The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-10-28

just building, and finally the mechan-
les that erect and the operatives that
run the factory, all these are to be fed
and clothed, and to all these we sell
our crops of hay and corn and oats
for their animals; our wheat and pota-
O our butter and cheese; our eggs
and poultry, so that if not 80 en-
pIoyed they would be producing crops
which would tend, with lessened
markets and increased quantity, to de,
crease prices; but employed in factories
and mines, they use our products. So
that a tariff, If properly G&ustet 1,
would not be q curse, after all.
l wish to present another view
which our advisory newspapers give
our farmers with great regularity.
They have but the smallest smattering
of political economy, and the largest
amount of sectionslism, and their pc,
litical ideas and social ideas of econ.
omy are so inconsistent that they need
only to be recited to be understood. l
quote:
awe advise our farmers to- raise
home supplies, raise an additional colt
or calf, and do not have your smoke.
houses in Chicago, nor your meal-tub
in Kansas, nor your four-sack in Da
kota, and with your surplus saved by
this method, inves ed in home fac,
tories, we would prosper as never be,
fore"
If this advice is good for a com,
munity, it is good for a county, a
State or a nation. The pro ecsive
idea is, get everything we use at
home, in our WI country. Manu-
facture at home, produce at home.
buy of each other, thus keeping our
money at home. This is protection,
and Congress levies a tax on the
products of other countries for reve
nue. and to compel you to buy home
products. | quote again:
of we send all the money we get
for u cotton out West for -four and
pork and up North for fur clothing
and furniture and machinery, the
| balance of trade is against US, and we
grow poorer year by year"
This is the protective idea, and all
agree that it has much to recommend
it.
Suppose that ms cad of the McKin.
ley bill becoming a law, Congress
was to enact a law reducing all tariff
dues 25 per cent what would follow {
Millions of dollars worth of foreign
goods would DO imported in excess OF
what is now brought from abroad.
The laborer could buy cheaper than
now, out thousands would soon be out
of employment. The farmer could
buy cheaper than now, but his
produce wo1ld sell cheaper in his
home markets. We have our wheat
and cotton to the amount of 300 mil.
lions of dollars, but that would not
pay Import bills, hence the balance of
trade would be against US and our
gold and silver would go out Of the
country to settle differences in &C
Counts. Then we would find ourselves
IN the same condition we find our
selves at the South.
On the other hand it must be
| equally clear that if we repeal the
present laws that taxes raw materials
our manufactured articles can be
made cheaply than now, and il
this we're the case we could sell oul
manufactured products abroad and
shus give employment to the thou
sands Of laborers that, under the other
view, would be thrown out of employ
nent, and that our farm products
that we o export, together with
our increased manufactured products
would change the balance Of trade il
our favor, and we would prosper al
never before.
AY~%YNNT m Vww- -vIww~