The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-08-30

Total

In the face of this exhibit, where the
estimate of Statistician Dodge is assum.
cd to be correct as to agricultural iln-
ports for 1889, when we know il is not,
the republican party proposes to de-
stroy by absolutely prohibitOry duties
all reciprocal trade, and to place the
country upon the basis of commercial
exclusion.
Who can fail to see that, If this policy
is pursued, the farmers of the United
States will be able to sell their surplus
products TO those alone who are forced
10 take them?
Mr.. Blaine discerns the danger, and
has deliberately challenged this insane
policy to mortal combat. He knows
that the pending bill will destroy the
foreign market for our farm pro.
ducts entirely, and he therefore de.
clares in his letter to Senator Frye:
There is not section or q line In the
entire bill that will open the market
barrel of pork"
Mr.. Blaine has at last publicly de
clared that the democratic party is right
in its contention that exports pay tor
imports. aud that reciprocity of trade
Is necessary to commercial prosperity.
Mr.. Blaine and every intelligent man
knows that all the American people
eat and wear must be provided by
their own labor or It's proceeds. The
farmers provide what our people eat,
and the manufacturers what they wear.
BY the census of 1880 there were $40.
493 persons engaged in farming In 1879
it required the labor of 5,773,O0S Of
these persons to supply the Americans
with what they ate, while the other
1895 ,4S5 produced farm products
which could not be sold in this country,
but were sent broad. This surplus.
amounting TO $546, ,476, ,703, for 1879,
was exchanged in foreign brought
countries for foreign products, which
were back and taxed AZ per cent. to
keep them from competing fairly with
the manufactures of the United States.
The fight to-day is between the
imports bought with the surplus pro-
ducts of the farmer and the goods OF
| the domestic manufacturer. The sim.
ple question presented Is, "Shall the
| farmers of the United States be per.
nitted TO supply their cOuntrymen with
| the proceeds OF their surplus products
exchanged abroad tor the products OF
other countries, or shall they be taxed
out of the home market to protect the
ill-owners from competition"
Ii any one doubts that exports and
imports pay tor each other, let him
| examine the table of exports and
imports from lS45 to 1889, both years
included, and he will lind that in all
these years, except 10, Imports aud
| and haA
together. That is to say, whenever
there was an increase OF imports
there was an increase of exports,
and when there was q decrease OF
imports there was also decrease OF
exports.
In only 10 of the years from lS45 to
1889 the rule did not obtain, by reason
of exceptional aud abnormal conditions
| produced by war or revolutions in
trade; but in the remaining years
increase and decrease of exports anu
| imports accompanied each other. With
Increase of exports tor given year
there was Increase of imports, aud
when there was, during given year,
| decrease of exports, there was also
| decrease OF imports.
This was the case during 81 out of AZ
years, aud no one can believe il to be
accidental unless Influenced by partisan
feeling.
The farmer who can not see that he
is the victim under the high.tariff
| system is hopeless partisan. lie
furnishes nearly tour-tiiths OF the
exports, and it the foreign market il
untriendly or absolutely closed against
him, he must keep his surplus products
at home and help to lower prices by
Cutting the market.
lie is told that the tariff has 10 " cred
the prices of manufactured goods, but
he never hears from the same lips that
the same goods have fallen in price the
world over, and are cheaper in Eng
land and Germany than here.
For many years the protectionists
claimed that the tariff duty was moi
paid by the consumer. bat they have
been driven from that position, and il
has been admitted in this chamber
during the present session by the sen
ator from Ohio Mr.. Sherman) and the
senator from Rhode Island (Mr. Aid
rich) that the tariff duty increases tht
cost OF the imported article TO the con