Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-08-03

One of the most interesting communications
received by the National Republican Commit
tee was letter from George E. Wright,a we'll
known farmer of Putnam county. He is a
Democrat and always has been, but the pres
ent attitude of his party toward the tariff con-
strains him to write as follows:
PATTERSON, n. Y, July 20, 1888.
]. s. Clarkson, vice-Chairman Republican
National Committee, New York City:
Sir-As a Democratic farmer wish to say
to you that am not in favor or in sympathy
with Free Trade. l have always been q
Democrat, and insist that am now Demo-
crat. voted for Cleveland four years ago,
but will not do so again, but will vote for
Harrison and Morton. My party in conven-
ton has endorsed the Mills bill, which have
lust examined, and it is worse than childish
to say that it is not a Free Trade bill II
permits Canada to ship free of duty to oul
State the very things it wants to ship, in
GLIDING salt, lumber, milk, vegetables, etc.
while Canada has a high tariff which pre-.
vents US shipping to them. In other words
Canada, under this bill, gets Free Trade with
us, and we get absolutely nothing in return
We farmers in Putnam county have raised
thousands of dollars worth of tobacco in the
past, but have stopped, because we canno,
compete with cheap labor countries, and
while Southern tobacco is protected by q
tariff, the kind we raise in the North is no,
do not raise sheep, feel natural sym.
pathy with other farmers who do, and am
opposed to free WOOL And l think any
farmer who hurts any branch of farming to
some extent hurts himself. Farming prop
erty in many cases can be bought to-day fol
the value of the buildings upon it. We pay
more for our labor, and can't compete with
farmers of other countries. Some of my
Democratic friends say labor is too high
don't agree to this. l know when labor il
plenty and wages high get ready sales and
a good market for the products of my farm
which are principally sent to the city
We have now the finest market in the
world, and it is simply question whether
being a taxpayer, and bearing all the bur.
dens of citizenship, shall have any advantage
over non-residents and foreigners who are
not tax payers and have no burdens of cit
zenship. claim that 1, as an American
farmer, should have some advantage over
foreign farmers in this market; and cannot
well ask this favor unless I am willing to
give the same advantage to the American
laborer, merchant and manufacturer.
am and have been in favor of reforming
the tariff. particularly on those things no,
produced in this country, and wherever the
tariff protects any article made by a trust
find on examination that the great trust
that is the sugar trust, which is at present
protected by the tariff, is fully and carefully
protected by the Mills bill. While l am g
Protectonist am not in favor of protecting
what we cannot produce in reasonably fail
quantities. While we cannot yet produce IL
per cent of the sugar we use, it might be
well to encourage its production and manu-
facture, but certainly not when one monopoly
controls the whole business and limits the
supply, if necessary to raise the price to sui,
themselves.
/ am not in favor of free whiskey The
Mills bill is in favor of allowing the manufac
turer to be his own judge of how much he
should pay. The Goth and Both sections OF
the bill open the door to defraud the govern
ment, and are more directly in favor Of free
whiskey than the proposition to allow State.
or cities to tax whiskey for the benefit of the
locality where it is made or sold. can see
no justice in allowing the States and local..
ties where no whiskey lie sold to have the
benefit of the whiskey tax Gas they do have
now by its going to defray their part of the
general government expense). Andi seems
to me better to take every ,vernment tax of
of everything produced in this country, rather
than sacrifice the protective system
under which we have always prospered and
without which we have always fallen behind
Many of my Democratic neighbors feel as
do about this case. They will speak for
themselves. Some of them may not be
heard from until election day; then they will
speak in no uncertain way.
Very respectfully,
GEORGE +. WRIGHT.