New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-10
THE VOJCE OF FARMERS.

FREQ trade critics are naturally anxious to
| behttle the address to farmers regarding Inc
| tariff. Such as have no sense OF Veraclty 10
cmbarrass them repeat the fasehO0d that IL
represents only half dozen persons who re-
spopded when mass convention was expected.
The fact that it was at first intended to submit
tbe CORRESPONDENCE to d committee of only
seven gentlemen, and that eight have signed
the final report, they take pains to conceal.
Tor is there any honesty In the PRETENDED
doubt whether the letters received by 1HE
TRIBUNE represent any considerable number OF
persons The wcll-known gentlemen TO whom
they were referred. even if their veraclty was
seriously questioned, could point to the TACT That
extracts from a great number have been pub
ljshcd with names and addresses, and in not
one instance has the authenticity of the pub
Lshed letter been denied. To say nothing OF
the multitude of letters from individual far
nlers, who are. indeed but the fraction of the
whole number. though many OF them are repre-
sentative men in character and influence. there
we're received letters from Oranges or other ag-
ricultual organizations or their officers, num-
boring from !, 800 to 1000, and the members
of these organizations alone are several times
the largest number ever gathered in any de-
Lucrative convention on this continent. what
such body OF persons has to say is at least as
important as the resolutions of frce-trade or
| tariff reform club, composed of thirty or forty
| importers, their clerks and attorneys.
Tho Evening Post" noecrts that
the address is confession that
the farmers are not protected. The
Sun's' "alcthomctcr' which records the
painful efforts of " Larry Godllin of the Second
Ward to attain vcracity suddenly drops from
fifteen, the figure last recorded almost to zero.
For the above statement Of "The Posts" is an
obvious untruth, as any one who had read the
address at once perceived. The farmers find
that the protection they do get is so beneficial
that they earnestly complain because they have
not more Of it.
Finally. it is predicted that the farmers will
| show that they care nothing about the tariff by
ncgccting TO forward petitions, as suggested
That is their affair. They may reason that
any pctitions addressed to a House which Mr..
Carlisle controls will be wasted. That would,
of course, he natural but unwse, because cheap
demacogues of the Democratic variety. never
having any high motive to sustain them in dis
regarding temporary popular impressions, are
ant to be peculiarly sensitive to the opinions OF
constituents. If the farmers reason that they
have already by large majority voted Tor
protection, that is true. But Democratic Con-
grcssmen pretend to believe, and. so ignorant
are they possibly do believe that these votes
were blindly cast. or mean something else.
The business is very simple one. If the
farmers do not care enough about the tariff
TO express their wishes. they will have no right
TO find fault if this or any future Congress re-
meals the duties on wool or other agricultural
products. On the other hand. the farmers will
certainly be heard if they take the trouble to
speak If they care to cut ont the form of
petition suggested, to paste it on sheet of
rapcr. and to ask their ncghbors or clubs to
sign it. they will soon find that they are not so
powerless as they imagine.