Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-08-02
THENORFHWESE
THE VAR TARIFF.
How IL Benefits the Farmers OF Thi.
Country.


Nearly twenty i've years after the close of
the war, says the Newark Adsoeate, the Re-
publican party, in its prohibitory tariff plank
and all is tariff policy, insists on .burdeniua
the people of this country with war taxes.
Under the blessed name of taprotsctioni the
Republican party insists on taxing the people
of this country hundred millions of dollars
year, at least, more tnan is necessary, for
the bsneft of few monopolists. With a
surplus of over S15O,OOO,OOO lying idle in the
United States treasury, and constantly ac-
cumulating; with millionaires and tramps
increasing in direct ratio, and tariff tax
averaging AZ per cent. existing on oil the
necessities of life-the Republican party pro-
poses to continue this condition of things
and to make this tariff monopoly tax even
higher and more oppressive. As an illustra-
tion of the beauties and benefits ~ of the
present war monopoly tariff to the people at
large, let us take the agriculturalists of this
country, who, of course, are the largest class
in this country. 2
Behold, then, the happy farmer, as be rises
in the morning and puts on his common
flannel shirt, taxed 95 per cent. 1t is per-
chance cool, and he puts on coat, taxed 81
per cent. He cannot go without his shoes,
taxed 35 per cent. and the hat he puts on is
taxed Go per cent. He draws water in
bucket taxed So per cent. and washes his face
and hands in tin bowl taxed 80 per cent.
drying them on a cheap cotton towel, taxed
IS per cent h'F --
But still more happiness is in store. He
sits down to breakfast and eats from plate
taxed 50 per cent. with knife and fork taxed
35 per cent. The sugar he puts into his coffee
is taxed 80 per cent. and he seasons his food
with salt taxed 40 per cent. He looks fondly
at his happy wife and children, who share his
protection with him, and then goes out and
fills his pipe with tobacco taxed 1872 per cent.
or perhaps lights protected cigar, taxed 118
per cent Meanwhile, the smiling sun
streams through the protected glass window
of his domicile, on tax of SO per cent.
The thrice happy farmer now takes old
Nell out of the stable and puts on a bride
taxed 50 per cent. A neighboring smithy
shoes her, using nails taxed 20 per cent. He
then bitches her to plow, taxed 45 per cent.
with chains taxed IS per cent. and then pro-
ceeds to his highly protected labor. The
days work being done, he reads chapter
from the family Bible, taxed 25 per cent. and
kneels to pray on humble carpet taxed 81
per cent. At last he lies down and wraps his
weary limbs in sheet taxed 45 per cent. and
oip fntn kha orr,,e rf ,ado. -
blanket that is taxed 104 per cent.
Nor have his good Republican protectors
been so ungallant as to neglect his wife and
daughters. Even the broom with which his
good wife sweeps the room is taxed 35 per
cent. and the cooking utensils which the
daughters are securing after the frugal meal
are taxed at an average of AZ per cent The
soda which they use in tightening their daily
bread is taxed 80 per cent. Thankful to their
kind Republican protectors, they all sit down
in the evening to sew with needles taxed 20
per cent. and with thread taxed II per cent.
they make calico dress that is taxed IS per
cent. Grandma joins in the happy circle,
knitting pair of socks with yarn taxed 120
per cent.
Oh, the happy farmer! With the oil of
protection his cup runneth over. That he
has not been killed with kindness ere this is
due to the tender mercies of his protectors,
who here and there have diminished a tax.
Who would not be happy farmer and enjoy
perpetually a war tax, in time of peace, such
as no people ever endured with such wonder
full patience before, while $3.50, 10000 of idle
surplus gluts the national treasury? s..,.l
But, this is not all, by any manner of
means. 1t is only half, and perhaps not the
worst half of the protection question, as it |
affects the farmer. After he has paid the
above tariff tax to the millionaire monopoly
barons of this country, on everything he buys
to eat, drink, wear and use, from the cradle
to the grave, he is obliged to turn right
around and sell his wheat, corn, oats and
other productions, in the markets of the
world, at free trade prices. That is, we have
protection" for the monopoly barons and
Stree trade" for the farmers. The farmer
must sell his wheat at free trade price-the
price at Liverpool; and then take that same
money and pay high protection prices for
everything he buys. Cannot any one see
how this thing works? Is it any wonder that |
under such an unjust and unequal system the |
monopolists are accumulating millions in
money and the farmers are accomplishing
millions-in mortgages. . --