The Democratic advocate., 1891-07-18
PLUNDERING THE FARMERS.
A Big Tariff Reform shot.
Frnm the New York World.


INpIANAPoIIs, July Son June % the editor of
the Agricultural Implement Herald, of this city.
called the attention of A. B. Farquhar President Of
the big manufacturing firm. of York, Pa. to an edi-
toria in the indianapolis News saying that the firm
sold its goods to foreigners at a rate smaller than
that charged Americans. The Herald has printed
Mr.. Farquhars reply as follows:
YORK, Pa, July !, 1891.
NJ. r. Lyman, Esq, General Manager, indianapolis,
Indiana.
DEAR SIR: 1 take pleasure in acknowledging
YOUR letter of June 2 referring to an editorial IN
the indianapolis News.
The News is correctly informed We do sell goods
from to 10 per cent cheaper directly to customers
in foreign countries and to jobbers for export than
we do the domestic trade This | could not truth
fully deny nor candidly conceal.
You would like to learn the process" by which
the manufacturer "can afford to sell the foreign
ouyer goods for less than he can the home custom
ers The reply simplicity itself receive the prices
current in the markets in which SELL cannot get
more and could not be expected TO take less.
The EMBRACE upon competition of outside pro-
ducers and upon raw material advances the price OF
goods in this country beyond any figure possible for
il To reach in countries where the law visits the
consumer with a smaller measure of ingenious
malgnity. In our export trade, however, we have
occasionally some advantage in the drawback upon
imported raw material. This advantage is of less
Importance to us because of the onerous conditions
by which recovery of the drawback is attended, but
it has its legitimate effect, nevertheless, in giving
the foreigner our goods on better terms than our
own countrymen can obtain We sell abroad, in
free markets. at the scantiest margin Of profit. On
many of our ploughs for export we have less than
dollar margin for hands and ourselves cast
;,,,,a observation-disclosures handles. castings
steel plates wrought bar, in the rough-costing
within that figure of what we realize on the pro-
duct Raw material, | need not explain, is here
used in its proper meaning; matarial in the condi
ton in which il comes to the factory. The raw
material of one industry is frequently the finished
product of another.
l am in cordial sympathy with the American
farmer and welcome every indication that he OBJ
jects to paying an excess of price. would cheer
fully exchange the higher domestic prices in which
protection compels the purchaser to pay upon our
goods for the immense advantages which free raw
material would give US in both home and foreign
markets. Free markets all around would be almost
as great relief to us as to the American consumer
The wool growers of Indiana and Ohio were
taught to believe that the Mckinley bill would give
them better prices. But what is the result? The
embargo upon foreign woods has closed many of our
large wooden mills throwing the worknen out of
employment The fine American woods are no
longer in demand for mixing and as a consequence
the farmer is getting from four 10 five cents pound
less for his wool than before the Mckinley bill was
enacted-besides paying for his clothing, car
pets and other woolens Indeed, the history of our
tariff legislation tends to prove that the higher the
tariff upon wool the lower the price TO the American
wool grower-because of the necessity of mixing
different growths in one fabric. There was double
the present number of sheep in Pennsylvania in the
days sofcomparatvely of free wool
This is the conclusion of the whole matter. That
if the American farmer wishes to enjoy the twofold
advantage the lowest possible price in his sup
plies and the best prices for his wheat, corn and
cotton exported to pay for them the tariff embargo
must be removed.
Very respectfully.
A. b. FARoUHAR.
Commenting editorially on the above letter, the
New York World says under the heading, 'Plunder-
ing the Farmers:' -
The fact that the goods of protected manulac-
turers in the United States are sold in foreign
countries for less than they sold for here is ut
tery fatal to the contention of the monopoly takers.
That this is true was very practically and very
eonclusvely shown by the answer OF Mr.. \. B. Far
quhar the agricultural implement maker, of York,
Pa to the Home Market Club, presented by the
World and widely published by tariff reform news
papers. 1t was complete demolition of the spu-
rious arguments OF the protectioniss, and has put
them on the defensive in every quarter. There is
no answer to it,
As last resource some of the agricultural imple-
| ment makers have been induced to appeal to Mr..
Farquhar not to imperil the profits of his own class
by a too candid statement of the truth, and many
efforts have been made to induce him to recede
from the position he has taken in favor of free com
merce and free manufacturing. He has been urged
10 reconsider and see if he cannot modify his
statement of the facts and among other suggestions
to stare or intimidate him is the one very freely
made that the admission on his part that he takes
higher price from the American than from the
foreign customer is calculated TO injure his trade at
home The latest sally in this direction was by the
| Agricultural Implement Herald, published at Indi-
annapolis We give today Mr.. Farquhar's reply. 1t
is as clear aud crushing the answer to the Home
Market Club.
If the protection" delusion still fingers in any
degree among the farmers of the United States this
testimony ought to destroy it. They pay on their i'm
plementS to 10 per cent. more than the same i'm
plements are sold for to farmers abroad whose pro-
| duets are marketed in competition with ours The
duties are, therefore, simply a discrimination
| against American farmers for the benefit of manu-
facturers who do not need it, and with the incidental
advantage from to 10 per cent in favor of the
American farmers foreign competitor in his own
line.
We commend the facts especially to the farmers
of Ohio who have an opportunity to deal with the
author of the iniquitous Mckinley Bill.