Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-10-02
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1891.
What il Cost. the Farmer.

WAlSh 40 tN
to fit one branch of the tariff question now
being quite extensively discussed by the
press Maj. Holbrook hsd shown Far
mer Maggie how the tariff was costing him
$157 per annum, and the farmer asks
docs not the same tariff protect my sur
plus cropsf'
pray. Neighbor Maggie, tell me what
crop you raise that England, or Germany,
or France, or any foreign country sends
here sells and completes with you. Pro-
lection. you know. is to prevent foreign
competition. Do those countries, or Ell
Their of them, send wheat or -four or pork
here and fix the market plice of suth
producer
mo. by no means"
Then can a tariff of 20 cents per
bushel on wheat. 90 per cent on -four. 10
cents per bushel en- corn, oats and bar
ley, and one cent per pound on pork and
beef. be any protection TO the farmerf'
For the life of me, now that you call
my attention to it, do not see how it
can. Nor can see any earthly object in
putting such tariff on farm produce.
Do you know why it has been done?'
81 think it has been done on purpose to
reconcile US farmers to being robbed
every day of our lives by the tariff that is
fixed on everything that we buy. 1t is
done to deceive and cheat US. We are
led to believe by solemn law that our
farm produce is protected, and that it is
necessary for US 10 have such protection
in order to sell our produce at a profit,
when, if we are protected, one dollar on
bushel of corn, we could not sell it for
one cent bushel more, for the simple
reason we have no foreign competition in
our home market, and the price Of our
produce is fixed IN foreign market"
But, major, is not this protective
tariff on the products of the mSnufsc
turers necessary to en- able the msnufac-
turer to pay living wages TO his opera
tives? Aud are not we farmers thus en-
sbled to sell our surplus produce to those
operatives! In a word does not pro-
tectlve tariff make a home market for
farm produce?
mo II really circumscribes and re-
duces the scope of that market, because
that very tariff makes il impossible to
employ as much labor IS might De done
were the restrictions the tariff puts on
trade removed wholly or even in part.
Then the price We receive for our produce
at home is fixed in Liverpool or London
and we must compete with sll foreign
countries that grow farm produce, no
matter by how cheap labor, and no mat
ter where they sell 1t. This would not
be so bad if We could go into those coun-
tries that compete with US and buy our
clothing and other family supplies with
This we can't do"
Now, right here, major, wish you
would tell me how fixing the price of our
produce in London, and prohibiting or
or restricting our buying goods IN that
city, really does affect the farmer"
81 think / can make that clear TO you,
and am glad you have suggested it..
How much whest do you expect to mar
ket this season."
About 500 bushels"
you haul your wheat TO Bradford
Junction, presumed
Il do"
What price will you get. and Whist DO
you propose to do with the proceeds?'
Sixty cents per bushel. and l have
determined to use this years crop to pur.
chase articles which nv family have
been in need of. more or less for two or
three years.
Now, Mr.. Nsgle, instead of selling
your wheat al Bradford Junction, mag
inc that you take it to London. Per-
haps the price there is S1.20 per bushel.
If 80, you will find that the charges,
transportation elevator, middlemen, etc,
are 60 cents per busbel. So you realize
the same sum for your wheat in London
that you would at Bradford. You pro.
pose, instead of taking the $500 home
with you, to make your purchases in
London. You buy the following bill OF
goods: