The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-31
HIGH TARIFF AND THE FARMER
An intelligent, sensible farmer writes

But for our ruinous tariff, think we
would to day be next 70 England, with
merchant ships carrying our share OF the
commerce of the world. As II now stands,
all nations are having dab at us, In one
way and another, retaliating, some against
the pork, some increasing the tax on our
wheat, as Italy did on the 10th ult, and
some declaring our cattle 10 have the
pleuro pneumonia, and various other things
In which the farmers are directly inter-
ested, and making treaties with other
nations, preferring their commodities over
ours, until there are no capitalists that are
willing to invest In the building of ships
with all odds against them In the compe-
tition. | think II is beyond the
sphere of true governmental power to tax
one class Of industries to increase the
profits of another, and 1t Is beyond reason
that our Legislative bodies should enact
laws to take from one man to give to
another; hence | am in favor of great
tariff reform, and It Is a sentiment that Is
rapidly spreading among the farmers
generally.
That such a sentiment should not spread
rapidly among farmers generally would be
extraordinary indeed If they were posted,
as they ought TO be, In regard 70 some of
simplest statistics bearing upon the effect
Of high tariff taxation on the farming
interests of this country.
BY the census reports OF 1860 the total
wealth Of this country was given In round
numbers at $1,000 100000, of which the
farmers owned nearly $4,OOO,0OO,0O0, or
over one-half At the end Of the next
ten years of low tariff the total wealth
Of the country had increased to $4,000
10000, of which the farmers owned over
- 600 900 900, or still more than one half
But during the high tariff period from 1850
to lSS0-after twenty years OF protection
the national wealth reached $4,000 ,0OO,-
600, of which the farmers share, instead of
continuing one-half, had sunk to $4,000,
600 900, OF a little more than one fourth,
Thus while, under low tariff for n series
of decades, the farmers continued To hold
onp-halt of the wealth Of III" country,
under high tariff policy of twp decades
that proportion strangely 81 10 one
fourth, and the downward tendency con-
tinues, SO that to-day the farmers probably
own less than a sixth of the wealth of the
country,
To descend TO particulars; In 1856
the aggregate wealth of the state of Penn.
syvania was 1918 per capita, and that OF
Illinois $lS3; during the low tariff decade
from 1850 TO 1860 Pennsylvania increased
her aggregate wealth to $4S7 per capita, OF
about II per cent, while Illinois Increased
hers to 5000, or nearly 500 per cent. Dur.
ing the high protective period from 1850
% 1880 Pennsylvania increased her wealth
to $l259 per capita, or nearly 300 per cent
capita, or less than 100 per cent. In 1856
the wealth OF Massachusetts averaged $57i
per capita 10 1888 for Illinois. From 1856
to 1860 Massachusetts, increased To $685.
per capita, or al the rate of 10 per cent
while Illinois during the same decade
increased to $500 per capita, or at the rate
of 300 per cent. But after the next q
years of high tariff, Massachusetts, had
increased her wealth TO the enormou:
figure of $l5GS per capita while Illinois
had increased TO only $1,000.
The proportionate Increase OF wealth
per capita In Pennsylvania and Massachu
sets On the one hand, and In Illinois OF