The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-05-02

ing from foreign mills. To make
manufactured goods requires only
one-fifth as many men as are re-
quired to produce agricultural pro-
duets of the same value. Manufac-
turing employs capital and machin-
cry with few men added; agricul-
ture employs men with little
capital and machinery in addition.
This is not theory, but the fact
shown by the census statistics.
Agriculture, the most ancient
and honorable Of all forms of ordi-
nary labor, offers employment to
the poor, and if unrestricted in its
operation5means certain independ-
ence in. "A few years in this country
to those engaged in it. This was
amply demonstrated in the history
or its marvellous growth prior to
the civil war.
But for The past thirty years
merciless war has been waged on
this industry by capitalists that
prefer mill labor to farm labor, and
the government has lent itself to
their policy. For thirty years the
government has imposed heavy
fine upon the farmers for selling
their surplus. The farming surplus
of $600,000,000 in value is paid for
by the products of other countries
to the same amount. But when
this pay for the farmers surplus
arrives, the governments seizes from
one-third to one-half of it at the
custom house, thus reducing the
farmers pay to the extent of the
custom-house fine. If the govern
ment should seize one-third of the
goods the farmers export, the re-
suit would be precisely the same.
1t does not pay to import gold or
silver, as we have these metals for
sale, and they bring less in this
country than any where else. Thus
the farmer could buy sack of re-
fined sugar in Liverpool for five
dollars, or for five bushels of wheat;
but instead, he could get only two
thirds or half a sack of sugar for it.
Whether he imported the sugar
and paid Il tariff tax of $3.50 on it,
or whether he imported the gold
and bought sack of sugar at $500
or 5000 from the sugar trust, the
cases would be no different to him.
In each he is deprived of one-third
of the pay for his labor. He is
prevented from selling the product
of his labor in the best market.
The recent partial removal of the
tax on sugar is an object lesson in
the cheaper sugar it enables our
surplus to buy, and many people
now have more enlightened view
of their own interest than they
had while paying the higher price
and thinking the enrichment of
the sugar trust at their expense
was in some hidden manner max
ing the nation richer.
Reduction of the tariff means
that our surplus, that part of the
product of our labor that cannot be
consumed here, may be sold to adj
vantage. 1t doesn't mean that any
one shall be deprived of work; but
it does mean that two million
farmers shall not be deprived of
work in order that one-fifth of
them may become wage-slaves in
factories. The question is between
abundant and profitable free labor
and scant, underpaid slave labor.
When exchange is free all find en-
ployment at the highest wages the
country can yield. When it is re-
stricted, those industries that pro-
duce surplus are Frustrated, the
labor market glutted, and if the
returns of capital are largely in
creased it is at the expense of la
Dor. Under restriction, machines
and capitalists thrive; under free
dom men and women receive the
benefits.