The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-03-08
Farmers 80 cettinr Restless.

The petition, signed by large number of
farmers of Ohio. that has been presented to
the House by Representative Cultivate Of
that state, shows that the farmers are be-
ginning to understand how great the bur-
den is which the high protective tariff
policy of the republican party forces them
TO bear. The Ohio farmers want bounty
of 90 cents a bushel ON wheat, and if they
cannot have that they want reduction of
40 per cent. in all tariff taxes.
The farmers have been very patient under
the burdens which the tariff policy of the
Republican party places upon them, and
they are beginning to see that they will
never get rid of any part of these burdens
unless they use the power which they pos
sess. For many years they have been vot-
ing in nearly all the western states with
the Republican party, because they have
been deceived into believing that high
tariff is in some unexplainable way bene-
fetal to them. They are now getting their
eyes open, and if this congress does not
make very great reduction in the tariff
men will be sent to Congress who will pay
attention to their petitions.
IL is somewhat remarkable that they have
not seen long before this that the prices of
their principal products are not increased
in the least by high tariff. The prices of
their products are fixed in the markets to
which the surplus of their crops is
sent Liverpool determines what the
prices of wheat, corn, cotton, bacon,
and other articles which we export
shall be- If the tariff were
were absolutely prohibitive the prices of
our agricultural products would be no
higher. The only way, therefore, for the
farmers to improve their material condi-
tion is to bring about a reduction in the
tariff taxes. If the prices of the articles
which they purchase for their families and
their farms should be reduced 10 or 20 per
cent. such reduction would be equivalent
to a very considerable increase in the prices
of their farm products.
The farmers see that the steel rail and
other manufacturers are protected by
tariff that is equivalent to a bounty, and
they wonder whether there are any better
reasons for favoring manufacturing monop-
olies than there are for favoring them. They
are unable to find any such reasons, and,
hence, they have petitioned congress to put
them on footing with the manufacturers
and others who are given the protection
that enables them to grow rich within a
very few years.
Mr.. Mckinley and his ways and means
committee are trying to find some way to
satisfy the farmers with respect to the
tariff, and which, at the same time, will
meet with the approval of the monopolists,
their friends. They have very difficult
task to accomplish, and there is no prob
ability that they will accomplish it. They
will report tariff bill that will provide for
a reduction of the tariff in some particulars,
and they will agait try to make the farm
ers believe that it is just what they want.
There are reasons for thinking that their
cid tactics will fail, however. Iowa
and Ohio went democratic at their last state
elections, and more western states will be
found in the democratic column if the
farmers are not relieved of great portion
of the tariff burden. Such petitions as that
of the Ohio farmers are calculated to make
Mr.. Mckinley and his fellow republicans
on the ways and means committee think
twice before reporting bill to reduce tariff
taxes that does not reduce them.