Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1890-08-08
why The west Is Poor.

on the tariff question, it certainly vii
not be cnnterdcd that other Republi
cans. VIM have never faltered in thei
adherence to the protective tariff idea
forfeit their party standing or furnish
grounds for impeaching their Republi
canism, if they too, upon mature de
liberation, make bold to express or
that subject that are at variance with
the accepted party dogmas.
For over thirty years the Champion
has advocated and defended the pro.
tective tariff theory. 1t has argued
this question with all the logic at Its
command /. has furnished columns
Of figures in support of protection YER
sus free trade. Sincere in its belief
that the only true economic policy fol
this country was protection to Ameri
can industries it has lost no opportu
nifty to set forth Its advantages, and to
combat what it has invariably designa
ted as the free trade hcresy. Being a
Republican journal, it has specially EN-
phasized this Republican doctrine.
Recently, however, the Champion
has discovered reasons for very mater
tally changing its mind on this subject,
and at this writing it has no hesitancy
in declaring that, al! sentiment and
party bias aside, while protective tar
iffis decided and almost indispensa
be benefit to the east, the great man
ufacturing and financial stronghold OF
our country, for the west, the great
agricultural area Of our land, it is a
positive injury, a barrier to progress,
an insurmountable hindrancc to its de.
velopement, and an effoctual estoppal
to its true material prosperity.
! What has Il d the Champion to this
conclusion, this radical change in its
economic opinion? Briefly this: 1t has
that under the dominance of the pro-
teciiye idea, the east has steadily grown
iii wealth at the expense and to the
detriment of the the west. In other
words, that eastern manufacturers and
capitalists have increased their capital
enormously. while the farmers of the
! west, have, during the same period,
made no proportionate gain, but on the
contrary have been reduced to state
of vassalnge, of tribute paying serfs.
To put it in still another form. The
capitalists ana manufacturers of the
east, aided and abettcd ny protective
tariff, have made money in fabulous
sums, while the farmers Of the west
have scarcely been able to maintain
themselves respectfully. Not only so,
but eastern manufacturers and capital
lists have, by reason Of this protective
tariff, been placed in a position where
their financial power gives them prae-
teal control of the government in all
Its departments, despite the votes and
wishes of the western states-who. by
reason Of being large creditors. of nee
essity borrowers Of and dependents on
the east, are virtually politically dis
franchised.
These facts have induced the Cham
pibn at this time to make public its
conviction that a.protective tariff is one
of the many things that the west does
not want and cannot afford to sus-
tain.
The western farmer has no interest
whatever in protectiSe tariff. His
interests rather lie in the direction of
free trade-of access to all markets
wherever his products may be in de-
mand. 1t is to his interest to sell what
he can raise wherever in all the wide
world he can find purchaser, and thus
provide himself with the means OF dis
posing of his surplus crops. Not only
is he vitality interested in securing all
possible markets, but equally SO in
buying what he needs as cheap as pos
sible. Sell where he may and buy at
the lowest figures, this, selfish as it
may seem. Is what mostly concerns the
Western farmer.
Free trade will give the west, the
markets Of the world; and an opportu-
nifty to buy what it requires at less than
half what it is now paying for these
same articles.
Lumber, hardware, clothing. furni-
turc, groceries and agricultural imple-
ments, these the west needs principal
ly. Free trade will bring US these
things at far less than protective pric-
es.
In all this the Champion speaks
solely from self interest. 1t Is with
states and sections as with individual
acknowledgements is the FIRST