The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1891-08-01
How 1t Hurts the Farmer.
From the Baltimore Sun.

FROM the BallmOfe sun.
farmer of Frederick county, Nd, asks what
articles used by farmers sold at high prices by
reason of the passage of the Mckinley tariff act.
His inquiry is very pertinent one. But for the
fancy prices that act and the like that preceded
it have forced the farmer to pay for nearly all he
buys, he would be vastly better off than he is a
penny saved is penny made If manufactured
articles used by farmers were eheapened by the
amount Of the Mckinley tax our agriculturists
would be astonished at the difference in their
finances.
The average tariff rate before the Mckinley act
was passed about AZ per cent, nearly half the
foreign price of the imported article. The Mckinley
act raised the average to about 60 per cent
which is much more than hal the price the farmer
might buy at if there were no tariff On many
articles used by farmers the Mckinley act more than
doubled the foreign price of the imported article,
with the effect, of course, of increasing to that eX
tent the price our protected manufacturers, trusts
combines, &c. can get for like articles produced
here On one kind of wool dress goods for example.
of the sort used by the poor the foreign price is 30
cents per yard the Mckinley tax 2S cents per yard
On pearl buttons the Mckinley tax is greater than
the whole price of the foreign article. The same is
TO be said of spectacles, knives and number of
other articles the poor must buy.
But the farmer will be more interested in the rates
of duty and increases OF duty the larger items of
his yearly expenditure Agricultural machinery is
taxed in the Mckinley act As per cent That is TO
say the protected home manufacturer is enabled to
get nearly half as much again for his goods they
could be had for abroad. This is shown in the fact
that manufacturers sell their agricultural ma
chinery abroad at heavy discount. The Engi-
neering and Mining Journal of New York publishes
regularly list of articles which our manufacturers
soil abroad less than thpy vii nj here
gives the wholesale prices for Americans, and then
the discounts off for foreigners Preceding the list
are the words Discounts are for wholesale exports
only Ofcourse, if our manufacturers sell abroad
with profit at the low prices fixed by English
competition they could, if they chose, do the same
here. The discounts given below show, therefore
the extra profit they make out of the American
farmer by means of the Mckinley tariff. The fol-
lowing is part of the Journals illustrated list and
is authentic:
Planet Jr, No. seed drill" home price, 50; dis
count" to the foreigner 80 per cent" or $40 OF;
net price TO the foreigner, $3.50.
Combined drill cuitivator rake, plow &c. i" home
price, ST.; price to foreigner. $40
Fire Fly hand plow' home price $50; to the
foreigner Sl.75.
Hayorks s2l per dozen; price to the foreigner Ss4O
Hoes 50 per dozen; to the foreigner sS1E.
ter, Sli; to the foreigner $3.50.
Cast steel garden rakes, per Dozen plain IS; TO the
foreigner $500
scythes fine cutlery Steel fulIpoished SO; to the
foreigner Sc
Peck's axes, handled, per Dozen sl5; to the for
eigner $50.
Peck's hatchets per dozen, IS: to the foreigner ST.
Knives, bone handles sl535 per gross pairs; 10 the
foreigner sll.52.
Feed cutters, knives ten inches long, $50; to the
foreigner S2l.
Portable FORCES so; to the foreigner ST..
Horse lawn mower So; to the foreigner $3.50.
Empire scroll saw, price, boxed, s25; to the for
eigner $50
Lathe. slO to the foreigner $50.
Meat cutter 81; to the foreigner s..
Syphon force pump, S25; to the foreigner sl2.50
Rat traps so per gross; to the foreigner SIS.
Butter trip scales $1,000; to the foreigner S525.
WhihltreeS, double, sc inches long No 8, So; 10 the
foreigner Sl.6O.
windmills 10 feet pumping, SO; to the foreigner
$3.50.
These figures show sufficiently that the Mckinley
tariff enabling the tariff lords to get too much for
their goods, and they show how much more than
fair profit it enables them TO get on the articles
named
But the farmer buys other things besides agrcul
tuTal machinery ana tOOls ne buys SAll anu pays
a Mckinley tax of Al per cent on it. which means
that he pays sl4I for 81 worth of salt On stoves he
pays tax of 10 per cent on brides aud harness. IS
per cent horse shoes, 81 per cent; tinware, IS
per cent on spoons, IS per cent; on saws, 30 per
cent wire nails $50 per cent hammers 50 per cent;
on brooms, IS per cent; thread, "a per cent; on
common wooden goods, Ill per cent ON glass tum-
bers and lamps $50 per cent: on hats l5j per cent
OH locks 4j per cent flannel shirts 100 per cent
socks 100 per cent; on clothes, s. per cent; on
paregoric, 40 per cent; on shoes, % per cent; on
Bibles, % per cent; on his coffin, 10 per cent
These figures are eloquent They tell what has be-
come of the farmers money. His money has gone
in the payment Of taxes concealed in the price Of
what he had to buy. His remedy, OF course, is to
demand the repeal of laws that authorize his fellow
citizens to rob him. What he wants is to buy cheap
and keep good money in his pocket not to forget
what hurts him. and be persuaded to clamor for
light weight silver dollars.