The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1890-05-03
uncOnstitutionallty OF the act under
which the execution Was to take
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RUBK REM ED1ES

RUBK REMEDIES.
The extraordinary document re
Gently issued by Secretary Rush, OF
the Agricultural Department at Wash
ington, and scattered under his frank
broadcast over the country, is exciting
the ridicule even Of our local rural
correspondents. What was the oc,
casion for the issue Of such scrced!
1t is not . report addressed to the
president or congress, with whom
alone the head Of department Is sup
posed Officially to communicate, but is
a sort OF paternal lecture to the
farmers, Mr.. Rusk apparently imagin-
ing himself their official guardian by
virtue OF his position. The need of it
arose from the fact that his wards had
lately been exhibiting unpleasant
symptoms OF uncasness over a de-
preston In their occupation, which
they were inclined to attribute TO
being heavily and unjustly burdened
by tariff taxation for the benefit OF
other industries.
"Bless you, no." says Father Rusk,
sit Is not on account Of too much, but
because there is not enough tariff that
you are suffering. You cannot b.
aware that Of the 500, 900, 900 annua
imports into the United States $780,
0OO, 900 are agricultural products. Tax
these out OF the country and you will
be all right And he proceeds to
enumerate the following as "agricul-
tura, products" imported during 1889,
with which has proved so
runous to our farmers:
Sugar and molasses .... S93, 30l 1874
Animalsand their products,
except wool. ~, 263, Ola
Fibrcs, animal and veget-
able. ................ 80 453, 936
NJ iscellaneOus-inclu.bread-
stuifs, fruits, hay, hops,
oils, rice, seed, tobacco,
vegetables, wines, etc.. Tl,25i, 1914
Unfortunately for Father Rusk's
theory, the Mckinley committee of
the house have decided that the i'm
portation of 1903, 100000 OF sugar has
nothing to do with our agricultural
depression and have knocked off the |
sugar tariff entirely. This cuts out
Father Rusk's biggest item and re-
luces his total to less than 5000, 00O,-
100. or this the neXtitem is ami
nails and their products, $l2, 263, Ola;
)ut this is offset by an export of $780,
)O0, COO, and comes under the principle
aid down in his letter further along,
hat Where we produce a surplus,
hat surplus regulates the price OF the
ntire crop of the world" Then, as
We have had a surplus Of ninety mil
ion to export against forty-two mil
ions imported, the importation had
lothing to do with prices which were
cgulated abroad.
His third item, "FibreS, animal and
vegetable" which means wool, silk,
lax, jutc, etc. All these are album
Iantly protected already, and yet,
instead of an increase, there has been
constant falling off in the home pro-
uctlon; in wool mainly because the
Xclusion of foreign woods for mixing
hortens the demand for the home
rticle. Silk, of course no amount OF
can make profitable
agricultural" crop in this country;
nd as for flax and jute, the farmers,
instead of wanting more protection,
ave been demanding that they be
lade free.
Finally, as to 'breadstutfs, fruits,
ay, hops, oils, tobacco, etc." about
II of them come under the same COM
rehensive and indisputably correct
already referred to; that, as
,e export more than we import, the ,
rice is fixed in the markets Of the ,
,orld and not here, and no amount OF .
ariiI protection here can possibly
feet it.
Then the upshot of it all is, that
'ather Rusk. after naming $500, OOO, 600
,orth of agricultural products against
Which he says our farmers ought to be
Protected, gives himself and his whole
.se away nv LAYING down a Well-eStab-
shcd and universally recognized eco
ionic principle, which shows that any
uch attempted protection on the part
f congress as he suggests would prove
deusion and fraud.
More than two weeks have elapsed
incc the New York Eccning Post