The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-16
Is IL a Farmers BIZ?

The republicans have been trying to make
the farmers believe that the Mckinley tariff
bill was framed for the esp ciaI purpose
Of benefi ing them. Maj Mckinley
himself has many times in speeches aud
interviews called it a farmers bill, though
nobody has been able to point out the parts
of it that would help the far ners should it
become a law. Ga the other hand, it is a
very easy matter to show tina. IL would
increase the burdens of the farmers, because
1t would increase the prices Of many things
which they are compelled to have in their
households aud on their farms.
Nobody doubts that Mr.. Blaine is as
much in favor of the high protective tariff
policy of his party as MAJ. Mckinley, or
any other republican. Indeed, 1t is doubt
full if any other repu0lican hos had as much
influence as he in preventing reduction Of
the tariff in accordance with the tariff doc
trines of the Dem 1cratic party. That being
the case, it cannot be said by republicans
that he is not fair critic of the Mckinley
bill.
And what does he say about that bill, in
so far as it relates to the interests of the
farmers. In a letter with regard to it, to
Senator Frye, published in our dispatches
yesterday, he says: "There is not a section
or line in the entire bill that will open the
market for another bushel of wheat or
another barrel of pork Can ANYBODY
show that this statement is not correct?
Can Maj. Mckinley. If he cannot, why
does he persist iii saying that the pending
bill is farmers bill? Why do the New
York Tribune and other republican organs
continue to assert that 1t is a bill that
should receive the hearty support of the
farmersl Is it not clear that it is their pur-
pose to deceive the farmers. just as they
have been deceiving them for many yearss
On account of our high tariff for the
benefit Of our manufacturing monopolies
American pork has been shut out Of Ger
many and France, and England is making
extraordinary efforts to get her full supply
of breadstuffs from India. Russia is becom-
ing a great competitor of this country in
the wheat market of Europe and it begins
to look as if the American farmer would
soon be shut out of the markets of Euro
pean countries. In that case what will he
do with his surplus! The home
market is not great enough to take it. With
no foreign market and limited home
market his condition will be far from au
enviable one. Indeed, it will be such that
he will see nothing in the future but bank
ruptcy and ruin. And those are the things
which the tariff policy of the Republican
PARTY hes in store for him.
MIR. Blaine sees plainly what high protec-
ton means for the farmer. but he lacks the
courage to abandon the tariff doctrine which
he has advocated for years. He is now
trying to avert the disaster with which that
doctrine threatens the farmers by getting
control of markets for their products in
Central and South America and the West
says that it would be the hight of folly to
admit sugar free while the countries from
which we purchase sugar impose prohibitory |
duties upon articles which have heretofore |
been exported from this country. He says |
that it is the duty of congress to so legislate |
as to secure reciprocal benefits.
There is no doubt that he is right, but it
does not occur to him that the argument |
which he uses against admitting sugar free |
without reciprocal advantages is one that |
England could use with equal force against |
usl If we shut out the products of Eng
lands factories why should not England
shut out the products of American farmers?
The truth is that the only tariff doctrine
which promises the greatest benefits to the
whole people is that of the Democratic
party