Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-07-10
Farmers and Protection,


How does it happen that Randall, demo |
crat and long time leader of his party In |
the house of representatives, and Kelley. |
long time leader of his party in congress,
republican of republicans, were both protec-
tionists and as such were kept in congress
for life Is it to be presumed for q moment
that the state of Pennsylvania made any
mistake In keeping these able men in con-
gress to represent that great commonwealth?
-[Wichtta Eagle.
When man once gets to going down
hill very little urging gives him accel-
Grated speed. The Wichita Eagle en-
tered the democratic way by the resub-
mission path and it finds no difficulty
in adopting the fallacious free trade
notions of that party. The Eagle on
last Thursday devoted more than an
editorial column to the tariff. 1t In
dulges entirely in general platitudes.
The above is fair sample of the logic
of the article. In reading the article
the only conclusion that can be drawn
is that the writer has some kind of a
slumbering idea that in order to be a
true friend of the west a statesman
must be an enemy to the east. That
in order to build up agriculture a
statesman must tear down manutac-
lures; that because Pennsylvania is a
manufacturing state and wants tariff,
therefore, Kansas, being an agricultu-
tural state, wants the opposite. The
Eagle suggests no reason why the pro-
lection and building up of great man.
ufacturing industries and the employ
ing of hundreds of thousands of hands
in the factories of Pennsylvania will in
any way lnjure the agricultural inter
ests of Kansas, but it jumps at the
conclusion that because both the dem
ocrsts and republicans of Pennsylvania
want protection, Kansas doesn't want
it. There is just as much argument in
the Eagles editorial as is found IL
other free trade papers and no more
1t is kind of an indefinite rambling
after something to ameliorate the pres
ent depressed condition of agriculture
without any distinct idea of what o.
where it is to be found.
If there are more newspapers il
Wichita than the reading public viii
support, the remedy is not in inducing
lot more fellows to come into you
city and start little One-horse neWspa
pers and job presses and cut prices. L
would be far better to induce men II
come into your city who will start III
other and different enterprises, WIFI
will advertise in your columns, TAX
your papers and furnish the paper
already there decent livelihood.
The same rule applies to the farmer
If there are more wheat, corn, oats, Cat
tie, hogs and sheep in this country THAI
can be consumed or than will demand
a remunerative price, the remedy is no
in destroying other occupations ant
inducing the hundreds and thousand
Of men now engaged in other calling
to quit them and go to raising NOR
wheat, corn, oats, cattle, ETC., thus cut
ting the price on these farm products
If by protection or any other methOC
one-third of the farmers of the countr,
could be changed from producers t,
consumers of farm products, the re
f manning two-thirds would get mucl
, better price for their products thai
they now do. 1t is not more farmer
that the west wants, but more con
: sumers of farm products.