Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-05-22
FARMERS ALLIANCE.
ABOUT fHE TARIFF:
A kansas Farmer FIgurss Out How the
Old Thing Works.

IIOOtCblNc IdIlu 10 lOE blc dFOhcu puE-
pose Of securing to the workingman a
better return for his labor than could be
secured without this protection. Noa
will join the advocates of this theory
and assume that the workingman, or
labor in general, is blessed with better
wages by 80 cents in every dollar than
would be realized without this protec-
tioH: Statistics show that dutiabie and
hndutiable articles; taken together as
whole; are subject ID ah average duty
of little more than 50 per cent. Pro
tective tariff, then, keeps and holds
wages up to 81, where without it the
same wages would be but 20 cents. No
one will deny this who believes in
protection, for if this. be not a
fact then the whole scheme is
farce, and admitted as such, leaving the
entire matter IN search of new basis
of support. Now let no one misunder=
stand or lose sight Of the undehiable
fact that wealth is ninety parts in one
hundred labor, that there could be no
property or wealth to possess except it
was brought into existence by some sort
of labor. Out of every 500, S95 is pure
labor. 1t may be the labor in grain
produced, or manufactures produced, or
the labOr-produced article, whatever it
may be, may have been exchanged for
a representative value called money; or
the article of value may be land, made
valuable by its nearness to business and
made available for the needs of labor in
some of it's various channels.
Now, If | want to buy any thing pro-
duced in this country, it ought to be,
and necessarily is, so per cent. more ex-
pensive to me, because of the 80 per
cent extra wages secured through pro-
lection in producing it. This will be a
money fact to me. whether | buy cloth
ing, shelter, food, or labor to be used on
the farm. If buy any thing not pro-
duced in this country, it is necessarily
80 per cent. more expensive to me, be-
cause the tariff laws of our country will
not let it land on our soil without 80 per
cent. on the dollar paid for the privi-
lege in order that the producer of the
same thing at home may be able to pay
that 80 per cent. extra TO his workers
and still sell at the same price with the
foreign-made article.
am farmer: buy clothing, shelter,
part of my food and some labor. In every
dollar pay out 80 per cent. of that dol
lar is, not for the article, but follows
that article of purchase all the way back
until we reach the custom-house, or the
wages of the laborer that produced it.
This is protection, and it works. 1t
works me for 80 cents in every dollar |
pay.
Talking from farmers standpoint, l
have somewhat further to say. | think
have shown that there is no mistake
about tariff increasing my expenses. If
tariff increases my expenses, it ought
also in some way to increase my income.
But most unfortunate profession! My
farm produce is kind that more than
fills the markets of my own coun-
try; an immense surplus must 60
abroad to other countries. It is
not in the power of tariff or protection
to help me. A product which cost me
so cents extra to produce must go to
the markets of the world where cheap
labor produce completes with my tax
labor produce. Not only this, but l
must take enough less so that the ship
per can afford to carry it by land and
sea to this cheap market and still have
a profit left to himself; and remember,
this long line of railroad which carries
this produce to the sea must charge 80
per cent extra in order to pay properly
its labor and for its labor-produced
equipments.
Perhaps this is just and test of
loyalty, iDasmuch as the farmer ele-
ment is a majority and therefore should
contribute according to the demands of
his fellow-beings. But like begets
like kicking begets kicking; so we
want to adjust ourselves for kick
against another feature of this tariff
business.
Our Government takes in millions of
tariff money every month. The amount
is so great that we do not have to pay
any thing to the Government when we
90, yearly, TO pay our other taxes. But |
these millions of money come out of US
people who consume goods, at the rate |
Of 30 cents in dollar, because the 80 |
cents was added to the price of the |
goods as fast as they were landed in our
Now, if was a merchant and |
buying goods to sell, l would just add |
my per cent. of profit, sell again, and all |
IS we'll. / could also well afford to pay |
my help the advanced wages, because |
my business and prices all lie along in |
The channels of tariff-advanced prices. |
But am farmer; l do not buy to sell,
buy to consume. | have a neighbor
who buys to consume, also. l
100, it takes $3.50 to clothe and
eed me year; it takes $50 to clothe
md feed him year. Thirty cents out of
svery dollar makes each of US out S45 in
)ehalf of the Government. Now figure
his out, reader, and you will find pay
$50 on every 500 l possess, while my
leighbor pays "a cents on every 500
lie possesses. If we each paid accord
ng to our wealth, l would pay 45 cents
md my neighbor would pay SS9 55 in
instead of S45. can not blame capital
nd business outside of farming for con-
ending for a protective tariff, but in
hese days, when manufactures have
'rown away from their childhood, 1
hink the old-time loyalty to the cause
5 too expensive for the farmer, and if
he wage-worker should sometime get
ess money for his work, he would all
he same" get more goods for his money.
"A. B. Smith, in Kansas Farmer.
COMET
;esults of the Conference of Farmers