The southern argus., 1891-11-12
WHAT FREE TRADE WOULD MEAN
TO THE FARMER

Of all those engaged in productive
industry there Is no one that has a
greater interest in the preservation of
the American protective system than
the farmer. The crocodile tears OF
sympathy for the 'pOor oppressed"
farmer that are daily shed by free
traders only serve to bring this out
more strongly. But to appreciate what
protection has done and is doing for the
farmer it is only necessary to consider
what the result Of abolishlng it would
be. In other words what would be the
effect Of free trade.
First-Ultimate destruction of Amer
lean manufacturing industry. This is
lncOntestablc. 1t is not merely that
we pay higher money wages to ouri la
Dor: all American industrial conditions
point to this result. Let us even
assume. for the purpose Of argu
ment, that the ratio between efficiency
Of labor and wages paid is such that as
q result Of the greater efficiency of our
labOrers, we are enabled to produce as
cheapiy, at present scale of prices. as
the foreigner. Even on this assump-
tion. which is far from being borne out
in experience. we cannot compete with
him. and for the following reason: In
contest between two labor systems, in
one or which labor is well paid, aggres-
sive, aid determined to assert its
rights, while in the other labor is de-
graded. unorganized and unable to
withstand the assaults of capital, the
lI.,A 1a1aGI IN
system manufacturers can always re-
duce cost Of production by cutting down
wages, whereas under the former this
is impossible. In a contest, therefore,
between our manufacturers and those
of foreigners, we must inevitably per
ish. This, then, Is established.
Second. AS a result, the millions en-
gagged in manufacturing would have to
take to the land-i. e.. engage in agri-
cultural pursuits What this means is
very clear. Under present conditions
04 per cent Of American agricultural
products are consumed at home and find
ready market for cons umptiOn by
those engaged in manufacture ng, while
the 6 pr cent surplus that is exported
seldom finds a sure market, and even
II it does, transportation, freight, and
mid dlemen's charges have taken. away
almost the entire profit from the
farmer. If such Is the case, what, then
would be the result Of not only taking
from him his home market, but at the
same time giving him as competitors
all those who formally engaged in man
lfacturing and were his customers:
1t could only be glut. glut both in
the home and in the foreign market.
Third. When. as the result Of this
immense overproduction of agricultu-
raj products, the price would have
fallen to starvation point, and wher
at the same time, as O result OF the
greatly increased demand for foreign
manufac tured goods. the price of these
would have risen to an extOrtiOn point
what then would be the ratio of ex
change? 1t could mean nothing bu
ru;n-ruin complete and disastrous for
the American producing classes.
But this is not all. When capita
can no longer find profitable inves tmen
in manufacturing industry, there car
be bnt one result-a distinct and land
holding class with great estates on one
hand and class Of rent-paying tenant
farmers on the other; for this is the in
evitable effect Of nations capital be
ing invested exclusively in agri
culture What then would Ge the
American farmer, the pride of Am cri
can institutions and American natiOna
life? The miserable slave of an at
sentee landlord, whose condition coult
only be parallelod by that Of the Iris
tenant farmer Of to-day "hounde
through life BY the insolcnt middl
man, and deprived even of the last hop
in death by the heart rendinG reelection
that he must leave his children's chill
dren to bear like himself this abomina
: BILE bondage"