Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1889-11-29
Plain Talk to Farmers.

Ex-Secre'ary Colman, in his recent
speech before the Wheat Growers Con-
venti n. at st. Louis, speaking of the eff
feet upon the farmer Of our tariff laws,
said:
II believe in tariff to raise customs
duties in sufficient amount with the sums
raised by the internal revenue system to
deiray the necessary expenses OF the gov
ernment economically and honestly adj
ministered. | believe the tariff under our
constitution has no other mission to per
form than to raise revenue, There is no
clause in the constitution giving Congress
the power to tax one class of our people
to enrich another class. If there is such
clause l would like 10 have some one to
point it out. There is no moral right, no
Justice 10 legislation to enrich one class at
the expense IF another.
"The constitution ia so many words
says there shall be no privileged classes in
this country, and vet Congress proceeds tC
make class privileged to tax the con.
sumers on all of their products, keeping
all competition away from them, and ena,
bling them to derive large profits on theiI
goods, and thus to lay up princely fortunes
secured from the people who have earned
the money thus obtained by the sweat OF
their brow. Is one msn better than an0-
there in this said to be free country, or one
class better than another that they should
be secured in the extraordinary privilege
Of growing rich at the others expenss3
u have only been speaking of the right
OF the justice of such legislation. Now
let rs see its effects upon the farmer. Let
US suppose one Of you has raised 1,OOO
bushels of wheat, and many Of you have
raised several thousand, ttyou are goina
to Europe aud take it to Liverpool and
sell it at 81 per bushel. The geutlem N
from Chicago has told you that the Liver
pool market controls the price for wheat
throughout the world. You receive $1.-
900 for the wheat, and find goods low over
there, you lay it oil out in goods to bring
home with you. You ship the goods to
New York, but when you get there you
tind an average duty of AZ per cent on
what you have bought, for that is admit
imposed by Law. On the 81 900 worth o
goods you must then pay S47o to the Gus
tom house officers to be placed 10 Uncle
Sans treasury. leaving you only $3.50 fol
the wheat, the tariff thus costing the far
mer on every 81 900 worth of wheat $47O
Is it asy wonder he is growing poor But
il is some consolation to know that thu
$470 has come into the U aited States trcs-
sury.
"Let as suppose, however, that instead
buying his goods in Eagland he waits IN
til be gets to New York and buys them
The American manufacturers are protec.
cd by the same average duty. and freigh
besides. 20 he pays the $470. not into Tn.
Gle Sans pocke's at all but into the pock-
cts Of the American manufacturer. who
by law. BY being protected from ioreigr
1competition, can charge this extra price
government gets not one cent Of It. Thii
on single operation Of one farmer, bu
it effects every farmer In the same way and
to the same extent. 1t 10 making ths
manufacturing classes rich and the agri-
cultural classes poor.
"I;the consuming class. Of this country
bad any idea they were paying oue-tcn,h
part of the taxation they are to these priv
ileged class here would be such . revo
luton in public opinion, il not in wors,
form, As We have never heard OF before
II is not taxation for the benefit of th,
government, but for class. tbs makins
millionaries OF one class aud peassntry il
its worst fnrm of smother. 1t /, depress
ing the value OF farming lands and farm
produces in every Safe of the IIniou. I
is plastering upon our farms mortgage
that draw worse thaa Spanish 6y blisters
1t is making of farming the poorest-psy
ing, hardest working business koowa ia
this countryn