The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1888-09-08
For Cecil County
(Jnbe>

tnat Dill the uuty Oh ) CeutS per DuSnei
on potatoes had been taken off.
Is that fact2
Ayes. Vegetables in their natural
state, or in salt or brine, not specially
enumerated or provided for, are put on
the free list.
Q-Can you tell me how many for
eign grown potatoes were imported into
this country last year2
A-By the statistics of the Treasury
Department. S,259,53S bushels were
brought into this country during the
year ending June goth, 1888.
OF this quantity was brought into
the country with duty OF :, cents per
bushel, would not the quantity imported
be largely increased when that duty is
taken off
A-Why certainly it would. Now
look what happened to you Cecil county
farmers last year. The price OF potatoes
was very low. The average crop of
potatoes grown in this county was sold
at about so cents per bushel. Tney
can be grown so cheaply abroad on
account OF the low price paid for labor
in Prince Edwards Island and other
English possessions, that these foreign
growers can now pay the duty of IS
cents per bushel and still sell at a profit
in our markets. Had there been a
higher duty on them than IS cents per
bushel, the fame of Cecil would have
received last year probably eighty cents
per bushel instead of fifty, yet the
Democrats who profess to be so anxious
about the farm T, and claim that under
protective tariff every producer is
protected except him, actually propose
in the Mills Bill, to take all the duty off
this staple crop, and subject our Amer
lean growers of vegetables TO be still
further underS0Ld IN their cam home
market BY foreign gyoaoers Of 0ege-
tables.
Now look at the figures.
They will show you that farmers re-
quire more protection instead of less as
the Democrats propose in the Mills
Bill. Yet there isn't Democratic far,
mer in this county who fayors the Mills
Bill, and intends to vote for Mr.. Cleve-
land but what will by those acts help
the foreign producer of bread stuffs and
vegetables to compete with him in his
own home market.
Hear what a large New York i'm
porter of vegetables and fruits says
about this foreign competition. 1t is
of recent origin Eut has already reached
formidable proportions.
81 imported the first potatoes here
in the fall of 1881. The potato crop
was short that year. l got most of my
potatoes from Scotland, although some
came from England and some from
Ireland. Scotland produces the finest
potato in the world, at least in the
highlands. The product from the low
lands is inclined to be watery and
therefore not SO good. The first grade
of these potatoes is grown on the north
east coast, and those, like the best beet
and the best mutton, are always sent to
| the London market. The prade i'm
ported to this country is the second,
but that is better than the potatoes we
get in this country, and it sells readily.
The trouble is that the seed in this
country has deterlorated, and we need
new seed. The varieties imported from
Scotland are the Champions and the
Regents. When the crop here is at
all short we can import the Scotch po-
tatoes to advantage, even with the pro-
tective tariff of fifteen cents bushels"
Chow is that possible ~
because the foreign potato is
cheaper"
"And why?"
because the labor which produces it
is cheaper. Our farmers can't produce
the potato here as cheaply as the for
eign article because they have to pay
more for their hands, ard their own
labor is worth more"
ado you think the importation of
potatoes will go on?'
Certainly !; why not? The way has
been opened, and it will remain open
as matters now stand. Of course, some
years there will be more potatoes i'm
ported and less others, according to the
crop here"
Not only is this the case with pota-
toes but look at the large increase of
recent years in other farm products.
Last year 5000, SCI dozens of eggs
were imported; sS,oo6,337 worth of
live animals; sS,755,733 worth Of
breadstuffs, including nearly half mil
lion bushels of wheat; 100, 26o tons of
hay; 5,5S5,o53 pounds of hops ST.
oSS,654 worth of provisions, compris-
ing meat and dairy products I,o42,,
$40 bushels of beans and peas. This
is very large increase in everything
except hops over the preceding year
the average increase will be more than
twenty-five per cent.
All of these products thus imported
with proper protection to our farmers
could and should have been raised in
our own country and yet the Mills bill
just passed by the House OF Represen-
tatives, instead of giving increased pro-
lection to our farmers, actually gives
them less, takes off the duty which is
now imposed on many articles, and
leaves, them unprotected against The
foreign farmer. Not content with
breaking down and destroying the far
mer's home market, where they now
sell ninety-two per cent. OF all their
products (outside of cotton and to
bacco), by reduction of duty on most
Of the manufactured commodities of
the country, the Democrats by their
Mills bill propose to throw open the