Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-04-24
Delusive Protection for Agriculture
WHAT is Wanted.
From the Chicago Tribune. Ulr. Republican,

From the Chicago Tribune. Ultra Republican,
The majority of the Mckinley COM
mittee make in their report the declar-
alton that "the increase In importa-
tions of agricultural products since 1850
has been enormous, mounting from
$40. 600, 600 to more than 1856, ,00O, 600
1897 Three-fourths of the tune since
1920 the country has been under the
highest tariff in its history, but it
hardly accords with the purposes of
Mai. Mckinley and his associates to
explain how it Is that under low duties
the so-called agricultural tmportations
amounted only to 100000, 900 in 1850.
while under high rates and after long
period of protection they advanced in
1889 to $3.50, 900, ,000.. The candid thing
to do, however, is to explain to the
people that these agricultural imports
are made up of articles like tea, coffee,
sugar, silk, and others which cannot be
produced to advantage in this country
but which are in such demand that
they cannot be excluded by duties not
absolutely prohibitory. Thus one
fourth of the wool used in the United
States has to be imported because all
the stimulus of high tariff for twenty
years has failed to produce o domestic
supply equal to the consumption of
wool. Notwithstanding the long peri
cd Of high protection which It has en-
joyed the sugar industry can produce
little more than one ounce for every
pound needed, and hence the country
has no choice but to import nearly
| fifteen-sixteenths. F.
After stating that the agricultural
products imported are such as cannot
be produced In this country in quanti-
ties adequate to the demand under the
stimulus of high duties the Mckinley
committee should have explained that
the reverse is the case with breadstuffs
and provisions and that therefore the
protective principle cannot be applied
to American products proper. When
the home supply exceeds the demand
what occasion Is there for arrestine im.
possible foreign competition and what
can be gained by the needless attempt
That small quantities of farm products
are brought into the United States
from Canada and bartered fol
American pork, corn, beef, ant
merchandise in the cities near thu
border In the East does not effect thu
fact that the great agricultural Statel
from the Ohio to the arid lands of tn,
West produce annually an excess fa
beyond American needs and which
must be marketed abroad. Once in ,
generation there may be o failure of ,
particular crop, Is was the case SOM
years ago with potatoes; and then tn
protective principle may be applidet
while the shortage lasts and with th,
effect of advancing the price of food OIL
farmers as well as any body else in tn
community who eats potatoes.
Wheat, corn, oats, hay, cotton, to
bacco, hsgs, beeves, fiaxseed, buttel
cheese, potatoes, barley, tallow, an
lard are the great products of the agr
! tealtural States In the Union. and unde
any ordinary circumstances the yiel
!. Is far beyond the home demand. Ir
stead of fearing the competition {
other countries the surplus agriculture
products of the United States have
be sent abroad to find a market. IN
Tribune has printed statistics shown
the enormous proportions of this sui
tplus and how it continues to grow, bu
| perhaps the facts cannot be stated in
, clearer and stronger form than in th
following table prepared by Mr.. G. "
Davis, and which shows the reductio
ofprofts per acre in farming durin
the last twenty years.
nl Per cen
Reduction in returns per acre from corn grown m
Reduction in returns per acre from wheat grown .
Reduction In returns per acre from oats grown.
Reduction In value Of cattle. ......
y Reduc ton In value Of other farm products . .
uAcaA
Less reduction in cost Of maintenance and produo-
The farmers net loss of revenue annually ......
l TCl.ie Shxssszs xxrhx,4 ,ile &l,.cs