The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1891-02-05
Old PARTIES n.ilD THE
TARIFF,

- late war both the great
rites have based the princi.
the tariff question when it
settlement of the late war
ere involved. The demo-
turatlo seymour made the
for campaign since the
Ter of the greatest parties.
the labor parties as much
nd advertised their platform
as possible. in fact there
lions of voters In the
who We're not aware that
.an two parties were in
ID seeking votes. This was
bt the work of the monopolists.
y were growing rich off of the
--ipt legislation inaugurated by the
publicans during the war and further
carried out during the bitter days of re-
construction. After the continued asi-
tation during the campaigns the country
became awakened To the fact that there
was something wrong and the democrats
took up the cry-"It is the tariff too
high and the republicans yelled back
Its a lie. Its too low--wc need more
protection and home mar
ket.' The democrats would cry
out cover production and no
foreign outlet-too much tariff and big
surplus in the treasury The republi-
cans got the go after Il democratic trial.
because the democrats tried to prove
while i'll power that > per cent. differ
ence in the tariff would bring '~7r,
lenium. Then again the IL. "i It
started 4 " tune on Il highei
and =. ..1s would not make as
high note thew frightened the screw
| and busted the fiddle. Now some of
the democrats want to patch up the old
tariff fiddle and try to play new tune
| on it for lso:. All this time the people
| have been hearing the notes of another
| instrument whose tone sounds Sweeter
| TO their ears and though neither
Of the great political parties
| have yet taken the instrument in
| charge the people are going TO
go to the call of the player who calls
| The name of this instrument is Free
and unlimited coinage Of silver and
more money and less interest fer the
| people" The tariff question will in the
near future be placed i'll the hands of a
| commission of experts elected fer that
| purpose by the people. This commission
| will be composed of members of all ex-
| listing parties and will be competent to
| fix tariff rates that will be just to the
/
natural resources of the country. just to
| the capitalists. and sensible for the
| government
| Placing the tariff in the hands of the
congressman politicians is like casting
pearls before swine. They do not know
/! what to do with it. and in their vain en-
deavors to appear wise they prove to the
| intelligent world that they are either
| demagogues or asses. No doubt the in
! telligcnt statesmen of foreign countries
| get Disguised at the gross ignorance dis
| played by the American congress in its
attempt to harmonic the interests OF
| the capitalists with an appearance of
| looking after the iDtcrests of the work
| ingmen. This. Oh course, applies to
conSp icuously bright fellows who are
| trying to make records which will re-
| turn them to make some more valient
fights for "thS poor taritf-ridden, horny
| handed sous II toll.
| What wauld Il congressman who had
| spent al his manhood years trying to
master lackstonr and Kent know how
| much tariff was needed to protect the
| manufacturer of hoopskir,s or the manu-
| faofure of zillonitr collars, or how much
would a Grand Mountair grammar
.choOl teacher know about how much
protection Louisiana sugar needed, or
Texas and New Mexico canned beef and
WOOL
All this ought to be left to men who
do know something Of the facts about
the necessities. and still not be person
ally nor indirectly interested in any pro-
tected article.
Then we could have 4 tariff that
| would suit the country. be stable in its
| character, and would give confidence to
| men who expected to embark in any pro-
| tectcd enterprise.
| AS matters now stand there is no sta
| bility about the schedule and it is liable
| to change with every administration
| whether the people demand it or not.
| Such limitations and safeguards can
| be thrown around such a commission as
would guarantee honesty, fairness and
| impartiality. n Ierundria tLa.l Farm
| -. I'ijpffp