New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-05-02
The Tariff, Protecting the
lMec15n3sic and Farmer.

Prosperity in business and an unpa-
rallied development of all our industries
and occupations has blessed our republic
ever since the measure of protective
tariff has worked its consequence on the
state of our manufactures. 1t has fost-
cred them in their primary struggle
| against the perfect institutions of the
OLD World; it protects them against
the impulse, which today develops Eu-
ropean industries cheap labor The
records, with figures plainly depicting
the deplorable fact, convince us what
superior odds we, as Americans, must
strive against, and we necessarily re-
cognize the only means of protection in
protective tariff. Would free trade,
encouraging all the world with its sar-
plus of manufactures and products,
whicn would literally cover our market
with goods everything but American,
keep up the standard of excellence now
attained by our wares Could our in
dustries, booming as they are now,
rival with those, besieg1ng them on all
sides, and conducted on principles ut
terly unbearable in this country ? What
does the free-trader mean in saying
that cheap labor of Europe can not be
comprehended by an American Does
he assert, that our American laborer,
our western farmer, would compare his
table with that of the poor mechanic,
the socially insignificant farmer of Eu-
rope? ? In what does the difference of
victuals, the cost of living consist Can
foreign laborer enjoy for his penny
the same. .beuntiful dish, as our artisan
enjoys for his dime !? 1t is not the cost
of living alone that we must consider,
it is the manner of living.
Under protective tariff we now pay
our laborer one and quarter dollar
each day, and allow him to dine on sol.
id food; with free trade, allowing an
untaxed competition of the world, we
lower our laborer to the state of an
Italian dependent and force him to diet
on maccaroni and grease.
In what position is England to-day,
allowing as she is, free Importation?
In Manchester the head of the British
Iron and Steel Institute was publicly
forced to say, that unless England pro-
tected her steel and iron manufacturers,
Belgium, that manufacturing centre Of
Continental Europe, would drive Brit
ish industry to the wall! Why does
Germany place tariff on American
produce? Out Of spite or economy?
What would the German peasant say If
pork was not taxed? What price
would his flour demand if American
wheat passed in of duty free? Truly, we
have an overproduce Of wheat; Germany
has barely a suficlency. What prevents
our flooding the European market and
by our quantity driving back the for
eign peasant and manning him in his
endeavors How else, except through
protective tariff could Bismark pro-
tect his peasants?
1t is but a year or SO ago that we had
opportunity to listen to very able dis
cussion on the Importance Of competi-
ton between the u. S. and India as re-
CARDS wheat-production. The speaker
saw in the development of India wheat
fields such great danger to the Ameri-
can farmer that he urged a proper at
tention to the subject. We failed at the
time to recognize fully the earnestness
with which this subject ought be treat.
ed by our agriculturists, and we pre-
sumo to-day that the majority of this
class is not aware that the topic merits
immediate and sincere attention.
India wheat can be laid down in Lon.
don at 70 cents per bushel, and in New
York, without duty, at rs cents. With
the duty added it can be put down al
New York at 95 cents per bushel, and
with the increased railway facilities
which are now being introduced in In.
dia before five years the India farmer
will be able to place his wheat in the
New York market at very much low.
er rate, probably as low as so cents pei
bushel without the duty. Unless the
pesent duty on wheat of twenty cents
per bushel is increased, India wheat
will be here in our markets competing
with our farmers. This is no fancy
sketch. but sober truth which I feal
our farmers will have to meet face tt
face too soon. The lands in India are
as rich and fertile as our own. Howl!
it possible for our farmers to compete
with the India farmer in raising whea
when the latter can hire all the labo
he requires at from g. to cents per da,
III |