Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-01-01

labor employed, it is apparent thst no other
business In this country could have withstood
such a condition of adversely during so pro-
longed a period: and it is equally certain that
had it been practicable for the farmers OF the
country to withdraw their capital from this line
Of industry their numbers would have been
greatly reduced even in the best of the agri-
cultural States.
But this was impracticable and from the very
necessity OF their situation they have continued
o business burdened with loss instead of yield
ing profit. tif the market value OF their labor
is considerably out OF which this Nation has
gathered three-fourths OF all it's exports. and by
reason OF which it has been able to preserve a
balance OF trade in its favor that has constant
" added to the aggregate OF our National
wealth.
1t is, however, il We stop to reflect. easy to
discern that If the chief business of country is
being done at loss. and get that the country
as whole is becoming rich, there must be
some fragrant error in the industrial system
that produces such result.
With the facts demonstrated by statistics
they are. that the Nations wealth is being con-
stantly increased: that it is largely derived
from its agricultural resources and that those
engaged in that industry are transacting bust
ness at loss instead Of profit, is it difficult to
understand that those who produce the greater
part OF the Nations wealth do not enjoy it?
We can easily see thet if dozen men were
engaged in many different pursuits, and
eleven of them were compelled to give up to
the twelfth the entire profits they earned, the
aggregate wealth Of the twelve might be great
ly increased, but in that case there would be
one very rich man and eleven very poor ones.
If we extend the example it is equally appar-
ent that II the great body OF men engaged in
industrial pursuits in any nation are compelled
by law or otherwise to surrender to few the
profits of their LABOR the Nation as such may
grow rich, but its wealth will be concentrated
in n6c - tee az,
many. robbed of their share of the wealth
which the labor Of all has produced, must OF
necessity remain poor.
do net hesitate to say there is no possible
justification for a system Of laws chat produces
such a result.
No plea for the GaSion's prosperity howevee
eloquent that plea may become, can smother
the indefensible wrong that takes single
dollar from the earnings of class of its citi
zens and bestows it as a bounty upon those of
another.
will not stop now 60 question GhetheT the
industries of a nation may oe enay not become
so adjusted and eQualiZed that protective
tariff could be made equally advantageous to
all.
1t is enough 60 know enaS they are NOE so
eQualized in the United States
II the farmers and labOrerS of this country
are required to contribute from their earnings
to build up lines OF industry in which they are
not engaged, it is absolutely certain that those
who give mues become poorer thereby, while
availS OF labor they do not perform and it
qu1res stretch of the Imagination to foresee
that under such system time alone is needed
to divide these classes in this che proudest Re
public on the globe, as the human family is al
| ready divided il Che anose aristocratic mon
| arches of the old world.
Ts is infinitely better that this Nation should
REMAIN poor with its property. such as il has,
distributed among all its Classes, than become
the richest on the globe with its wealth CON
9entrated in the hands Of feW.
No dream q theorist could conceive OF q
condition more perfect then one which would
divide and could maintain, with equal effort on
che part Of individuals equal distribution
Of nations wealth among all its citizens.
This Is impracticable, but what can be said
in favor of Q system that strikes the very Foot
OF this equality; chat aids by artificial means
in preventing the nearest approach TO such
equality that che human family is capable a
attaining? Certainly nothing il men are just.
If this is the result Of = protective tariff the
argument is ended.
Let US consider further its effect upon the
farmers OF his tcountry.
u is a self-evident proposition tha& tariff
levied upon products which . nation produces
largely in excess Of he own wants, which it is
constantly sending abroad because its own
markets will not take them can have no
possible effect upon the price of such eommodi-
ties, and hence it follows that 50 long we are
producing annually hundreds OF millions in
value of agricultural products in excess Of our
own wants, no tariff levied upon like products
can benefit Che farmer.
Legislators may spread such laws upon the
statute books, but they should be as poWerless
TO deceive as they sre TO benefit the parties IA
whose favor they ere professedly made.
1t is equally apparenf, as has been demon
strAted SO many times, that q tariff upon man
ufactured goods INCREASES their cost and the
cost of like goods produced at home, because Of
such goods we produce less than and
hence must supply our wants in part by i'm
pOrtationS from other cpuntrieA
But this increased cost is not the farmers
| chief ground of complaint against protective
tariff He must have q market for his surplus
| productions in foreign lands. Unlike the man-
| ufacturer he produces largely more than the
home market will take The. most important
| question therefore for him TO consider 10 how
70 extend the markets for his products Moth.
| ing is more plain than the face that II Ne sell
60 foreign nations we must buy Of them. No
| nation could long pay in Sold FOR any consider.
| able amount of imports and escape bankruptcy.
IT follows irresistiely that . tariff that keeps
the products of any foreign nation out of our
markets must to considerable extent keep
ours out of its market, and inasmuch the
FARMERS of the country supply three-fourths q
all our exports, they are the chief sufferers
suit
have spoken q the condition of agricuNu
| raj Industries in my own State have called
attention to the fact that for years these indus
| tries have been prosecuted at q loss instead of
| a profit and affirm without fear of contradfc-
| ton that there is no State in this Union where
the great staples OF agriculture, the productions
that supply necessary food for man and beast
can be moEe cheaply produced.
P Iwant now to say to the business men o4 this
Nation, and to politicians WELL that some
plan must be devised to get this industry on Q
| different basis, Or this Nation must prepare for
storm, the consequences of Wilhelm both Q
| political and economical sense-no Man can
measure.
want to say further that the men engaged
in this industry not going 60 waft for .
home market to grow up around them chat is
| large enough to consume the enormous surplus
| they annually produce. It is relief for them
| selves and noe foregenerations unborn that they
| demand.
| Recalling the sentiment Of my coast, What
our farmers have right 20 demand" permit
| me 70 add they represent an industry as old az
least as the civilization of man, as laborious as
anv that has ever fallen 20 his loo. without the
| successful prosecution of which the whole hui
| man family would lapse into barbarism and
end in decay. business that forms the base
| of every other, without which the channels of
! trade would run dry, che cities OF the earth
! molder into dust, and the wealth of the world
| disappear.
| Considered apare from eheir business they are
| the bone and sinew Of this Nation. With their
| own calloused hands they have produced the
| bulk OF its wealth: times Of war thew have