The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-08-26

The Johnston Company is perfectly
correct in what it says. There are
very few of the implements which are
bought here in New York at a reduced
price for export only" that will not
cost the foreign buyer, By the time he
has paid. the freight and the duty nm
posed By has o1On government, quite as
much, if not more, than the price to
the American farmer.
But suppose he does. Is that any
reason why the American farmer
should pay as much in addition as will
cover the freight and foreign duty ?
All the protected manufacturers
did not crawl out of this hole. Here
is the reply of another, who had the
courage of his convictions, and who
had a clear enough sight to read the
handwriting on the wall:
From A. B. FarquhAr Co., York, Pa:
"Rep!ying to your favor would en-
close an article from me published IN last
Saturdays Philadelphia Record, covering
the whole question pretty well.
"The fact is tn st our protective avs
are d monstrous swindle upon the agri-
cultural community. As a manufacturer
I was inclned TO say nothing up~n the
subject, for the reason that it was aturaL
to suppose if anybody was benefited 1T
was the manufacturing class, to which L
belong. But, as I have explained IN this
Record article, the farmer is being de-
stroyed. We are killing the goose for
the golden egg. And I honestly believe
now that it is to the interest Of the man
~ufacturerS themsel es to eliminate the
protective feature from our tariff laws.
"Certainly our manufactures are sold
much lower abroad; we could only need
protection to get better prices from our
u stomers at home. We do manufacture
and sell in Canada, South America and
Europe many agricultural machines, and
could we have free raw material and the
commercial advantages which free trade
would give US, America would become
the great manufacturing emporium Of the
world, and the farmer Of course would
share the prosperity since lie would have
less to pay for everything and get better
prices for all he sold. Go on with your
good work. When the farmer begins to
tn nix and rise up against this swindle, IT
is doomed"
1t will be seen from the above that
there is a difference of opinion about
the matter. The World says one
thing and the Gall another.
There is no doubt but that many
manufacturers in this country sell
goods to foreign dealers at a low price
and make us pay the difference. TIE
tariff is the cause Of it all. We wish
to see all manufacturers prosper, but
the farmers should prosper, too.
When the duty was taken off q|uinine
it was said that the business would be
ruined; that the factories would be
compelled to stop. That was all
stuff. More than three times as many
more are engaged in the q~uinine busl
ness as were then. They are making
money. The men employed get as
good wages. Yet the price is not one,
fourth as much as it vas before the
duty was taken off. The same can be
sid of matches. We need some tariff,
but at present it is too high. The
only way to get tariff reform is to
blot out sectionalism-which the Ali
ance is doing, and by putting men in
both Houses of Congress who are not
directly pro6ted by the tariff. We
will never get it by putting manufac
t~urers, bankers and railroad men
there. Good, honest, intelligent farm,
ers are u dependence. They laid
the foundation of this government
From them will come any and all re.
forms.