Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-03-12
Farmers Under Free Trade and PrOtec-
ton.

SO prosperous DIS Ho OuSIlG W NC, HOl
so prosperous as he will be when he
has learned to diversity his industries
and to make beet root and fax take
the place of much land now devoted
to grain. yet is the most prosperous
farmer upon the face of the earth,
and is far more prosperous than the
American farmer of half century
ago was.
The free traders tell the American
farmer that protection is crushing the
| life out of him. Is this true? Does
free trade benefit the farmer of any
country? Universal history proves
that where free trade rules there agri-
culture is depressed. Fifty years ago
the British farmer was the ideal of the
well-fed, well-clothed, well-liying man,
free from serious care and having a
pleasant bank account. Britain then
adhered to a protective policy. But
about forty-two years ago Great Bri-
tain adopted free trade, and the ruin
of the British farmer now is well-nigh
complete. Lest it should be thought
that we overstate the case, we offer
in proof the petition of British farm
laborers and the deliberately written
opinion of G. E. Howard Vincent, a.
member of the British Parliament
Here is the petition:
FEBRUARY, 1s9O.-Notice to the farmers of
Norfolk in the employ ofMr. -:
We, the farm laborers in your employ, beg
very respectfully to remind you that we find it
i'm possible to maintain our homes for the very
low wages we are now receiving, 9s. (S2.25) and
los. $3.50 per week. While we are anxious to
remain in your employ. and without any hostile
feeling toward YOU we give you notice that it is
our intention to ask you kindly to raise our
wages at least to Us. (S3 per week, and unless
this be done in a reasonable time we shall be
compelled to appeal to the country to support
us in our reasonable demand
Trusting you will meet us in the same friend
ly way as we appeal, and oblige by giving
answer by the 2Sth of March, 1890. We should
be willing to meet you with our friends in friend
ly council
We have the honor to be, yours faithfully,
(Here follow the names of the men)
Think of American farm hands earn
ing no more than from 50 25 to 50. so
for six days work, without board
Think of reduction to such a state of
depression as would make So per week
appear a reas enable income
But it is doubtful if the moderate
demands of the Norfolk farm laborers
can be compiled with. The British
farmer has no money to spare nova
days. Mr.. Vincent says:
From Charing Cross to Dover the beautiful
county of Kent shows that it bears its lot in the
decline of British agriculture. 1t shows hun
dreds of acres of grass land sparsely tenanted by
cattle and sheep. The comparatively little ara
BILE land shows that there is but scanty rural
employment, and that the young men must
compete with their countrymen in the towns if
they would earn decent livelihood.
This is what free trade has donefor
the British farmer. The farmers of
free-trade Spain and free-trade Portu
gal are in even worse condition.
But there is one country of Europe
in which the farmer is remarkably
prosperous. That country is France.
Fifty years ago the condition of the
French farmer was far from enviable;
to-day it is the envy of all European
agriculturists. Mr.. Frederic Harri-
soma free trader, if we mistake not
writing in the current number Of
The Forum, quotes Arthur Young's
summary, made at the close of the
century: "In an English village more
meat is eaten in week than In a
week than in French village in a
year; the clothing, food, and intelli-
gence of the English laborer are far
above those of the French Iaborer."
That was when England had protec-
tion
Since then France has become large
ly protective in policy, and just now
is making her policy more protective
than ever What is the result? Mr..
Frederic Harrison shall speak: "The
contrast to-day is reversed. 1t is the
English laborer who is worse housed,
worsefed worse clothed, worse taught;
who has nothing of his own, who
never can save; to whom the purchase
of an acre of land is as impossible as
the purchase of a diamond necklace"
The great secret of agricultural pros
perity in France is that the country
has protective policy, and the far
mers do not depend chiefly upon grain,
but grow beets, grapes and other
crops in large variety. The main
cause of agricultural depression in
Great Britain is the policy of free
trade.-Chicago Inter Ocean.
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