The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-05-04

MORE ABOUT THE TARIFF.

There is one way in which the farmer
is benefited by the protection of home
manufactures that does not seem to be
as plainly put before the farmers as it
should be. Every Democratic ally of
the British manufacturer believes il his
highest duty to pick out some little arti-
Gle which the farmer uses, it may be
only the Irvine he uses in binding his
wheat, upon which there is light duty
on the imported AZ ticle, and he makes a
great display of his eloquence over the
robbery of the poor farmer by the tariff
OH imported Irvine or the material of
which it is composed, but he is very
careful not to show him how much he
gains by its use in the cost of binding his
wheat with tNine over what il would
cost 10 bind It with straw by hand labor.
MIR. Nelson estimates the cost OF Irvine
nscd in binding ut 81 per 100 bushels
Now take off your binding apparatus
from your harvesting machine and it
would at least require two of the best
men { nat can be had in the harvest field
to d" the binding after good machine
and good team; the two men could not
be obtained IN u Minnesota harvest field
| for less than S. Per day, exclusive of
board; an average of ID bushels to the
acre is II fair estimate for a Minnesota
| larm, aud ten acres per day liberal es-
tlnate fhr the acreage cut. The Irvine
w"uid cost S3, leaving the cash balance
against the farmer who used the straw
and hand power 50 per day beside the
two mems board, q gain by using the
twine binding of ~ per day and the
boar! of two men. These two things are
worthy of the farmers consideration.
The advantage Of the home market to
the ext mt of the manufacturers employ
ed. We all who have passed middle age
IN Minnesota know how anxious we
were ~ years ago to secure manu.ac-
| inreS IN our State, how expensive was
thc transportation OF our surplus wheat
10 markets. OF the East, how eagerly we
waited The coming of the railroads, and
with What anxiety we watched the prog
ress of the oil mill and the big Touring
mill as they approached completion.
Thcy wonld afford home market for
much "i our surplus agricultural prod
uc'S, The manufacture of which would
give employment to large number of
!Ab"r"rS ami good wages, who must not
only consume good deal of the prod
uctS OF our farmers, but add materially
To ether business of the towns and sur
rounding country, but these manufac-
lures add more to the value of the farm
ers' lands four-!old per year than
all the tariff duties they pay on every
thing they buy, binding Irvine included
Take for an example the five States from
which the seven men who framed the
Mills tariff are from, five States where
agriculture is the principal business of
the country, and the average price per
acre is only So, rs per acre, they have no
manufactures OF any importance, and but
very limited commerce, vet they were
The chosen representatives under the
Cleveland Golden Club administration
I" revise the tariff and destroy a system
lnaugurated by the founders of the re-
| puollc, ana these seven men religiously
refused the four Republicans, for the
sake oi appearance, Il word to say in the
interest of subject of such vital i'm
portance. Contrast those States with
the five Northwestern States, Michigan,
Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and Minneso-
tai. Michigan has only AZ per cent. of
her population engaged In agriculture
and 5S per cent. in manufacturing Her
lands are assessed at an average of $50 55
per acre. Illinois is fully equal to Mich
lsah, and the ether three States rapidly
/ following IN the same direction. What
would be the result of destroying the
| Touring and oil mills of this city, the tile,
cement, brick and stone works? What
would be the effect upon the agricultural
interest of Blue Earth county? What
would be the effect of wiping out the
millions now being invested i'm manufac-
turing plants in st. Paul and Minneapo-
lis? Everybody knows that it is vastly
beneficial TO the general interests of the
whole Safe, and adds largely to the val
Tie OF the farm lands of the State. Every
intelligent man knows that the prosper
lty OF the farmer always has and always
Will keep pace with that of the manufac-
twr-r And it is true that i'm our country
the increase in farm values have in
creased much faster during the last 20
years. The value of manufactures in
creased from $2,S0O,O00,OOO in 1860 to
81 800, OOO, 600 i'm 1880, while our farm val
ues increased from $1,000. 100000 in Is 0
| To Sl0.OOO,O0O 600 in 1880, a record no
other nation has made in the same pc
ROD, and Minnesota has had her full
! share IF this prosperity, and the man
who loves his country cannot be other
wise than proud of it, and doubt the
pr prleiy of changing policy which has
developed the prosperity, and the Min
| nesolian no is not proud of the rapid
strides she has made i'm her career of
prosperity is either q cynic who never
saw the bright side of the sun or IS an
| cmlssary of the British free trader in
American costume, that like noxious
weeds in fruitful soil should be cut
down, cast into the fire of the patriots
scOrn and Indignation.
REPUBLICAN.