The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-08-03
A DEMOCRATIC FARMER.



The following letter from a Democrat
farmer Of New York was received at the
National Republican Committee rooms:
PATTERSON, NJ Y, July %.
J. S. CLARION. Vice Chairman Republican NdtioHal
Committee, Ssr York City;
SIR:-As Democrat farmer wish to
say to you that am not in favor or in
sympathy with Free Trade. l have
always been q Democrat, and insist that
am now Democrat. | voted for
Cleveland four years ago, but will not
do 80 again, but will vote for Harrison
and Morton. Ny party in convention
has Endorsed the Mills bill, which / have
Just examined, and it is worse than
childish to say that it is not Free
Trade bill. 1t permits Canada to ship
free Of duty to our State the very things
it wants TO ship, including salt, milk,
vegetables, lumber, etc, while Canada
has high tariff which prevents us ship
ping to them, except the things men
toned, which we do not and cannot ship
to them. In other words Canada, under
this bill, gets Free Trade with us aud We
get absolutely nothing in return.
We farmers in Putnam county have
raised thousands OF dollars worth OF to-
bacco in the past, but have stopped be-
cause we cannot compete with cheap
labor countries, and while Southern
tobacco is protected by the tariff, the
kind we raise in the North is not pro-
tected at all by the Mills bill. Although |
l do not raise sheep feel natural
sympathy with other farmers who do,
and am opposed to free wool. And !
think any farmer who hurts any branch
OF farming 10 some extent hurts himself. /
Farming property in many cases can be
bought to-day for the value OF the build
ings upon it. Wepay more forour labor,
and can't compete with farmers OF other
friends say labor is too high. l don't
agree with this. know when labor is
plenty and wages high l get ready sales
and good market for the product OF
my farm, which are principally sent to
the city.
We now have the finest market in the
world, and it is simply question whcth.
er l., being taxpayer and bearing all
the burdens OF. citizenship, shall have
any advantage over non-residents and
foreigners who are not taxpayers and
have no burdens OF citizenship. claim
that !, as an American farmer, should
have some advantage over foreign farm
ers in this market, and l cannot well ask
this favor unless | am willing to give
the same advantage to the American
laborer, merchant and manufacturer.
am and have been in favor OF re-
To lao, -, |
things not produced in this country,
and wherever the tariff protects any ar
tiCle made by trust" | find oneX.
animation that the great trust, that is,
the sugar trust, which is at present pro-
tected by the tariff, is fully and carefully
protected by the Mills bill. While am
a protectionist am not in favor Of pro-
teCting what We cannot produce in reas-
ouably fair quantities. While we cannot
yet produce ten per cent OF the sugar we
use, it might be well to encourage its
production and manufacture, but GER
tainiy not when one monopoly controls
the whole business and limits the sup
ply, ii necessary, TO raise the price to
suit themselves.
am not in favor OF free whisky. The
NllllS DlIl 10 III 4hNOl vi AAlONlHS tllc
manufacturer to be his own judge OF
how much he should pay. The twenty
ninth and thirtieth sections OF the bill
open the door to defraud the govern
ment and are more directly in favor OF
free whisky than the proposition to
allow States or cities to tax whisky for
the benefit OF the locality where it is
made or sold. Gun see no justice in
allowing the States and localities where
whisky is sold to have the benefit OF the
whisky tax, as they do have now by its
going to defray that part OF the general
government expense. And it seems to
me better TO take every government tax
Off everything produced in this country
rather than sacrifice the Protective sys-
TEN under which we have always pros
pered and without which We have
always fallen behind.
Many OF my Democratic neighbors
feel as do about this case. They will
speak for themselves. Some Of them
may not be heard from until election
day. Then they will speak in no un-
certain way.
Very respectfully,
GEORGE L. WRIGHT.