The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-08-18
HOME MARKET CLUB TRACTS.
The Free Trade Plea of Chcapnecs.

The free trade attorneys claim ms the
chief merit Of proposed tariff reduction
that il will reduce prices. And in this
they are at least partially correct. The
recent experience of England under the
fiscal policy now advocated for this
country shows that cheaper wheat from
India. cheaper meat from America.
cheaper wool from Australia and South
America. have made Improbable lands
at home: that value of English farms
have fallen off 40 TO 10 per cent. while
each year large tracts are Withdrawn
from tillage.
fla like result Of cheapness is to fol-
low an approach 10 free trade here, an
alternative is presented which 1t is well
for large class OF our people TO serious
ly consider before aiding TO strike down
the policy under which our country has
hitherto made such advances IN wealth
| and greatness.
We may we'll be appalled, in contem-
! plating shrinkage in real estate values
! in the United States to one half the ex-
! tent experienced in England, and the
| losses of farms and homes it would en-
! tail upon those industrious toilers who
| have incurred debts in securing homes
/ for themselves and families Under q
decline of one-fourth its present value,
the man who had bought Il home for
s., 600 and by years of industry and saw
ing paid s.. 900. would still find himself
owing ST 600 for property worth Hbut
81, 500 In the midst of the 'chcapness
with which he had been cajolcd, the
payment of this sum would be more
difficult than the original -. 600 under
existing conditions of ready sale of pro-
ducts and fair returns for labor. If the
adoption of the English policy by the
United States should be followed by one
half the reduction in real estate values
that England has experienced within the
last few years, mortgaged farms and
homes would revert by thousands &c
creditors who. like the landlords oil
England. would permit what could not
be rented to go out of tillage.
In no other country than ours does sc
large n percentage of farmers own tht
lands they cultivate. In no other coun
try is there so large proportion o.
workingmen who own the homes they
occupy. In no other country does th'
fiscal policy SO decidedly favor the mal
who honestly and industriously endeav
, ors To better his condition in life. No
! where else in the world can the Iaborel
: get so many of the ncccssaries and com
, forts of life for days work rs here il
, the United States All this we are asked
to menace by adopting policy that ha
T thrice brought disaster to the business
of this country; policy, with but on
aggressive advocate among all the na
tions of Europe-and that one nation
- to day presenting within her border
| some of the strongest possible argument
: against the policy she seeks to enforc
= upon others While the Golden Gu
and leading British journals are preach
i ing the benefits of free trade the Britls
farmer is depressed. 500, 600 workme
are idle. and the police OF London ar
kept busy supprcssing the uprlsings Q
v men made desperate by hearing the
children cry for bread. Nothing can b
- dearer than "cheapncss" bought at sue
o n price; nothing more un-American tha
policy which makes such conditio
possible.