The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-05-16
Friday, May l6, 1890.
Discount for Foreigners, Full Prices
For American Farmers.

Ways and Means Committee, brought the
tariff bill before the House il was accom-
panied by lengthy and elaborate report, in
which the following statement is made. Oar
imports Of agricultural products in the last
f,rty years have increased from $4,000 900
10 $780, 100000. This statement was at
once challenged and the newspapers went
to the official documents to confirm or deny
this statement. The papers of both les
made statements but none of their figures
reached the colossal proportions which
Mr.. Mckinley gave. The Baltimore
Suns examination makes "the amount
$10,00e,000 or $12,000,000 the outside fig
ure for the value of the imported agricul-
tural products that could be said to compete
with American agricultural products, the
rest ofthe $350,0O0,000 being made up from
coffee, tea, sugar, ivory, India rubber, trop
ical fruits, hides and sorts of wool and
tobacco that cannot be produced in this
country" Such statement was evidently
intended to deceive the farmers and tariff
was consequently placed upon wheat, corn,
hay, straw, beans, etc., all Of which the
farmers have in surplus and have to send
ab.oad to find market for. When Mr.
Mckinley opened the debate in the House
last week he claimed but So, 100000. He
said:
"Under the duties fixed by the bill the
annual imports of 25, 900 900 of agricultural
products would be supplied to the people of
the United States by the American farmers
rather than by the Canadian farmers"
Now we hold that any man or party who
attempts to deceive the farmers with this
kind of statement will get left. They are
not so easily gulled as they used to be. To
tickle further the farmers the speaker sail
this 25 million which he reduced his figures
to would be great help to farmers in pay.
ing eff farm Indebtedness. But suppose they
sold the % millions more wheat, corn, ETC.,
in this country which is claimed is now in.
ported, what richer would they be if sold at
the same price that hundreds of millions of
their produce is sold for in Europe? The
farm mortgages it is estimated amount to
three thousand tpo hundred millions. Even if
the rs millions products, largely made up
of tropical fruits was excluded, of what ben
eft would it be in lifting the mortgages
represented by those stupendous figures?
What is wrong in this tariff bill that it
seems necessary 10 stuff the farmers with
such transparent falsehoods? 1t is plain,
the bill is not protective tariff at all to any
but trusts and monopoies. The theory of
a protective tariff as presented by the early
statesmen was such duty on foreign goods
as would prevent them from being brought
into this country and crushing out our man
ufacturing establishments before they got
able 10 compete. 1t was argued, and with
reason, that with no competition in this
country against foreign manufacturers they
would be able TO fix what prices on their
goods they chose, which they actually did :,
but with home manufactures we'll establish
ed the competition among themselves would
not only lower The price of domestic pro-
ducts, but help keep down that of foreign
ones, and when this happy condition was
reached tariff rates could be lowered with
impunity. This looks fair and business like
and if honestly carried out would result So.
But it Was not claimed that foreigners paid
this duty. That is always paid by the con.
sumers, for the selling party never pays
any expense. He adds it on 10 his goods
as cost and the consumer foos the bill. So
far as home market was created for farm
produce, the farmer expected some benefit
in having a convenient market, but he was
willing to bear the burthen and pay tie
weak, infant manufacturers more than he
could purchase foreign goods for, in order
to build up manufacturing and create diver
sifed industries in this country, trusting to
the future for his reward.
But how are all these fine theories, hopes
and promises turning out? The manufac-
turers are clamoring for higher tariff rates
than ever before, and after the farmers have
submitted TO subsidy for fifty years to
achieve the object promised the manufac-
turers say they are wholly unable to COM
pete with the world, even with the "protec-
tion" they started out and built up TO their
present proportions under, This claim is
wholly false. They are now intent on freez
ing out all weak manufacturers by establish
ing trusts and monopolies, setting the price
at home as high as they can by the aid OF
the tariff which fences off foreign COMPETE
tion, while they crush out domestic. Our
manufacturers are able to compete with any
others in The world and are doing it with all
the surplus goods they make, while they
rob the farmers and other consumers. If
any one doubts this here is the proof taken
from their own records.
The Engineering and Mining Journal
publishes in its last issues nearly 40 col
umns of manufacturer advertisements ia
importers, in which they offer "discounts 70,
exports only" We take few of the farm
implements on which heavy discounts arc
offered to buyers who want them to ship tc
foreign countries: Upon drills the discount
is 80 per cent; plows, 80 per cent; scythes
40 per cent; hatchets, 50 per cent; table
knives, 25 Per cent; shears, 80 per cent
feed caters, 80 per cent; grinding mills
% per cent; barn-door hangers, so per cent
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