The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-01-31
Laws That do not Protect the
Farmer.

FARMER.
With our abundant raw material. mechan-
cal appliances and educated, skilled labor
we ought to outStrip any nation on the
globe and lead the world in manufactures
and commerce. We have the cheapest,
most abundant and best rsw material of any
nation on the globe, and the supply eau be
indefinitely increased. We have a moder-
ate sized empire ofuntouched land, the best
possible for the production Of wheat, butter,
pork products and beef in the millions of
acres in the dry belt of the United States,
extending from the Rocky Mountains east
and west, and stretching from New Mexico
to British America. A vast system of ir.
rigation will be commended by the Federal
government in the near future which will
convert this semi.desert into the most pro-
ductive agricultural region Of the country, a
country where crops will never fail. This
reclaimed area will add to orr millions of
raw material millions more, which bulky
and heavy product cannot prcftably be
transported to foreign countries to supply
cheap food to people who stand ready to
compete with US in manufactures if we are
simple enough to supply them with provis-
ions. If our farms did not literally feed
Europe with the cheapest and best food In
the world. she could not compete with us in
manufactures. When oar government
throws open our ports 10 the introduction of
such raw materials as our manufacturers
must have and the United States cannot
furnish, and in place of subsidies to grasp
ing monopolies and trusts, we have true
protective manufacturer tariff, then our
commercial industry will being to expand.
We will being to extend our manu- factories
in keeping with the increasing productions
Of raw material which always includes food
products. Our mechanical industries will
advance in ship-building to supply navy
to carry abroad our manufactured goods in
stead as now our raw material on foreign
built ships. We must reach down to that
point of cheapness which will meet the com
petition of any and all nations in the world,
or we cannot extend and increase our for
eign trade, and until that is accomplished
our farmers cannot reap their full share of
benefl from tariff laws. 1t is estimated
that there are million of idle people in
the United States who would gladly be en-
ployed if they could find work, and there is
another million who do not want work, who
are idle drones on the country. Those will
ling TO work should be employed, and would
be if our industrial system was healthy, in
place of 1t being represented bya SIERRA of
colossal fortunes, monopolies, trusts, COM
bines and gambling rings.
The thieves, paupers and lunatcs which
infes the streets of our cities, fill our prisons,
aimshouses and insane asylums, are largely
the off scourings of Europe, dumped on our
shores by the Irish emigrant society and
German society of New York, the Prison
ers' Aid society of London, the agents of
steam ship and railroad lines of this and
European countries. These constitute not
only demoralizing, but heavy consum-
ing. class which waste the proceeds of cur
industry as truly as a fire destroys property
while earning nothing. The liquor monop-
oily, which is tosfered by our government, is
steadily adding TO every branch of this
worse .han useless class. Last year eleven
hundred million dollars was spent for alco-
ho!ic liquors in this country which were
drank, fifty millions more than in any year
previous. Eight tenths of these liquor
dealers and manufacturers are of foaeign
birth. Our loose emigration laws, our
worse than felony protecting liquor laws,
our monopoly fostering and gambling pro-
noting laws, which create luxury, waste
and immortality, foster a class who are sup
ported by the products of our farms. If
these products were withheld. but for two
months, the railroads would stop business,
the streets Of our cities would no longer re-
sound with the rumble of trade, stores and
warehouses would close, ships desert the
wharyes and the wall of famine stricken
people al one break the stiffness of the DESC
lation. Truly the farmer alone makes it
possible for all these people to exist. He
provides for them all, and how do these
merchant princes, these gorged monopoles,
the great banking houses, the boards of
trade, the stock gamblers use this wealth
that the farms pour into the centres of trade?
They bolster up their business with it and
send the surplus 10 Europe to pay their bal
ances in trade, and in spite of all this wealth
the farmer is to-day ON the verge of general
bankruptcy. In place Of the untold wealth
of our farms creating busy hives of honest
industry and thrift, it goes to strengthen
monopolies and gambling operations mis-
called "trade" and Cuisines" and this class
poses before The world as evidence of the
unparallei wealth Of the Nation Our tariff
and financial laws do not protect the farmer
in his business but they do foster and pro-
tect those who steal the farmer poor.