The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1890-09-17
for THE FARMERS.
THE GOVERNMENT is
.. u, UNSOUND FOR .''-
~ THEM. 'a." . ..
MONEY DOES NOT GROW IN
r THE TREASURY. ~.

4
Taking II Out for Bountiel
Makesit Necessary that Iarg-
f. or Sums Must be Paid In.
- a*31 From Belford Magazine. - VI ~ .
Not all the gudgeons belong t.
the water. The land not only ha,
/ its share Of them, but largely be
| longs to them. Of all classes among
us, the farmers have probably ex-
hibited the least sagacitY when il
came to looking out for their OWL
interests. They have permitted
themselves to be taxed for the bene-
fit of others without receiving any.
thing in return. Having, as rule
nothing to sell that could possibly
suffer from foreign competition, q
tariff on importations could be oi
no advantage to them; while they
have been unwittingly paving high.
er prices for homemade wares
that free-trade would have cheap.
ened eyerv time. They have been
pulling the manufacturer chest.
nuts ont of the FIRE at the expense
of their own fingers. And yet theil
vote has been the principal bulwark
of the so-called protective system.
Slowly and surely, however, the
farmers have been opening their
eyes to the true situation. They
have begun to see that protection,
so called, means discrimination, and
that discrimination means extortioh
from certain classes for the benefit
Of others, and that they furnish
most OF the victims. Hence they
are not likely to be so pliable here
after as in the past. Their political
leaders, realizing that they will no
longer bite at the naked hook with
old-time aVidity, are busy preparing
certain receptions by which it may
be baited. The first of these will
be a bombastic pretence Of looking
out for the farmers interest in the
preparation of a new Tariff Bill, by
putting upon the dutiable list a
number of things which they pro-
duce. At one Of the open sessions
of the Ways and Means Committee
of the House, at Washington, a
gentleman describing himself as the
"Worthy Grand Master Of the Pa
irons of Husbandry," from Ohio,
recently appeared, aud very ostenta.
tiously submitted a list of articles
that he said the farmers wanted
added to the protective schedule,
The transaction was significant, and
strongly suggestive Of prearrange-
ment. There is no doubt Of the
tarif-manipulators, now busy at
Washington, being ready to make a
display Of zeal for sgrieulturists BY
so enlarging the circle Of protection
as to appear TO include them, But
what will it amount to? Putting a
duty on imported wheat will not ad-
vance the price Of that cereal as long
as no one ever thinks Of importing
il. And 50 with most or the far
mers' productions. Putting their
names on a tariff list, and announc-
ing that they are protected" will
amount TO nothing more than a
false pretence and an attempt to de.
ceiye.
Another bait for the political
hook, which is especially designed
for the farmers consumption, IS the
Bounty. Quite an ado Is being made
over the proposition to give the pro.
ducers Of certain improbable and
experimental articles a bonus from
the national treasury. The thret
S's--silk, salt, and sugar must b.
peeuniarily assisted, says the con,
gressional representative from an
agricultural district in Kansas. II
would be impossible to conceive oI
anything more dishonest or fallaci
Gus. In the first place, the sugges
hon is largely designed TO offset anC
cover up certain subsidies in aid o.
steamship lines and other robbel
schemes. And IN the next place
the whole idea Of government
bountles is unsound. The bount,
system is wrong in principle. II
means simply that some shall b,
taxed for the benefit of others. I
increases the general burden; fol
money does not grow in the treasury
and taking ii out for bounties make
il necessary that larger sums shal
be paid In; and as the farmers, beinI
the most numerous class, either di
rectly or indirectly pay most of Oh,
taxes, they IN the end would be thC
principal sufferers.
But there is another imposition
with which tho farmers are nov
threatened in this connection. Thii
Is the pretended conversion TO tarif
reform Of certain men having thsi
confidence, who have been, and still
are, the most efficient supporters o.
tho extortions that are practised up
en- our taxpayers under cover of th,
revenue laws. We have an iIlustra
ton IN the case Of q distinguishe,
Western United States Senator
While Mr.. Allison has been assum
ing to represent Iowa, winch Is al
agricultural State, he has for year
] been working for the manufaotur.
ers Of pennsvlyania and ofher East