Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-02-02
Protection In the Northwest.

For years the Free Trade takers and
of the East, have been saying
that the Republicans Of the West were
about to abandon their party because Of
It's Protection principles and measures, and
go over to the Democrats, who are in favor
Of Free Trade. The New York Times and
the New York Post. and other organs Of
British interests, have abounded in this
kind OF talk. But every successive cleo
ton has proved the incorrectness Of these
The West even more
than the East needs the advantages Of the
American system Of fostering home re-
sources. home industries. and home mar
kets. The following remarks Of Western
men, gathered up by the editor of the n.
Y. Press, are interesting and suggestive:
Yesterday a Nebraska farmer sent US a
ringing protection letter, aud the following
talk from W. F. Ramsey, Blue Hills, Nit
cheli County, Kan, expresses the sentiments
of q great many Western farmers. They
evidently don't want free trade:
Wool is the only article produced by the
ordinary farmer all over the country that
practically receives any direct protection.
The President has really opened war on the
farmer rather than the tariff. The Presi-
dent admits that farmer having fifty sheep
receives now 1856 more than he will after
wool il placed on the free list To reconcile
the farmer 10 this loss the President appeals
TO the farmers enlightened self interest, as
follows: 1.-The day arrives when the farmer
finds it necessary to purchase wooden goods
and material 10 clothe himself for the win
ter then he discovers that he IL obliged not
only to return in the way of increased prices
his tariff profits on the wool he sold. but he
must add considerable sum thereto TO meet
further increase in cost caused BY tariff
duty on the manufacturer. Now, | do not
know what is meant by "a tariff duty on the
manufacturer so We will leave that element
out for the present. An ordinary grade of
flannel weighs from six to eight ounces per
yard; pound of wool therefore will make
two yards of cloth; the increased cost Of
which, caused by the tariff, 10 tive cents per
yard. Thirty-six dollars divided by five
cents gives seven hundred and twenty, which
is the number of yards the farmer would
have to buy to absorb his tariff profits Mr..
Cleveland is large man and he may demand
an extra amount Of flannel, but | doubt il
even he uses that much. | can assure him
that the ordinary farmer does not. Mr..
Cleveland in his attack on the interests OF
the seven millions of farmers makes another
appeal to their enlightened self interest as
follows The farmer who has no sheep is
Obliged in his purchase of WOODEN goods and
material to pay tribute to his fellow farmer.
1t most unfortunately happens that agains,
this short sighted theory We are able to pre-
sent some facts.
ain 1853 the tariff was reduced on raw
wool. In Kansas on the LIST of March, 1883,
according to the returns of the township trus-
tees, there were POO, 900 head of sheep. In
1887 the same authorities return the number
in the State at 100000. In other words, the
farmers are quitting the sheep business, have
been fattening entire flocks and selling fol
what they could get. The panic is general
Texas reports a decrease of 5 100000. The
one market of Chicago reports an increase in
the number of sheep sold there last year over
1882 of 900 900 head, thus: 1887, 1900,
600 head; 1882, 800 900 head; and this, too
with the total number of sheep in the country
largely decreased. This shows that the ratio
of the decrease of sheep is an increasing one
Now, while the sheep are rapidly disappear
ing tutlT oNHtTs are nOt. uty dit hot t"H
ing their thumbs and bemoaning their fate
but they and their teams, tools and land are
in active competition with their brother farm
er in the production of the great staples OF
pork beef, wheat and corn. The inevitable
result will be glut in those articles. Moth
ing but the great failure Of the corn crop has
prevented beef and pork from going lower
than ever known; even that has probably
only postponed it for year or so.
The great sheet anchor of profitable Amer
lean farming is the high tariff on wool. II
the tariff on wool could be raised instead OF
lowered it would cause a decrease of say two
to three million head of fat sheep in the mar
kets of the country, helping the cattle and
hog producers just that much. At present
prices wool in Kansas nets the grower from
IA TO Is cents per pound. Reduce this to the
free trade level and wool production will
cease. Wool cannot be raised for any such
figures. Instead of | 300, 900 head of sheep
in the Chicago market there will be 1900, 900
The farmers of this country are now com
peting in the markets of Europe with paupei
labor all over the world, and when you de-
press the interest of the seven million farm
ers you depress the interest of all othel
classes"