Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-03-13
Farmers Under Free Trade and
Protec ton.

The American farmer, though not
so prosperous as he ought to be, nor
so prosper Gus as he will be when he
has learned to diversity his indus
tries and to make beet root and fax
take the place Of much land now
devoted to grain, yet is the most
prosperous farmer upon the face of
the earth, and Is far more prosperous
than the American farmer of half a
century ago was.
The free traders tell the American
farmer that protection is crushing
the life out of him. Is this true?
Does free trade benefit the farmer of
any country? Universal history
proves that where free trade rules
there agriculture is depressed. Fifty
years ago the British farmer was the
ideal of the well-fed, weI-clothed,
well-llviug man, free from serious
care and having pleasant bank ac-
count. Britain Lhen adhered to a
protective policy. Bus about forty
two years ago Great Britain adopted
free trade, and the ruin of the
British farmer now is well-uigh com
p!ete. Lest it should be thought
that we overstate the case, we offer
IN proof the petition Of British farm
laborers and the deliberately written
opinion of MIR. G. r Howard Vim
cent, a member of the British Par
lament. Here is the petition:
FEBRUARY, ls90-Notice of the farmers Of
Norfolk in the employ of Mr. --
We, the farm iaborers in your employ. beg
very respectfully to remind you that we find it
impossible to maintain our homes for the very
low wages we are now receiving, 9s. (S2.25) and
lOs, ts2.5ol per week. While we are anxious to
remain in your employ, and without any hos.
tile feeling toward you, we give you notice that
IT is our intention 20 ask you kindly 20 raise
our wages at least to l2s 1881 per week, and I'M
less this be done in IA reasonable time we shall
be compelled TO appeal TO the country 10 sup
port US in our reasonable demand,
Trusting you will meet us In the same friend
ly way as we appeal and obige by giving us an
answer by the 2sth of March, 1890. we should
be willing to meet you with our friends in
friendly council.
We have the honor 70 be, yours faithfully.
Here follow the names Of the men,
Think of American farm hands
earning no more than from 1926 to
$3.50 for six days work, without
board! Think of reduction to such
a state of depression as would make
SO per week appear reasonable in
comel
But it is doubtful if the moderate
demands of the Norfolk farm labor
ers can be complied with. The
British farmer has no money to
spare nowadays. Mr.. Vincent says:
From Charing Cross 10 Dover the beautiful
county of Kent shows that It bears its lot I'm
the decline of British agriculture. II shows
hundreds of acres of grass land sparsely ten
anted by cattle and sheep. The comparatively
little arabic land shows that there is but scauty
rural employment, and that the young men
must compete with their countrymen in the
towns if they would earn decent livelihood.
This is what free trade has done
for the British farmer The farmers
of free trade Spain and free trade
Portugal are in even worse coudi-
ton.
But there is one country of Eu-
rope IN which the farmer is remark
ably prosperous. That country is
France. Fifty years ago the condi-
ton of the French farmer was far
from enviable; to-day it is the envy
of all European agriculturists Mr..
Frederic Harrison--a free trader, if
we mistake not-writing in the cur
rent number of the Forum, quotes
Arthur Young's summary, made at
the close of the last century: "In an
English village more meat is eaten
in week than in French village
in a year; the clothing, food, aud
intelligence of the english laborer
are far above those of the French
laborer" That was when England
had protection.
Since then France has become
largely protective in policy, and just
now is making her policy more pro-
tective than ever. What Is the re-
suit? Mr.. Frederic Harrison shall
speak: "The contrast to-day is re-
versed. It is the English laborer
who is worse housed, worse fed,
worse clothed, worse taught; who
has nothing of his own, who can
never save; to whom the purchase
of an acre of land is as impossible
as the purchase of a diamond neck
lace" The great secret of agricul-
tural prosperity in France is that the
country has a protective policy, and
the farmers do not depend chiefly
upon grain, but gro~ 5eetS, grapes,
and other crops in large variety.
The main cause of agricultural de-
preston in great Britain is the poll
lev of free trade.-Lqter Ocean.
A Lea ding Democrat on the Ben
nett Law