Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-04-10

An Ultra Free Trader ON the Agri-
cttiturist and Operative mt Home
aud Abr0nt.

aud Abroad.
Editor GGg4'ts d journal. As the work
| people of our factories seem to clo;m the
principal shore Of protectionist sympathy
and the tsiRi effects Of free trade on the
farming indus.ry largo share OF their
bugbea rhetoric, would like 10 COD
slider briefly tho tariff question as II re-
lates exclusively Gnd respectively to the
rights and interests OF farmers and fac
tory work people, or, giving each class
its Latin derived appeilatiye, ngrieul-
turista and operatives; promising, with
all due respect for New Jersey, my native
state, that l shall, in my treatment of
such an important subject, brief and inn
perfect Rs it may be, endeavor nevartDe-
less to base my remarks ON something
broader and dsapor than what may hap
pan TO underlie the immediate interests
OF egg producers and Jersey truckers.
And first, il should always be temem-
herGd that s. long ns We export farm
products the price psid the farmer, not
less for what il couaumed in the home
market thsu in the foreign, will be adj
justsd to tns European standard or
course tho agriaulLuriat will get no more
for Vhct IL sold IN tlig country than 10
| what is sCli in The foreign market, sud
there wilt be none sold in the fcragn
market unleOs the price here will jus
thy 1t.
When we have TO import food to rcd
our manufacturers, like England, then
the price Of our hnme food products will
go up 10 orr operatives here until II
touches the foreign rice, pins freight
and pay of home deaera, for OF course
theirs viii not % one price paid for home
tnts ND fhaR fovf rH
Under snch a condition the piioe paid
the agriouIturist ought to advance also,
but now long 1t will he before suoh o
change in our affairs will come, leave
otherB to RIess.
\ What matters it TO our formers whether
our farm products are sold 1T home or
abroad if they, in either case, realize
only the European price minus freight
aid other costs TO Europe2 I,he English
opsrativ mugt pay the price paid food
producers, plus ocean and other freight,
aud tue profits OF nidilemen, whereas
the American operative escapes ocasu
freight ard gats or should got his food
here, of gwen quatity, cheaper tLAn
tho English operative, Smile at tho Same
time he gets Is projected pricA from tne
sLupid American farmer who, in his tdrn,
gets lesH for his products than tho
English farmer, on account OF ocean
freight TO speak OF no other) and add
tion&l middlemsn.
Bnt it has been said that free trade,
throwing our manufacturing population
out OF employment, would cause them to
turn food producers in competition with
the agricultural. But il this were to
happen, the whole or corresponding
proportion of our manufactures being
shifted to the old world, more operatives
would be required there, aud this would
create vReuums TO be filled in other in
dustfies which, it il allowable to suppose,
would in the eud result In draft from
tho agricultural class there; and since we
are dependent, AZ it regards price OF farm
products, on the European market,
draft there would nulllty the supposed
disadvantage OF the Influx into the agri-
cultural ranks here. And in any event
what, with present low prices and pros
pect OF prices, need the farmer care for
competition! He can Rssuredly-now ut
least-snap his fingers, "poor and
hearty" before the face of threatening
competitors, il not of threatening cred
tiers. And what sane man would care to
compete with him in the market? Moat
men can get plain living, and the farmer
gets no more. According to my informA-
lion, the operative fox gets the larger
share of the poultry as well as the high
schools in which 10 sharpen his msr-
censry wits.
Let these operatives stick 10 their trades
and be- quite content with the advantage
which the necessity OF freight from
Europe to this country gives them and
their employers, since they pay less than
their European comp sers do for their
food OF gwen quality, and since their
patron, the farmer, who has to ray high
wages to his laborers because OF the h.g h
price of ''store goods, gets nothing more
for his products than price gagged with
reference TO that ia Europe, price lea
than that received by his English COM
peer.
But suppose these operatives, or many
of them, on the advent of free trade
should rs-emigrate to Europe, where in.
deed many OF them belong and where
mauy of them would have been had nos
the Republican party held oat the in
dueement OF plumber. Very we'll, be I
20. tIat all of our manufacturing be
, done il Europe il 1t cannot bs dons here
amongst oustlyes, vito could once turn
J our eyes to our government as tAo
sanctuary of oEr liberties. Without d
/ bonus psid by agriculture, whicn mr.
wrOnged by sny betrayal o. ts interests
on tho part Of government, still, uppro-
tected, naturally becomes the oppressed
Of ell oppTessors. /. thu farmer has
nu!hing TO fear from their competitiUn
here, lie haB nothing to fear from il there.
. The same ships that bring ns our mann.
factursd goods can take cur fooa to those
WHO work for us in Europe, nor will the
stauGsrd OF pFio6s be other than the
! European. Just as before, although The
] farmer might reap an advantage from On
enlarged Commerce in The matter OF
freight. Our whole tariff system 10 dis.
J grace to the Intelligence aud spirit Of The
| farmers north and wet and 10 ono of the
severe trials the agricultural south las
had 10 endure. Nor do tho necessities o.
: government EfDrd the least reason for
the maintenance OF any degree Of this
, so-oailed protection. II ii ia dos rsble
that these necessities be mst BIZ levy on
0 manufactures, let gu import ba placed Oh
manufactures foreign and lomestiC
: alike. The freight 81 foreign goods to on.
0 shorea gives our operatives Rn gdyautApg
. and the lower cost OF thoir food, through
/. not having TO pay freight, additional 10
. price paid producers here rs European
/ operatives do, gives them snoshar adyan-
o taRe. While on tho other hand our
farmers compared with those Of England
q are ut disadvantage. lu tho old world
: agricultural Interests have been, for ages,
r under the powerful proteetion OF lAad
owning Legislative aristocracy. Some
9 protection Of manufactures may be
:, inpt and pniitio R,,t in tb;a oo,,yl -,