic cliQues, he is told universal
ruin will supervene. Well, II ii is to be
conceded the tiller OF the soil doesn't
know good from bad bargain: If he
doesn't know when he is being robbed,
why, possibly, he will accept the ruin
theory He has a very large interest in
the subject, and as most men are infiu-
enced somewhat, at least, by the pocket,
it ought not to be difficult to deter
mine which way the farmer will turn
when the critical moment arrives.
According to the census there are twice
rs many farmers and farm laborers as there
are mechanical and industrial laborers in
this country. For instance, there are
Engaged in farming 1910, 1913
Professional and personal serviee..--.--- 4O74,Z3S
Trade and transportation l.SlJ,2o6
Manufacturing, mechanical, mining. 3S37,ll2
Total earning livihoods--.-.-.......-. 1882, O99
Number Of farms ...-.----------...-.----- 4O0S9O7
Value OF Iarls...-..-- -VO JoUsOOJ
While capital invested in manufac-
lures is only about 3 per cent. OF
this or 49, 2, go 500
Showing value in farms over value in
manuiactures--..-.-..-..-.. I,4O95Zi,S94
These are large figures and convey an idea
OF the enormous extent OF agricultural
interests 1t would seem. therefore, that
whenever national legislation of impOr-
lance is contemplated the American
farmer is necessarily involved in it. Let
us see how he was treated when the tariff
OF 1883 was framed.
The farmer builds his house, his barn
and outbuildings generally OF wood. Most
of the implements he uses on the field and
the apparatus in his dairy, the furniture
and bedsteads in his rooms. etc, are of
wood. Well. the tariff barons condemned
him 10 pay > for every thousand feet of
timber he used, in addition TO the real
market price, rs tax to protect somebody
in Maine or Georgia or Michigan. What
advantage was he given in return None.
The iron and steel in his plows and har-
rows, IN his sklmmers and reapers, in his
spades, forks, hoes, rakes, his scythes, on
the harness for his horses and his wagons
was taxed from - to Is per cent, so that
in $3.50 worth OF implements he received
only about 500 in gOOds-the remainder
$50, went TO swell the bank account of some
fellow who must be protected. Did the
farmer get anything Tor this $50? Not
cents worth.
The leather from which the harness for
his horse is made was taxed so that he re-
ceived in a 500 bargain SO worth of har-
Jess for $50 worth OF tax.
II the farmer needed a saw, Ratchet, a
hammer, an adze, nails and spikes, and
chlsel Tor his tool box, say to the extent of
s., he received $40 in tools and 2.25 in
taxation. Ii he bought a lock and chain
and hinges for his door or gate to the
value of 81, 40 cents represented the goods,
the other 90 cents he had to pay TO
protect" some lordly manufacturer
What is offered in return for this ''protec-
tion?" Nothing. The farmer is told he
ought to be grateful that he is permitted
10 live under the same armament with the
barons.
If he wanted a blanket for his bed for
s., he got $500 of blanket and $3.50 in pro-
lection.
If he bought a suit of clothes for SO, he
got S. in clothes and 81 in protection.
An fVf ha 4, h.
used or needed or could possibly need,
the good tariff barons condemned him to
pay from 80 TO go cents on every dollar
more for his goods than he ought to have
paid, and more than he will have to pay if
the 'barOns" are routed at the next cleo
ton. The "barons" have taken advantage
of the farmers comparative isolation
They recognized there could be but little
organized resistance from Hodge," that
he couldn't and wouldn't Zine together"
like factory hands in trades union or
general assembly. They knew he couldn't
go TO Washington and lobby in the halls
of congress, Sl40,000,000 strong They
realized he had no cohesion, so to speak,
and therefore they gave him little con-
sderation carter lection"
They even Disseminated against him.
Now, the farmer and fisherman both use
salt In quantities. So the barons decided
10 let the men OF Gloucester have their
salt for curing fish free OF duty, while the
farmer was condemned to pay So per cent.
duty on salt in bulk and 80 per cent. in
bags. Thus, if he bought s. worth of salt
Is it lay in heap in n store he got 50
cents in salt and II. 10 in professionalism
Is, he paid S4.l5 for the privilege of buy
ing from a monopolist in Syracuse or in
Saginaw.
Wonderful philanthropists farmers
must be
III he bought 81 worth of salt in bags he
received S3.05 i'm salt and S195 in protec-
ton. If he asked why, in heavens name,
there was such a difference between the
protection of the ''bulk" and the "bag"
nobody could tell him because nobody
knew-and nobody knows now. In all
probability the bag" hal to be protected.
In this way the farmer pays to our needy
lsic) government and our needy barOns
lax OF nearly 100000 a year on salt.
What does he get in return2 Well.
Uncle Sans flag floats over him-as it
does over the rest OF us-that's about all.
IL may not be amiss TO put slight por-
lion of the farmers annual share OF tribute
20 the barons in tabular form:
tor salt-...--. :, 600, 900
tor lumber lZ,O0J,00O