Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-10-02
Protection and Free Trade.

I1lLLSBoRo, ILL.,, SepG. To- Nj
William Mckinley, Jr., House of Rep
resentatives, Washington, d. c.:
DEAR SIR-In your speech accept
ing the nomination for Congress, made
before the Republican congressional
convention held in Cleveland, August
26, 1870, you refer to the tariff plank in
your party platform, and the tariff bill
of which you are the reputed father in
the following languages:
Another purpose we declared in Chicago.
another pledge we made to the people, to re-
wise the tariff on the lines of protection.
How? Let me recall the pattern; BY such
revision AS Will tend to check imports of such
articles as are produced by our people the
production of which gives employment to
our labor, and release from import duty
those articles of foreign production Except
luXurles) the like OF which cannot be pro-
duced at home.
Now, Major, if you are honest and
mean what you say, why did you in the
first draft of your bill put duty on
hides and afterw ards, at the demand of
New England manufacturers, place
them Oh the free list?
Surely they are "articles produced
by our people, the production of which
gives employment to our labor"
You certainly cannot plead ignor-
ance of the fact that vast numbers of
cattle are raised in this country.
Probably your time has been so
much occupied in looking after the iu-
terests Of Eastern manufacturers that
you have had no opportunity to learn
that cattle are raised in large numbers
even in your own State of Ohio. Right
here, in the very centre of the country
(the centre, mind you, Major, not the
WesD, cattle raising is one Of our chief
industries. Let me give you few
figures which will indicate the line of
investigation you should pursue when
you start out 'to check imports of such
articles as are produced by our people,
the production of which gives employ
ment to our labor"
This county Montgomery County,
Illinois, is an average county of this
State in area, fertility, number of farms
and farmers, amount of money invest
ed in the business of farming and in
the number of cattle raised. Accord
ing to the Assessors returns for the
present year there are in this county
p ,433 head of neat cattle. Their av-
erage value Is rated at Sis per head,
the assessment having been made up
on a basis of one-third Of their actual
value. To keep these cattle will re-
quire each year four acres of land per
head for pastures, fodder and grain
and if fattened for market will requird
at least two acres per head. Allowing
four acres per head it will require 109,-
1872 acres of land to supply the food for
the cattle in this county. This land at
low valuation is worth upon an aver
age al least $50 per acre. 1t will re-
a a If "a + a
led iaborers every working day in the
year to provide the food and care for
the cattle In this county. In order to
plant, cultivate aud harvest this food
each one of these 700 laborers must be
supplied with teams and farming i'm
pliments of the value at least OF $500.
Nearly all of these iaborers are farm
ers with families dependent upon their
labor for support. If we average
these families at five persons each, ii
will be seen that there are in this coun-
ty 81, 600 persons dependent upon cat
alone for subsistence. AL
low me to tabulate the foregoing for
YOUR convenience:
Value of 27,433 head of cattle at
per head. ..........o........... All, ,49o
Value of 109,7 7732 acres OF land $50
per acre.. .............. o,ZJI, ,36O
Value of teams and farm 1mple-
mepts for 700 laborers.. 100000
Total amount of money invested. s., ,053, ,455
We have, therefore, over $4,000, 900
invested in the cattle BUSINESS in this
county, and $500 persons dep- ndent
lpon the labor furnished by this in
iustry for their living. Have you any |
reason to give why this industry and |
he laborers impioyed in it are not as
worthy and as much in need of protec-
ion as your pets IN the East? 1t will
not answer the question to say that a |
iuty on hides applies only to part of
he product, and is, therefore, unim-
oortant. If you had put the duty on
aides as high in your bill as you did
IN common window glass or on
The coarser grades of clothing such
IS farmers and their wives and
children wear, it would have in
.reased the value of cattle in this
county from $3.50 to 81 per head. 1t
would have protected the cattle bus
ness in this county to the extent of
,60. 900 to S75, 900 per anDum. 1t will !
lot do Tor you to say, Major, that there
ire not hides enough produced in this
country for home consumption and
therefore, foreign hides must be admit