St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-08-06
TO ALL FARMERS.
A Republican Farmer Dis
cusses the Chicago
Platform.
War Tariff Taxes Crushing
the Soil Tilleps to
the Earth.
The Democratic Plan of Tariff
Revision in the Farmers
Interest.
The Republican PIatfornFrees
Oleomargapine, Whisky
and Tobacco.

am forced as farmer and con
sumner to take issue with my party on
the question of protection" as set
forth in their national platform this
year. This platform is not consistent
with the recommendations of Garfield
and Arthur, nor is it in harmony with
the Republican platform of 1884.
There is something wrong, it seems to
me, or there would not have been this
change in principle. 1t seems as if the
Republican leaders had discovered that
there was more chance for success this
year, according to their judgment, in
appealing to the prejudices of the la
borers, and the greed of corporations
and the favored mOnopolies, than to be
consistent and to be arrayed on the side
OF justice to the great mass of con-
sumers. The Republican leaders are
playing a dangerous game by continu-
ing policy which fosters monopoly,
and gives more power where there is
now too much. The effort is equally
Objectionable to deceive the working
classes into false position. and against
their own interests, under the lying cry
OF free trade and pauper labor
There Is no such issue before the peo-
pie. The question is, shall we continue
war tariff, without any reduction, and
thereby impose unnecessary taxes apon
the people, or shall we try to reduce
taxes and burdens? BY the Republican
platform and efforts one would Judge
that there were no interests other than
those OF the manufacturers. As farmer
L have carefully weighed the interests
or my class and our cO-laborerS, called
1.-The workingmen." The tariff, which
means tax, is adroitly called by its adj
VocateS ''protection," and they try to
throw charm around the words so as
to allure us all into it's tolls. 1t is pro
lection" only to the few, and to the
farmer the least of any class who have
capital invested in business. Let us
look at it candidly and honestly. When
the farmer reads the highly wrought
arguments in favor of the present tariff
he Is given to understand that for the
10 cents a buShel it imposes on grain he
gets 10 cents buShel more for his grain
sold than he would if this protection"
as it is called, was taken off. This is
not so. The question of supply and de-
mand makes the price, and Oh most az
ricultural products this is fixed in the
worlds markets in Liverpool and Ham
burg.
The American farmer must sell his
wheat, oats and wool according to the
values nXeQ by the laws OF trade. How
does this work practically? | have
wheat to sell and take my wheat to
market. | get the market price, which
is established by the laws of trade, based
upon the supply to be obtained in the
world. The farmer in Canada takes his
grain to market, TO one of our markets,
New York or Boston, and he gets the
same price L. do. | do not get cent
more than he does. We both get the
market price for our products delivered
i'll the same market; but he pays 10
cents bushel or the duty, on his grain
to bring it into our country. His net
price is 10 cents less than mine. / get
no more on account of his sale, or on
account of his taking his to the same
market. AS America imports no grain
except little barley, oats and peas from
Canada, the advantages of a tariff on
grain to the farmer are so little they
amount to nothing. 1t is sop, on pa
per, to the farmer to tickle his fancy
while he is loaded with tariff tax for
the benefit of the few favored ones.
The tariff on wheat is 90 cents, but none
is imported. This sounds big, but means
nothing to the farmer, and is nothing.