Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-09-30
qnr FARuER And rnE TARIFF,

$1,000
an article ia the St. Louis Republic on
the subject Of the relation Of the tariff
to the farmer. It is addressed to the
farmers Of the Mississippi Valley, but
it applies with equal force to the con-
dition and prospects of the farmers Of
the Ohio Valley, and of every other
valley aud State in the Union, for all
are equally interested and suffer to-
gether with the farmer in the West.
Mr., WILSON believes that 1.-THE low
price Of wheat in the market has sug-
gested possibly to many Of them that
they must seek to increase their salable
surplus by larger acreage or a larger
yield per acre than usual. But in very
few cases is the farmer interested as
much in the money yield Of his crop as
in the quantity Of necessaries and COM
forts IN the shape Of other things
that be can get in exchange for
for it. In raising his wheat he is seek
ing to clothe and feed his family and to
surround them with the comforts and
decencies Of life I'm a well-to-do Ameri-
can community. he is not able TO fore
tell whether the crop 70 be harvested
next summer win sell for sixty cents or
a dollar a bushel; but one thing be
knows with certainty, and that is that
the price Of that crop viii not be settled
by any combination q American farm
ars shielded from the competition Of
outside wheat raisers able 70 dictate
both the quantity they will produce and
the price &C which they will sell 70
American consumers. He will receive
| for his wheat. whether sold IN Missouri,
or in West Virginia. or Ia Illinois, the
price Fixed in the Liverpool and London
markets, less the cost OF sending his
wheat Co those markets and the profits
OF the mldd.emeD." Mr.. WILSON con-
cluded with this convincing argument:
Now the price Of wheat in those markets
/ is fixed by open and free competition be-
| tween American, Russian, Indian and
/ other wheat supplies. In other words, our
/ farmer sells his wheat at the price made
\ for him In the open free-trade markets OF
I the world in competition with the wheat OF
| farmers who employ the cheapest labor OF
I the world. OF our great wheat crop OF
/ last year quite two bushels out OF every
/ five were thus sold, and the market price
] 10 f,lae nefanlIGne0 by this
/ sale. There are not two prices for the
/ American farmers wheat, one when he
/ sells 10 CARNEGIE and WHITMAN and other
/ home protected manufacturers and another
/ when he sells to the manufac-
l turers of Leeds, Manchester and
/ Stafordshiro. Both pay him the
| same for his product. But
/ when he comes to buy what he wishes 10
/ get in exchange for his wheat then be
/ hnds a great difference. The Englishman
! Will give him at least One-thlrd more
\ things, such as wooden goods, and much
/ greater quantities of pottery. tableware
i glass. iron and steel utensils, tinware, sew
l ing machines and the like. But II he makes
\ this bargain, and attempts 70 bring these
/ needed things home with him, his Govern
/ ment will take One-third OF them trOm MN
as a fine for buying from ms foreign IN
/ stead Of buying from his home customer
] 0LlLOuAA us All4I NlAoVpA-AOA ft@A A%AN-- NV
| a cent more for his wheat than does bis
/ foreign customer.
What then is the plain effect, so fer as
! the American farmer is cOncernedt Elk
/ actly the same as il the Government sent to
/ his granary and took from him Oue-thlrd OF
| his wheat before ne was permitted to sell
I any part of it for himself and used part OF
! that third for public revenue, but most of
10 for bounty for the protected industries.
The farmer, therefore gets for his own
! use only twO.thirds Of what bis wheat sells
/ for in the open free trade markets. And
/ the Government, by forcing him to buy in
I the protected home market from customers
I that charge him 50 per cent. more for his
/ purchases, virtually takes from him one
/ third of his wheat for the benefit Of these
/ customers. Let the farmer remember this
/ as he s0ws his wheat this fail. Every third
I furrow that he plOws, every third round
I that he makes with harrow or drill, IS his
\ tariff furrOw or his tariff round Two
/ thirds only OF his hard work does the Gov
eminent permit him to keep for himself
The farmers all over the land COM
plain, and truthfully, that farming does
not pay and that land is cheapeuing in
value. Mr.. WILSON tells them the rea-
son, and in such plain language that
any sane man with his eyes open can
see it.