The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1890-02-22
CECIL FARMERS CLOS.
Regular Monthly Meeting at
EnOch NOyes', Esq.

The regular February meeting of tn
Cecil Farmers Club was held at Noun
Ararat the homestead of Enoch Noyes
Esq, near Port Deposit, on Wednesda
the 10Th inst. Promptly at 1920 a. m
Joseph Coudon, Esq. the Chairman d
rected that the roll of members be called
when the following members respoude
to the roll call. Enoch Mccullough
Thomas c. Bond, Joseph Coudon, Gee
W. Sutton, John p. Wilson, S. r. Can
and Henry r. Torbert. The visitor
present by invitation were the Rev, JAS
Conway, Rev, John Squier, and MIR. L
II. Rowland, OF Port Deposit.
The minutes OF the last meeting havlD!
been read and adopted after several unim
portant corrections. and there being NJ
reports of experiments or new business
Dir. Moves read the following essay Oh
THE TARIFF FROM A FARMERS STAND
IolNl.
The subject | have chosen is the "Tarif
and its Conditions, from the Farmers Stand
point, as | view it.
| In considering this subject, l am aware
that many of the members OF the Club
materially differ with me. trust that thu
members will discuss it more particular,
as it affects the farming interests. For my
desire is not to arouse party feeling, OF
bring out political discussion, which viii
disturb the good feeling existing in the
| Club, or mar the pleasures of the day.
l will say that there have existed in TIL
country three conditions of the Tariff. LIST
An extremely low one not protective. 2nd
| A Tariff for revenue only. 3rd. A high pro
tective Tariff. The first is the Tariff OF
England and Gladstone who advocates this
| system, that is for this country, to supply
| England with low priced agricultural pro.
| ducts, England in return supplying us with
her manufactured goods made by cheap
labor, which she thoroughly protects by a
subsidized system, having something OF the
effect, and giving about the same result to
her manufactures as our protective system.
This free trade policy is at the expense OF her
| agricultural interests. When tried here, 1t
has closed our manufactures, destroyed our
home market, thrown our laboring classes
out of employment, or compelled them to
work at ruiuously low wages That is, re-
turn to the wages of our fore fathers, COW
hide shoes, corn meal, and 90 cents day in
| the harvest field.
The tariffs of 1888 and 1887 were of this
| order. OF 1857 the same, compelling Presi-
| dent Buchanan Gin his message) to admit
the above conditions, with the additions
that our gold was going to England to pay
for manufactured goods, that the balance of
trade was against and this was at the
time when the gold of California was COM
ing into the states by the millions to pay
for English goods at advanced prices, owing
to the closing of our manufactures, giving
England monopoly. This system of tariff
had the effect of lowering the price Of farm
products, as it affected labor, and literally
destroyed as profitable condition the small
productions of the farm. since made profit
able by our protective system, which gives
to labor generous recompeuse
This system of tariff would be more de-
structive to the farming interests now than
then, owing to the great development of the
farming interests in Australia, India aud
elsewhere. where cheap labor is in vogue.
The above system if continued would have
necessitated a direct tax by the Government,
falling chiefly on the farmers, instead OF be-
ing paid as now by the whole people We
have an example of free trade in hides.
They have fallen in price $50 per cent since
the duties were removed.
In 1861 with a war on our hands we were
under this system, with a depleted treasury
and no credit abroad, compelling the Gov
eminent to pay home capitalists II per cent.
tor money.
No. 2. Tariff for revenue and sufficient
surplus to meet exigences and keep our
credit good abroad, This is Republican and
protective Tariff for revenue only is a mis-
nomer, an incougruity, an uncertainty, be
cause it is not definite (ouly). 1t bears an
uncertain meaning, this is Democratic.
Free raw materials and cheap necessaries of
life is also Democratic. This policy would
strike dire ct blow nj the farming interests,
for free raw materials and cheap necessaries
of life are the products and manufactures of
the farm. The articles which the farmer
wants protected and price advanced to be
III condition TO meet high priced labor.
Tariff for revenue only is a disturbing
factor. Under it manufacturers would be
10th to enter new fields, for past experience
teaches that they have always been the suf
ferers when tried. Tariff for revenue only
is uncertain because 1t would encourage i'm
portations and tend to increase rather than
diminish the revenue. While high tariff
would. if made sufficiently high, keep out
| of the country manufactured goods couse-
| qnently less revenues, protect and keep en-
| ployed our people, reduce the price of man
| ufactured goods by creating competition.
This is indisputable, it is American. 1t IS
| the condition now. Under tariff for revenue
| only the farmer would only be partially
protected, as he is now. This should be
remedied.
The farmers potatoes. wool, beans, eggs,
| dairy productions, manufactured factory
productions made from -four, etc, come
under this heading. The above uamed arti-
| cles need more protection. Experience
teaches that under the above system of tar
| itf the farmer may look in vain for any
profitable conditions. That is tariff for rev.
| enue only, free raw material and cheap nee
essares of life. What we want is equal pro-
| lection, better prices for our necessaries of
life, and raw material, that is more protec-
| ton for articles raised on the farm instead
| of less.
| No. 8. Under this heading comes our
| High Protective Tariff or Tariff for Revenue.
| This is | believe the true American system,
| for the reason that we have in this country
nearly everything in the way of raw ma
| terial to manufacture and are entirely indie
pendent of other sources for the necessaries
| of life to feed and clothe our people,
| With these resources and a subsidized
| commerce and our people standing on the
same business and Tariff footing, we could
assume an offensive position, the same as
| England with her subsidized lines of steam
ers, and sell goods in foreign markets at
paying prices. This would give the farmers
a better market at home and abroad for
their products. l claim that with proper
attention and busness-like application in
| the way of laying our duties it will safely
safely regulate our revenue and remove all
| disturbing Influences. Then the manufac-
| turer farmer, and laborer will be equally
protected and know what to depend upon.
Then the "only" which carries such uncer-
tainity, it will not be necess Try to adopt
here 1t is claimed by the enemies of our
| no1;nv bat ba ayact amount of