New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-05-29
THE FARMERS AND THEIR WANTS

THE FARMERS AND THEIR WANTS.
IL is the opinion of "The Boston Herald"
that the farmers have a real grievance, when
is the substantial cause of their uprising at the
West. The curious fact is that the supposed
grievances of which the farmers themselves
complain and to which they refer in all their
platforms and speeches, are in no way what
ever connected with the alleged grievance which
1.-THE Boston Herald' mentions. For it imagines
that the principal trouble with the farmers IS
that tariff burdensome to them has been en-
forced for many years. But the farmers them
selves have voted for and repeatedly sustained
the tariff which is supposed to have caused their
woes. and in not single one of their platforms
Is that tariff mentioned by them as a cause OF
their unsatisfactory condition. The Free Trad
er and nobody else has discovered that they
find fault with the Protective system.
If the Free Traders choose to delude them
selves with this idea no one else will be harmed
But it is as well to look the facts squarey in
the face, and the farmers who assembled IN
person or by delegates at the recent Cincinnati
Convention probably knew about as well what
they wanted, and what they objected to, as the
Free-Trade organs OF New-England cities.
Their view Of the matter was that the currency
was not in volume such as they wanted nor was
it issued or loaned in such fashion as to help
them, and the transportation OF products APP
peared to them more costly than it ought to be,
and half dozen other grievances were by them
made the basis OF their complaints, but they
referred not once, directly or indirectly, to the
tariff as a cause of injury to the farmers. 1t
ka oil Of hair
feeling in the matter that the Alliance platforms
adopted at St Louis two years ago, and at
Ocala last year. did not mention the tariff nor
propose any change whatever in that regard.
But the Free Trader imagines that he knows
better than the farmers themselves what they
want and what they are going to do, and 50
"The Boston HelaIdD pleases itself with the
prediction that the farmers are not going to
support the Protective Tariff any more. Pre-
dictrons of this sort are cheap. But the States
in which the Farmers Alliance has manifested
greatest power are States in which heavy ma
jorities have been cast in favor of the Pro-
tectve policy at every National election for
thirty years.
The other grievance which "The Boston
HeraId' supposes the farmers have especially
in mind is the appropriation of extravagant
sums by the last Congress. Again, there Is not
trace of evidence that the farmers themselves
look upon the large appropriations made by the
last Congress as in any way especially burden
some to them The fact is that the increase in
appropriations was to great extent on account
of the enlargement of the pensions roll, and
there is no reason to doubt that there are as
many pensioners among the farmers as in any
IL Il. r. -, =. b fbaip
number. The farmers themselves get as large
a share of the money distributed in pensions as
any other class, and whether the appropriations
are large or small, wise or unwise, this at least
may be said, thai the farmers pay less to/the
Government in taxes than any other like num-
Der of citizens. They consume comparatively
little of the foreign products which bear the
heaviest duties, and since the removal OF the
duties on sugar, scarcely single article largely
consumed by them is enhanced in price to any
appreciable extent by the duties on imports.
They pay their share 1t may be, but certainly
not more than their share, Of the taxes on
liquors and tobacco, but judging from the pro-
hbitory measures adopted with great unanimity
in Kansas and Iowa, two of the most conspic-
nous Alliance States, the farmers are not as a
rule especially burdened by the reason Of the
taxes on these articles. Nor is it the fact that
excessive appropriations have been at any time
cause of complaint among the farmers. They
might more reasonably have found fault with
the Federal Government on that score than with
respect to it's financial or monetary policy, it is
true, but nevertheless they have in fact COM
planned regarding the supply of currency, and
have not complained regarding the appropria-
tons made by Congress.
The people who put into the farmers move
ment meaning and purpose which ii has
not are only deceiving themselves. The dis
satisfaction of the agricultural population at the
West has its natural and legitimate causes,
which it is not altogether difficult to discover.
The tariff is not and never has been one of
them. nor have they ever particularly objected
when it was proposed to spend public money
in improving their rivers and creeks or in put
ting up costly public buildings in neighborng
towns. The farmers have never complained
about the magnitude Of appropriations for pen
sions, but on the contrary have sustained the
most extravagant measures in that direction.
Nothing can be done to help them, and nothing
to satisfy their real wants, unless there is moro
intelligent understanding of those wants than
that~of the Free-1rade organs.
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