West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1890-10-23

n condition or which even blind man. bv
brief, primary instruction. can look with
unelO0ded vision and reach an unerrins,
conclusion What Is the issue this day
between tue farmer and the restrictions,
Impressions and extortions OF protective
tarihy That is the question 20 consider;
that Is the question in which American
farmers are now every where most vitality
interested. Are they gathering figs, are
they plucking good fruits from the policy
of their GOyernmentg challenge the adj
vocates Of the present system OF pT0tec.
ton TO answer ON this floor or anywhere
else.
The farmers of the United States are
this hour realizing, upon general aver
age, not more than 10 cents per bushel for
corn, so cents per bushel for wheat, % TO
cents pound for hogs, cent aud a
half to cents for fat cattle, and even
this low aud almost nominal rate OF
| prices would be reduced 10 nothing az all,
aud the farmers would be brought in debt
II the expenses of prod uction as well as of
transportation were taken into the ac-
count. The compensation TO the farmer
for the enormous and internal tax he has
to pay under the tanff on all he needs
and all he uses has always been the lend,
prolonged and vehement promise of an
| eager, remunerntive home market for all
he raised and wanted TO sell. Where ia
that home marketg The farmer is hunt
ing for IL, and mourning because IL is not
To be found. Home markell What lies
have been told in its namel
The Ignorant charlatan aud the design
ing knave have alike poured falsehoods
into the ears of the people, assuring the
unsuspecting, and those of easy faith in
the direction especially of their party
ties, that home markets are created and
/ tlF h. IL -
now, after all these years of deception
and lucrative mendacity on the part of
the money party and its advocates, thou
sands of farmers in different parts of the
country, owning and tilling lands richer
far than the Delta OF the Nile, are point
ing IN derision and scorn OF all tariif pro-
| lection To their stoves and freplaces as
their only home market for corn. The
rich contents of their corncrbs, the frnits
oil the years soil, have become cheaper as
fuel than wood or coal, and as they
mournfully gaze on this great staple
bTcadstuh turning 90 ashes for want OF q
market in this land Of railroads, rivers
and lakes IL would seem as If all their
hopes of relief at the hands of the party
now In power would perish in the same
way.
Experience Ii teaching a harsh and
severe lesson to the American farmer
and the time will come. Mt no distant
day, when he will look upon the PROPOSE
ton 20 tax him, his wife and his children
Tor the protection and benefit of other
people besides himself and his own IA he
would lock upon a law Of Congress estab.
fishing the army worm, tho weevil. and
the nudge in his wheat, legalizing locusts
lice, grassbOppers, and injecting his cattle
with murrain and his hogs with cholera
IL Is nit possible that the fraudulent and
monstrous policy of taxing the farmer
into poverty in order 20 make another
class Of people nabobs and millionaires
can much longer delude and mislead any
one at to manage hisoWn affairs aud have
The care Of family.
From year to year the farmer has been
assured. and ia certain quarters he is now
again being reminded, that protection Is
extended to the products Of his labor
against the competition Of similar pro-
ducts imported from abroad for sale ia
our markets The pTotectionist who adj
/ vances this argument is either himself a
fool or an audacious knaVe, who assumes
/ that the farmers TO whom IL is addressed
are fools. DO the home markets Of the
United States invite the great staples Of
agriculture from foreign lands? Doee
the price OF wheat, of corn, of cotton. of
pork and Of beef in our markets excite
|
stock raisers OF Europe, Canada, Mexico.
or South America? What need is there Of
tariff duty TO keep the products of
/ foreign farms away from our shores
when IN point Of fact prices ia American
markets for agricultural productions nav
the American farmer but little more than
neighborhoOd transportation, and nothing
1t oil for his labor?
The farmers OF the United States sell
abroad and feed the world. Every pre-.
tense Of protection for their home markets
is = fraud; every duty laid on such
articles as wheat corn, cattle. horses.
eggs, poultry and other like prod uctions
Of farm life and farm labor Is cheat and
a sham, and is ~ intended. Under cover
Of deceptive and pretended protection.
| which affords no protection At all for any
thing he has to sell. the farmer has been
/ for Year,, and IL now, compelled 10 pay
taxes on the Deccssaries Of life after the
! following average rates: On woollen
goods, an average Of 20 per cent; knit
cotton goods, 30 per cent cotton cloth
ing % per cent; cotton baggina, A per
cent; cotton ties, 30 per cent tin plate
ior roofing, milk pals and kitchen uten-
/ siis 10 per cent; earthern aud stone ware.
~ per cent. chains, A per cent window
glass, % per cent, and sugar, 10 per cent
10 convince the farmer that he IL pro-
tfcted ard benefited by such an aboinina.
| bic system a. this would seem 70 q rational
mind utterly impossible, and get in some
instances 10 hes been done. 4 recall one
instance Mt this time, and 1 will venture
70 describe 10 70 Senators ss have once be-
fore done 70 a popular assemblsgc. Dur
ing the campaign Of 1858 in one Of our
beautiful Indiana towns, and iu n very
fertile belt Of country, j Witnessed q Re
publican procession. IT, had Ira IL many
industrial exhibits, claiming ~ show the
power and the glory of p tariff laid for
protection. As scanned the long line Of
moving vehicles J caught sight of one that
rivctod my gaze and gave me much food
for reflection on The power 10 mislead and
deceive which was abroad in the land. III
was wagon driven BY ~ farmer and
loaded with the productions Of bis fields.
There we're specimens Of corn, wheat. rye.
hay and Gate; Of potatoes, pumpkins.
Watermelons and cantei0upes, OF cab
bagcs beans, onions pie-piant and toms.
toes of apples, peaches, pears grapes and
cultivated biackbefriee, ard on each side
Of The wagon ina big staring letters read
the following: These are the fruits Of
protection" Ny FIRST thought was that
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