Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-12-04
A HIGH TARIFF TRICK.
HOW THE PROTECTED COMBINES ARE
FOREcLoSlNG THEIR MORTGAGES.

\ If the Farmer Sells His Products Abroad
and Imports Goods, He Pays the Tax
to the United States; If He Buys His
Goods Here, He Pays the Mortgage.
A little over a year ago. when the Nc
Kinley bill was pending in congress, the
high tariff organs We'd with one another
in their zeal to show how good thing
the enactment of this bill into law
would be for the farmers of the United
States. The same thing was true of the
leaders of high protectionism in con-
gress, and Mckinley, the author of the
bill, went so far as to assert that the
"home market was the only market the
farmer wanted. The depression in the
| farming industries he said was due to
the importation of farming products.
To remedy this he increased in this bill
the duties on wheat, corn, oats, butter
and cheese, his aim being to make the
farmers believe that the Mckinley bill
was a farmers bill and that he insisted
on its passage for their benefit.
No political job was ever made more
| fragrant than this. To carry it ont, how
ever, the farmers We're told that our inn
ports of farm products were enormous.
Had they been told the actual facts the
Job would have fallen to the ground As
matter of fact, last year we imported
less than $500 bushels of wheat and ex-
ported over 1000, 600 bushels; our i'm
ports of wheat -four We're only 1918 bar
rels and our exports over $4,000 600
barrels; our imports of corn only l ,597
bushels and our exports 1902 900 900
bushels, and our imports of butter only
10, ao7 pounds, against 10000, goo pounds
exported.
The scheme was to keep the farmers
ignorant of these facts, and under the
cover of the job to advance the duties
on the articles which the farmers CON
sumo and which they buy with their
rorn, wheat and butter The scheme
was successful, and before the farmers
awoke to the truth tine Mckinley bill
had become law. In it the trusts and
combinations We're well cared for. The
duties on tin plate, cutlery and other
iron and steel products, cotton. wooden
and linen goods, glass and earthenware
were greatly increased for the benefit
Of the trusts and combines engaged in
producing these articles. These duties
were in many cases Frohibitory, and in
every case gave the manufacturer of
these articles a complete monopoly of
the home market at their own prices.
When all this was accomplished the
high tariff organs We're given the cue to
talk of something else beside the tariff
md tho 70
lngly they turned their attention to
other things. The failure of the crops
abroad and our own abundant harvests
gave them subject for discussion, and
now these organs are filled with esti-
mates of the amount of breadstuffs
needed in Europe. They have forgotten
al about the home market" At the
the same time the financial editors of
these papers are estimating the probable
amount of gold which Europe will have
10 ship to us in payment of our exports
Of farm products.
But why gold? Why not glassware,
aarthenware and wooden goods: Can it
be that the farmers who have wheat.
corn and butter to sell do not need these
articles, or can they get them cheaper
here? Does this explain why gold and
not goods is shipped in payment for
| wheat and corn? Surely the farmers
| have not enough of these things. and
were they cheaper here there would be
no need of a high tariff upon them.
This explains the purpose of the big
| Job on the farmer. 1t shows why the
trusts and combines We're so anxious to
hn ok i,,la 20 L.
| Their aim was to make the farmers buy
what they need of them only. and at
| such prices as they should choose to fix
in their products They have secured
:ariff mortgage on the farmers wheat
and corn, and they intend to foreclose it
! This year. Every dollars worth of glass
ware, crockery, iron, linen, cotton and
wooden goods bought in this country re-
| luires more bushels Of wheat and corn
than if bought abroad. The difference
| represents the number of bushels of
wheat and corn required to settle the
tariff mortgage.
To show how much of farm products
will be required to pay for every dollar
IF the tariff mortgage on crockery the
following table has been compiled. 1t
gives the net Wholesale price for the
various articles making upa set of crock
cry needed for the farmers table, in
England and the United States. 1t also
shows the difference between the Eng
lish price and the American price, and
the amount of duty that must be paid
when the goods are imported. The kind
Of ware for which prices are given is
what is known as white granite ware:
Wholesale L. s. Z. 6.
| price prices, du-
| Eng. L. s. higher. ties.
| | doz bakers. .......... 50 81 81 40 so 30 50 46
| [ doZ bowls. ........... - "a ~ ii
| covered buttcrs...... - 4 10 -