Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-04-30

plus; and perfOrce, no foreign produc-
tion of these kinds can come here for a
market whether tariff duty upon them
exists or not. The consequence is that
these great staple agricultural products
have to be sold both at home and
abroad on the basis of the world 8
market, and all labor engaged in these
industries has to compete with
the cheap labor of the old world. The
exception is when by reason of general
failure here, which seldom occurs
oftener than once in ten years, the
home price may be advanced beyond
the foreign price. This tariff protec-
tion is of so uncertain a character that
practically it affords directly as tariff
no sure, certain, and reliable prOtec-
ton. And further, no tariff which is
only a tax upon imports, can be made
to afford any protection to an indus
try which both supplies all the home
demand and also produces large sur
plus which has to be exported for a
market. What difference is it if the
import duty be nothing, one cent, ten
cents. twenty-five cents. or one dollar
hushel on imported wheat, if there
be none imported?
Whenever an industry develops to
such proportions that it produces a
large surplus which has to seek a for
eign market after having supplied the
entire home demand, that industry
cannot be protected by tariff. That is
the condition of our great agricultural
staples, and the tariff as tariff fails
to afford them any direct protection.
Bat we are told that they are in
directly benefited. It is said that by
reason of the protection vast manu-
featuring interests are built up and
the money is kept in the country, and
great national prosperity is the result,
and everything and everybody is pros
porous.
Is there not good deal Of generality
in the assertion? Will it stand the
test of practical analysis? Let us see?
During and since the war high tariff
has existed. This was adopted during
the war for the purpose principally Of
aiding in providing the government
with revenue. Under this tariff in the
eastern and middle states, where man
ufactories sprang up and developed
they possessed the facilities for it: such
principally as water power to drive
machinery cheaply. They entered,
under the protection offered by these
high tariffs, into the production of
those articles of most general and nee
essary use; those articles, the con-
sumption of which was largely among
the farmers. Farmers clothing of all
kinds, farmers tools of all kinds, and
house and barn hardware, and all
classes OF articles used by farmers. We
do not mean by this, that they con-
fined themselves exclusively to manu-
featuring for farmers, but the farmers
furnished the market for large por-
tion of their products. In fact about
| everything farmer had to buy for his
family was protected product. This
condition has existed ever since the
war, and exists today. AS an economic
measure what has been the result? We
see as one of the results, inequality in
the distribution of wealth, colossal for
tunes accumulate in few years in
manufacturing. Now this New Eng
land manufacturer and his artisans and
laborers are as we'll able to produce the
articles of their manufacture in COM
petition with European or other COM
petition, as the farmer is to produce
and sell the great staples which he
produces, against the same cOmpeti-
tions. And as before said. if the gov.
ernment is going to give any advan-
tage, the farmer ought to have it. The
great agricultural staples as we have
shown, have always been produced il
competition with the cheap labor OF
Europe, and the tariff has never di.
rectly protected them. If this New
England manufacturer is deprived OF
protection, he is then exactly on al
equality with farmers, and his labor
ers and employees are exactly upon an
equality with the farmers employees
because, both industries are doing
business upon the same competitive
basis. We have shown that the farm.
er must sell his wheat In competition
with the worlds products, on the basis
of the Liverpool market.
j This New England manufacturer
buys it on that basis, to feed himself
and his workmen. The portion of the
: farmers staples which he has always
consumed and does now consume j:
upon that basis. And now the equal
!, ity is preserved if this farmer may
supply himself in return, with the pro
ducts of this manufacturer also upoI
! the basis of the worlds market. Blu
. when protection steps in which pro
tects this manufacturer to tie exten
of fifty or hundred per cent, it enables
} him to advance the price on all thest
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