The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-09-14

Farmers compose the largest indus
try of the country, and they hove moet
interest in equitable tax laws. They
iecei We the alnallest per cent. OF profit
on capital invested and the least re-
ward for labor Of any legitimate in
dustry of the land.
They are protects d IN the product of
their farms by the present tariff, and
that protection is not changed by The
Mills bill except as to sugar and rice,
on which the tariff duties are reduced,
and as to wool, hemp and flax, which
are made free in the interest of the
manufacturers and consumers, aud the
chief consumers are farmers them
selves.
The 80 called sheep industry in
Pennsylvania does not average five
sheep to each farm in the State, aud
the entire wool crop of our farmers is
worth $1,250,000. There IS practical
ly no able-bodied labor in sheep p-grow-
ing. and, therefore, no labor to pro-
tect; and the consumption of woolen
goods in Pennsylvania amounts to
about 100000, 900 per aunum, tie ma
jor part of which is consumed by far
mers.
Free wool would, as testified before
Congress by experienced woolen manu-
facturers of all parties, cheaper wool.
ems fully 20 per cent. to consumers;
and 20 per cent. on the consumption
of woolens IN Pennsylvania would be
about S12, 100000. The,farmers alone
pay more than FIVE times as much in
needless taxes on woolens as the value
of the entire wool crop of the State;
and the wool. growers as class, exclusive
of the other wool consumers OF Penn
sylvania, would gain more in cheap
woolens than they would lose by free
wool. In point Of fact, the farmers of
Pennsylvania are overtaxing them
selves py taxing wool
Everything of importonce that the
farmer uses on or about his farm and
in or about his house, is still subject to
high war taxes except tea and coffee.
Everything he wears is taxed from 80
to 80 per cent; every implement he
uses on his farm, from a hand rake to
threshing machine, is highly taxed:
Everything used in his house, from
broom or tack hammer to stove, ia
bls or piano, is highly taxed. His
house Is lighted by from go to 100 per
cent. taxed glass; he drinks from a Gu
per cent. taxed pitcher and go per
cent. taxed goblet, and every imple-
ment of tinware in his kitchen is high
ly taxed although not ton of tin
plate is produced in this country.
When he needs steel for his plows,
harrows, etc, he is the victim of the
steel trust that is created by high war
tariff duties; when he writes letter,
he is the victim of the envelope trust
that is created by high war tariff du-
ties; when he buys pair of rubber
shoes, he is the victim of the rubber
trust that is created by high war tariff
duties; when he buys salt for his table
or stock or to preserve his meats, he is
the victim of the salt trust that Is Gre
ated by high war tariff duties; when he
binds his wheat he is the victim Of the
cordage trust that is created by high
war tariff duties; when he bags his
grain he is the victim of the jute trust
that is created by high war tariff du-
ties; when he bales his hay, he is the
victim of the cotton.tie trust that is
created by high war tariff duties; when
he builds or repairs bis house, barn, or
shed, he is the victim of the lumber
trust that is created by high war tariff
duties; if he buys oil to paint his
house, barn or fence, he is the victim
of the linseed oil trust that is created
by high war tariff duties, and so on in
definitely is he taxed by oppressive
laws and lawless trusts created and
protected by oppressive laws, until he
is the mere slave of banded and protec-
ted monopolists.
The farmer wants legitimate labor
| protected in our productive induc es
to diversity our pursuits and coltum-
ers; but all taxes imposed upon the ne
cessaries of business and of life be-
yond the actual protection of the
wages of labor in our shops and mills
is extortion upon the farmer and work
ingman; and all laws which create and
protect monopoly trusts and combines,
are oppressive on all legitimate labor.
The present tariff taxes are 47.10 per
cent. op the articles taxed; the Mills
bill proposes to reduce these taxes
about per cent, leaving the largest
protection to industry ever before
given except under the extreme necessi
tiles of war. There is no free trade,
nor the semblance of free trade, abou,
reducing our tariff taxes to 40 per
cent and there is no channel of indus
try SO largely interested in tax reduc
t;op 40 tho farmers of Pennavlvania-