Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-10-13
THE FARMERS BENEFIT.
WHERE UNCLE JERRY RUSK AND
THE TRIBUNE DISAGREE.

High Tariff on Farm Products rs REM
edy for Low Prices-The New York Tri-
bune Exposes McKinley's Humbug Pro-
lection for Farmers.
When Uncle Jerry Rusk took charge
of the department of agriculture he felt
sure that something could be done for
agricultural depression on protection
lines. Prices for farm products thrown
upon the market in 1899 were unusually
low, and good old Uncle Jerry thought
that some high tariff balm could be
found for the farmers discomfort.
And Uncle Jerry had a remedy He
is not one of those men-Uncle Jerry is
MOTTO point out n distressing state of
things and then ask, What are you CO.
ing to do about it? He was ready to
undertake to cure all the ills that farmer
flesh is heir to.
But his remedy? Let the gods on high
Olympus hold their sides 1t was higher
duties on farm products.
In the spring of 1890 he addressed a
general letter to American farmers on
the subject of agricultural Depression
ts4A ito SobSSo. Lie IiStQ llstu 50 IudIly
letters from farmers asking what is the
matter, that he printed this general let
ter for circulation among them, and to
prepare them for the high Mckinley
tariff that was then in course of incuba-
ton.
In the course of that letter he said:
"One glance at the comparative rates of
duty levied upon agricultural as CON-
pared with other products, one glance at
the free list, the greater portion of which
consists of agricultural products, either
grown or which could be grown upon
our own soil, and a comparison Of these
figures with the average rate of duty
levied upon manufactured articles ought
TO be sufficient to silence forever any OPP
position to the-demand | have made on
behalf of the American farmer in my
annual report, namely, that by wise
application of our admirable protective
system all the benefits of our home mar
llet be secured to him for everything he
may be able to produce"
Well, Mckinley came along in due
time with higher duties on these com
Ieting farm products" which were ruin
ing our farmers. Barley was raised
from 10 cents bushel to 80 cents; corn
from 10 cents to Is, cornmeal from 10 to
%, oats from 10 to Is, wheat from 90 to
p, flour from go per cent. TO 25 per cent,
butter and cheese from cents pound
to cents, hay from SO to "a a ton-and
SO on to the climax of absurdity in a
duty of cents gallon on cider
This so called farmers tariff has
now been in force one year, and after
this short time here comes the New York
Tribune and shows up the humbug char
acter of the whole thing. That hide
bound organ of high tarifism has re-
Gently been ridiculing the assertion of
the Democratic papers that the McKin-
ley law has increased the cost of living,
AMI in doing so it ''sizes up" McKinley's
bogus protection to farmers in the fol-
lowing, style:
Nobody imports bread or most of
the meats or fuel or lights or houses.
No sane disputant will pretend that the
cosr Of the wooden houses in which
most of the people live is perceptibly af-
fected by duties on imports or the cost
OF most of the breadstuffs or vegetables.
Along the Canadian borders the cost of
cattle and eggs, and in seaboard cities
some Of the vegetables, may be affected
at times to some extent, but for the vast
majority Of the people prices of all the
principal articles of food are in no way at
fected by imports or duties thereon.
Food covers about half the cost of living
and rent about a quarter, and for more
than three-quarters of the people rentals
are lot affected by the tariff
WHAT will Uncle Jerry say when he
sees the greatest protection organ show
ing up the farmers tariff in this style?