Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-04-04
SWEET BAIT FOR FARMERS
The Mckinley Bill Thrown Out as an
Anchor to Windward.
Fears of Being Dashed on the Rocks
OF Tariff Reform.
Visionary Concessions in Exchange
For Rural Votes.

ASHINGTON. April l.-lhe republican
! tariff bill seems to have been designed
mainly to fool the farmers Congressman
/ Mills says: There are several provisions
! IN the bill for drawbacks and rebates on
| manufactured articles sold to foreign coun-
| tries when made of imported dutiable ma
! terIaiS. For instance. the tax on hides Is
| RELATED on leather exported. In other
| words. the republicans confess that the only
! way that they can geS 4 foreign trade is by
| having the advantage of cheap raw ma
| terials. Yet. by this substitute for free
raw materials, they give the manufacturer
chance to sell cheaply in the foreign
market and deny him the right to sell
cheaply in the home market. Foreign
consumers may have cheap goods, while
protective tariff is left substantially is it
was, or Is raised to the point demanded
! by the benefciaries.
The sop thrown out to the farmer Is of
the most fiimsy sort. Except in one or two
articles. like eggs, ali the increased duties
on agricultural products which the farmer
Is to be asked to believe, proves how much
the republican party Is trying to do for him
are increases on articles which are not i'm
ported, and which therefore do not
come into competition with American
producers. The bill increases the tax
on wheat from 20 to % cents a bushel
During the last fiscal year the United
States exported 46000.000 bushels of
wheat. worth S46.0O0.G00. and S45. .000.-
600 worth of flour total of S9l 600 900
of wheat and -four. In the same year the
imports Of wheat amounted to 1916
bushels of wheat. only as much as the aver
age American farm will produce The
republicans raise the duty on corn
from 10 to Is cents d buShel and on the
strength of this republican orators will
90 out to the Kansas and Nebraska prai-
rles, where the farmers are burning
their corn, and TO Texas. where the
farmers are In doubt whether their corn
crop is worth pulling or not, and say to
the people: Its too bad that corn Is so
cheap, but you cant blame Us for it. Have
we not incresed the duty 50 per cent
If that is not enough we will increase it
100 per cent at the next congress. and
then the corn-burning farmer will be ex-
pected to bless the name OF the repubi-
can party and fall down and worship it
as before The facts are. however. that
while in the last fiscal year the United
States exported 69.000,00O bushels of
corn worth S3l 900. 900. it imported Just
:. 2.33S bushels, worth 81 PIP. Perhaps the
increase of duty will reduce importation,
but don't think it will stop the burning
of corn.
so it with most of the protection
which the republicans hold out to the
farmer as an inducement for him to keep
silent while the process of rObbing him
goes on. The Mckinley bill increases
the duty on corn meal from 10 to 20
cents a bushel, and this will probably be
held up to the farmer as great boon to
him. The importation of corn meal in
the last fiscal year amounted to 1886
bushels Mckinley. tries TO tiallle the
farmers by increasing the duty ON oats
from 10 to Is cents a bushel Our imports
of oats last year amounted to -, ,324 bush
els, valued at Sl0,17S, while the exports
were 624,00O bushels. The United States
imported sixteen bushels of rye, worth
81 50 Il bushel. Why not protect Ameri-
large enough to keep out those sixteen
bushels?
The committee did better on bacon
and hams. 1t increases the duty on
these articles from , to ) cents pound
If the new duty should keep out the 272,-
900 pounds of bacon and hams which we
imported last year, see what Il magnif-
cent thing it would be for the American
farmers who are now able to produce
and sell abroad only 400,000,000 pounds
of bacon and hams in one year. On beef
mutton and Pork also the republicans in
crease the duty 100 per cent The imports
Of these products last year amounted to
200, 900 pounds, valued at $4,000, while
we exported 518,000,000 worth of beef
alone.
The Mckinley bill gives the farmer
protection on butter, increasing the duty
from 4 to 6 cents a pound. The impor-
tation of butter during the last fiscal year
was 1000 pounds and valued at S17,-
000. Mckinley has sought to please the
farmer 10y increasing the duty on cheese
80 per cent Our importation of cheese
in the last year was 5000. 900 against an
of S5.000,00O pounds In
other words. the proposed protection of
agriculture is ii fraud intended for cam
paign use and as a cover for increase or
of the tax on nearly all the
articles which the farmer consumes"