Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1890-11-27

states, would bring nearly as, 6o0, 900.
Fifteen cents d bushel on barley, 81, 900, II
900 more. Potatoes, ait 10 cents adj
vance. about quarter OF million, and
so on Such d statement is, OF course,
ridiculous, yet it Is exactly the sophistry
and tielusion that is being talked all over
the country by opponents to the Me-
Kinley bill.
In the matter OF tin, American manu-
facturers have been handicapped from
the start. English syndicates have con-
trolled the principal mines and have
handled the bulk of the product. When
ever it has suited their purpose. to raise
the price they have done so, and when
ever it has seemed advisable, from policy
or necessity, to reduce it little,
that too, has been done. 1t
has now become known to o GER.
tainty that tin can be mined in this
country in limitless quantities. With a
margin for protection of only cent per
pound, however, our capitalists have not
been willing to risk much money Or
time in the development of tin manu-
features, because they could be easily
frozen out during the years of begin
nings, by foreign competition. But the
increase in tariff has changed the con-
ditions. Congress has finally given to-
this industry the same sort of encourage
ment that has been extended to others
OF our great material interests when
| they were too feeble to stand alone.
Never in the history of legislation has
there been such an awakening OF In
terest in particular direction, as the
additional duty of 2-10 cents per pound
| on tin and terne plates has brought
! about, $7,000,000, to be invested in
Baltimore, SIS, 100000, in Chicago, and
the Mckinley bill only three weeks on
| the market.
We are told that farmers are oppressed
by the tariff on machinery; that reapers
and piows, and things of that sort, are
sold abroad for half what they have sold
for here. Is the tariff responsible for
this condition of things? Not by any
means. Manufacturers sell their wares
for cash to dealers abroad, and it is GER
| tainly true that the same class of dealers
in this country can buy them at equally
low prices. The difficulty lies in the
manner of sale. Machines are shipped
from factory to distributing agent,
where they are handled at considerable
expense by ali agent of the company or
a wholesale dealer. In either case a
profit must be made. They go from
these distributing stations, after being
three times handled, to local dealer or
agent in some smaller town, where they
are brought into contact with the
farmer. This dealer has margin of
from 25 to 40 per cent. profit, and when
he sells, in nine cases out of ten, he
takes a note from the farmer, running
one, two or three years, as the
case may be. For this accommoda-
| &c fnl
the article, for in a great number of
cases when the notes come due, they will
have to be extended, or sued, and this
latter course, as learned by seven years.
experience in a manufacturing iHstitu-
ton. is almost equivalent to u aban-
donment of the claim. Farmers, as a
rule, mean to pay their debts, but since
crops and stock are the only sources of
revenue, payment of notes depends upon
the outcome of the seasons work. 1t
may be satisfactory, but If from any
cause crops are spoiled, or cattle fail,
then extensions of time ON obligations
, must follow. All these operations cost
money, so that the difference between
what the farmer ultimately pays for a
. reaper, for Instance, and what the man.
ufacturer actually receives, is at least
equal to the discount to dealers abroad.
Sewing machines that are sold at retail
for from $40 to $75 apiece to the user,
can be purchased in quantities from
manufacturers at from $15 to $50. II
: the tariff was removed tomorrow from
many of the articles produced in this
country, the difference in price would be
scarcely pereeptible. I have said that
when an industry reaches that point
where it can cope with any competition
tariff should be removed from that par.
ticular interest, but ! am nearly con-
WINGED, now, that it is better to let il
remain as safeguard, while home com.
petition, one manufacturer with another
: Is accomplishing what we all desire-re
duction of prices.
Only few years ago Administer ear
pets were worth So a yard, and were al
handmade. An adequate protection en-
couraged not only American capital bu
) American genius, and before very Ions
: an American had invented machinery t.
: take the place of hands, factories hae
u been erected, prices began to fall, ant
: now we are making 100000 yards
year and are practically independent o
Il foreign supply.
Let the tariff remain, not as burden
9 but as an indication to the 800 manufac
. turers of these wares that the govern
Y ment is protecting it's offspring,
A multitude of instances might b.
{ quoted to prove the advantages of pro
lection, but If our people will invests
gate matters of this nature for them
selves, and not be influenced by plausi
!, BILE sophistry, which seems to be promis
u ing 81 for rs cents, or profit and pros
:, perity without labor and sacrifice,
q much more healthy and desirable condi
u ton of public sentiment will be de
= yeloped.
:, Foreign nations are in arms over Nc
Kinley's bill. Does anyone suppose tina
they are worrying lest American inter
Q ests shall suffer? Oh, no. They ar
i alarmed over two natural consequence
y which are likely to follow. ]. A grea
} falling off in their trade with America
= which has been their most proftahl
J market. 2. They have found America
IS competitors, in outside fields, to be tn
most formidable of all they encounter
. and they are quick to perceive that
= manufacturing establishments ere In
u creased, and new industries are brough
y into being, the genius and push Of Amer
y lean producers will make them hustle
u hold their own, even In fields where the
70 are supreme.
c Had 1t been left for me to frame, ther
% are some things in the Mckinley bi
u that might have left out, and / al
u sure that there are good many repnt
L licans, particularly In the west, who al
.e not in harmony with all of it's proyis
y ions. But there were opponents
s. the Mills bill among democrats, ther