The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-08-05
A WARNING TO FARMERS.
Protection Swept the Emblem of Lib
cry from the Seas, and is To
day Undermining our
Farming Indus
tries,

A little over forty years ago the
merchants Of the United States owned
seventy FIVE per cent. of the vessels
carrying the foreign tonnage of
America. To-day they own none of
them. So extinct has become the
American flag upon the sea of the
world that Nellie Bly,, in her trip
lasting seventy three days, never say
the. stars and stripes floating from the
masthead of a vessel from the time Of
her leaving this country until her re,
turn. This grand old emblem of lib
erty has been protected that is,
taxed-of of the ocean highways of
the world. lis freedom has been
paralyzed by trade restrictions. Just
as a eagle pines and dies in captivity,
so has the American flag dropped and
died in the captivity of protection.
So well did he merchants and sailors
in the early history of our government
understand their calling and their in
terests that it was with them that the
cry "Free trade and sailors rights
originated. Free trade in commerce
which is the rights to do business
with whom you please-is a thing of
the past; and "sailors' rights have
died with the death of commerce Of
the United States. This has hap
pened within the last thirty years of
the history Of this country.
The same influences are now under
mining and destroying the farmers
and farming industries of the United
States. More farms are baing sold
out every month in the counties ADA
cent to Philadelphia than ware sold
ten or twelve years ago during an en
tire year. Excepting it's foreign COM
MERGE, no industry of this country is
50 paralyzed to-day as that of farm
ing. 1t is fast becoming a business
Of the past; not only in 50 far as to
hardly enable a man to make a living
for himself and family, but in every
respect. History is repeating with
the farmers the experiences of the
sailors. The farmers as a class do
not seem to understand what is meant
by selling in a free trade market and
buying in a taxed market. They
seem to fail to appreciate the fact
that Liverpool makes the price Of
grain for Pennsylvania the same as it
does for Russia and India, and do not
comprehend that it is the price of. their
surplus products that makes them
successful or bankrupt.
The farmers of this country are
now doing a business on a basis of
ouying milk by dry measure and sell
ing it by wine measure. They are
.uying by the short ton of 1000
pounds and selling by the long ton of
2,24O pounds. They are doing just
the reverse of what they should do. in
order to become successful farmers or
successful traders. Of all the call
ings in this country the one that could
stand free trade more absolutely is
that of the farmer. If the Mckinley
tariff bill should become a law, and be
enforced for three years, it is safe to
sly that no farmer in Pennsylvania
would be able to pursue his calling
and make his expenses. When it is
understood that about forty-five per
cent. of the people Of the United
States are farmers, or are interested
in the farming industries, it may be
realized how disastrous to the indus
tries of this country would be the en-
forcement of the provisions Of the Nc
tariff bill,-PhizadeZphia Rec
ord.