Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-01-08
REPUBLICAN, TEACHINGS.
Effects of the Tariff Lessons Taught
Republican Organs.

REPUBLICAN TEACHINGS.
Effects of the Tariff Lessons Taught by |
Republican Organs.
One Of the protectionist organs is in . |
stew because of the farmers 1t has |
heard of a farme-a Republican farmer |
who voted the Democratic ticket at |
the recent election because the McKin-
ley bill made him pay a tax of five |
cents on every dozen of eggs he sold |
Thereupon the organ bewails the farm
er's lack of Intelligence ind calls for a |
continuance of thee educational cam
paign."
The case is indeed sad one: but what
did the organ expect? The Republican
farmers got their Imagination, presum-
ably, from their party papers; and if
they did not get an intelligent idea of
the Mckinley bill their party papers
have themselves to blame for it All
through the campaign these papers
were telling the farmers about the Mcs
Kinley bill and warning them not to
put any trust in the Democratic papers
because the latter were not publishing
the bill in full, but only pointing out
the main features and showing what .
benefcent reduction had been made IA
=
blood OF course the educational
campaign" must be continued If it had
SO little effect as it seems to have had.
But if the organs viii allow us sug-
gestion, it should be continued, If at
all, ON more intelligent basis chan
rested beneath it ine the late campaign
Where the particular farmer referred to
got his idea as to the effect of the tariff
on the home product of the hen we do
not know. But we do know that, alb
sufd as it IS, it is no more absurd thaa
a good deal of what the organs Of pro-
lection were seriously ceiling the ferns
ers all the time the Mckinley bill was
pending and afterward when it eTas be-
fore tbs people on trial. The farmers
were assured, for instance, that the am
position Of . duty IN revenue bill on
foreign article would not raise the
price of the home product with which
the foreign article came IN competition
They were assured, in addition that
the foreigner always paid Che duty.
EggSs perhaps. were not mentioned be-
cause the theory advanced did not suit
the egg situation eXactlys but the logic
of the teaching was that the Canadian
farmer paid che duty on every egg ex-
ported 70 this country and that the con-
sumner. in consequence would not have
to pay q fraction ola penny more tor bis
eggs because OF the duty.
Is it any wonder that the Republican
farmers, who We're taught this by the
organs OF their own party. should get
some very remarkable ideas - to the
effect of tariff: The notion
Of the farmer who befiefed chat
the duty of i've cents q dozen
On eggs came out Of his pocket and
the pockets Of the American farmer
in general, was not q bic more
absurd than the organs Of his party
were IN telling him that che foreigner
paid the duty. He might not bavS
reached the ridiculous conclusion from
the ridiculous premise furnished him by
his party papers; but the man who
would believe what they told him
about the effects Of a duty might be ex-
pected TO believe any thing. We sin
cerely trust that no rognish Democrat
deluded this particular innocent of the
Republican fold even for the purpose Of
of getting vote for the right; but If he
did he could hardly be blamed. The
organs OF the Republican party and OF
protection certainly can not blame him:
for it is their fault that the Republican
farmer was 90 gullible. II they had
conducted q really educational cam
paigh their readers could not have been
fooled with any such story.
1t may be that they would have voted
the Democratic ticket anyway. IS many
Of them did, notwithstanding the teach
fngs OF their party papers We still
think, however, that is would be wiser
for the organs. if they undertake an ed
ucational campaign again, co do it hon
estly. They may lose votes for their
party. They probably will But they
win NOT be denounced as they sre be-
ing denounced now for deluding and
misleading their readers Detroit Free
Press.