Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-08-02
A FARMERS PLAIN TALK.
He Would Like to Know Wherein Pro
lection Protects Him.
Cor. to Chicago Times.

SPRINGFIELD, Sarpy Co., Neb.. July
22.-TO THE EDITOR: Ihave been read
ing in The Times the debate among
farmers on the tariff question, and, as
/ am a farmer, was a soldier, also was
one of seventeen who voted the repub-
lican ticket in this country in 1856,
would like to make a few remarks on
the subject.
Now, in my opinion, both sides are
too fond of citing certain instances and
from these draw ing conclusions that
think have little or nothing to do in
the case. For instance, if l have a
large corn-crib full of corn and good
many fat rats it does not follow that
am under great obligations to the rats
for my good crib of corn, even admit
ting that they are home consumers. l
grant that the rats have got fat at my
expense, but that the rats have been
any great benefit to me l deny. That
Mr.. Manufacturer has got fat by charg-
ing me so cents for 25-cent jack-knife
1 grant; but that my pocket-book has
got fat by the transaction I deny. /
also grant that Mr.. Manufacturer, by
making such trades, has more money
to pay his hired hands higher wages,
but it does not follow that he does pay
them higher wages. But I'll tell you
what does follow--that I have less to
pay my hired hands, whether / get
them for less or not.
1t seems to me that the correspond
ents have good memories when it suits
them, and very bad ones when it does
not suit them. Thus, A tells us that
when the republican or democratic
party, as the case may be, was in pow
er in such and such year we had good
times, but he invariably f,rgets the
two years before and the four years aft
er that were bad times. This nonsense
we are fond of calling ''history" or of
quoting as statistics" In fact q per-
son, and especially politician, can
play any tune he chooses out of that
good, useful old fiddle ''statistics,n es-
pecially if he has farmers to listen to
him that believe they are making mon
ey by giving SO cents for 25-cent knife.
Now, TO prove what say about the
knife being true, will cite you a few
instances that came under my own OBJ
servation. In the year of the centen-
NAL, 1876, I went to England, and
there I found I could buy American
manufactured goods for one-half less
than / could buy them at home. For
instance, Wheeler & Wilson sewing
machine sold in England for $50; here
the same thing sold at $S5. In fact
two of my nearest neighbors about that
time raised corn, hauled it sixteen miles
to the city of Omaha-the best market
Nebraska has-and sold it for Is cents
a bushel to pay for similar sewing
machine at 500. Woods combined
reaper and mower in England was sold
at 500; here the same implement is
sold at $500. In Liverpool, England,
I bought silver watchchain for So so.
A neighbor of mine bought one at Chi
cago Zone could hardly tell them apart)
and paid Sc % for his. When weighed
mine was the heavier Of the two. /
bought suit in England of black
broa1cloth ma,le to order for $50. Such
suit would have cost me at Omaha
$50. A jack-knife that I paid 25 cents
for in Liverpool would have cost me
60 cents here.
But the worst of the whole thing was
that while I was at that time paying
from $12 to $15 per month wages to my
hired hands in Nebraska, and on a farm.
farmers in nNorthumberlan in the north
of England, were paying for similar
hired hands from SIT TO $50 per month.
There were at least $50 mechanics and
Iaborers in the same ship from Phila-
delphia to Liverpool that / went in
going abroad to seek employment In
fact, everyone might remember about
mechanics going from New York TO
Glasgow in that year. They could on
ly get from ST. to ST 25 in New York,
OF even Chicago, while they got So in
Glasgow and passage paid.
Will some one give me reasonable
evidence what benefit it is to me to pay
So extra per 1000 on lumber? Such
evidence would be thankfully received.
Mere assumptions or assertions are not
wanted; get more of them than can
use. Will some one give me reasOna-
BILE evidence why I, living on one side
of a fence, raising corn, beef, and pork,
should pay bounty out of the proceeds
of these articles to man on the other
side of the fence that raises sheep or
Suppose lie does buy a
large per cent. of my produce; do not
buy a larger-per cent. of his? There
fore, il he is a great benefit to me
must be still greater benefit to him;
and if I pay him for the benefits re-
ceiye from him why should he not pay
me in proportion for the benefits he re-
ceives from me? Is not sauce for the
goose sauce for the gander?
THOMAS THOMPSON.