Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-06-21
MoNoPOLIES.
How the MahpfActurer Crows Rich
At The Expense ofthe Farmer
w U I land Day Laborer. ltUfA

lFrom speech delivered by D. L. Whiting, Vice
President Of the Illinois Farmers Alliance
For some months past from sense OF
duty to my fellow-toilers on the farm
have embraced many opportunities to
discuss "the decline of agricultural
prosperity, the cause and cure"
While / believe our high tariff OPP
presses all interests, including the
manufacturers themselves to a consid-
erable extent, the farmer is its special
victim. He. Is compelled to sell his
products in compefition with the
cheapest labor of Europe and Asia, and
is forced to buy his supplies ct prices
largely fixed BY Combines and trusts,
aided by o AZ per cent. tariff to cut Off
foreign competition. Our great outlay
for farm tools and machinery is in
creased from Is to 25 per cent, as testi-
fed by Mr.. Buford, of Rock Island, and
other manufacturers. In the new adj
justment of national taxes aboutto be
made can the farmers afford to be in
different? Can we safely yield to the
claim that the tariffs to be fixed by its
friends, which means that the protect
ed interests shall adjust it to suit them
selves? 1t is time that class interest
should be relegated to the rear. The
public interest, In the name of the peo-
Die, should come to the front and assert
its supremacy.
This reduction 10 be made of$100, ,000,-
600 of national taxes should be made q
blessing to the people. 1t should mean
cheaper necessaries of life. But strange
ly, no, naturally, the projected interests
propose to trade off the general public
good for any scheme which will leave
themin the enjoyment of the war tar
iff. Great mOneyeds interests never
willingly surrender their advantages.
Hence comes the ludicrous proposition,
boldly made by the protected interests,
that the reduction of national taxes be
made by removing the taxes from
spirits and tobacco. There did not
seem to be much danger that so absurd
plan would command serious atten-
ton when it was first advocated by
"Bossp Blaine, of Maine, and "Pig-
Ironp Kelley, of Pennsylvania, but
when Massachusetts and other great
States dominated by the tariff con-
federacy In State conventions indorse
this scheme, and distinguished states
men seeking Presidency and lesser posi-
tions bowed in submission to this sell
fish class demand, it was time for some
vigorous protests. "a The farmers,
through their oranges, alliances, and
institutes, have with great unanimity
denounced this vicious proposition. =
1t is encouraging to note that the at
torneys of the high tariff confederacy
are getting ashamed of the "free
whisky" part of their platform, but
they are determined to sacrifice the
S3O,OOO,00O tobacco tax that they may
continue to sell US dear lumber, salt
coal, clothing, and other necessaries Of
life. In the name of the farmers of the
great northwest demand free lumber
rather than free tobacco. The taxes
on tobacco have reformatory favor
and all the money goes to the public
treasury. The tariff on lumber mostly
excludes Canadian competition ant
protects combine embracing the vari
Gus branches of the trade from the pine
woods to the village dealer. This com
bine extorts in excessive charges no
less than $4,000, 900 annually from con
wholly to the public treasury the tai
upon lumber goes mostly to private
pockets. The poor pioneers on tn
bleak prairie of the northwest, wh'
send their wheat four thousand mile
and sell on reetrade basis, must pa.
bounty to the lumber combine =
hurry up the destruction of American
forests. Western farmers use thei
share of tobacco, but they prefer tina
the $30,000,000 of reduction of take
shall be on lumber, salt, coal, clothing
and other necessaries of life. On thes
where ST. reaches the public treasury a
least S. goes to private pockets. TAX
$4,000, 900 of tariff taxes from these, re
duces the surplus that amount, AM
saves to consumers $1,000, ,OO6. g
The public should take especial no
tice that our protection friends, in thei
arguments, are changing front. w
no longer hear of 'infant industries.
"Scarcity of capital, machinery an
skill,n so long urged by Henry Ola.
and Horace Greeley, are now obsolete
They choose to forget the declaration
of Mr.. Clay In l843, when he said tina
protection was 10 be teuporary-tha
the infant industries had now nearl
grown to manhood and would no
much longer require protection. The
ignore the fact that the war tariff nov
in full vigor was given to them as
compensation for the direct taxes o
their manufactured goods, and tina
this direct tax was long ago repealed
They forget the promise that was the
made that the two should go out te
gether. The claim is now made tha
protection is to be perpetual, and th
higher the better, TINT the tariff sui
mftted to thorough patriotism and ne
cessity, and which should have gon
out with the direct tax, is to be pei
manency though its exactions ofmone
embarrass the treasury. The new do'
trine is that taxes are a blessing, an
not an evil. If every person in th
United States would confer upon me
cent 1t would protect me with $6OO,OO
Continue this to each member of m
family an,i the protection would /
greater; but If continued too far I'll
givers would open their eyes TO the ia,
that protection to one is robbery
another.
The standard argument for prote
ton as now urged is that labor here
paid higher than in Europe. It SCI
up the claim to be the cause of thes
more liberal wages, and to
their chief champion. A largely III
occupied and growing country, affort
ing opportunities and demands Il
labor, lis theacause of high wages.
manufacturers have acclaim for boul