The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-01-12
THAT TERRIBLE TARIFF"

reader of your paper for two or more
years, and have taken a deep interest
in the many frank and earnest utter
ances Of the farmers, which gives com
plete evidence of their sincerity and
honesty in the search for the truth con
corning matters pertaining not only to
their own individual interests but to
the general welfare Of the whole
country,
In your issue of December 1st is an
article headed That Terrible Tariff"
which should inspire new hope and
courage in the breasts of all farmers,
seeing that its author exhibits 50 much
earDeStneSS in an honest search for the
truth. The writer's logic is sound and
INFUSED with q cOmmendable enthusi
asm, but yet he is not quite willing to
allow the full force of his own apt and
~ell selected illustrations.
For example. he shows cOnclusively,
by the facts, that as soon as Be8semer
steel gJt the advantage OF q high pro
rective tariff it fell rapidly in price and
very soon entered his third class. " all
articles III which are produced III euffi
cjtnt quantities to supply our own
markets, and the competition in which,
by reason of such high protective tariff
forces down prices Why should NJ
MurdOCk advocate tariff for reve-
nue. only OH articles in his second
class" when he has proved so cOnclu-
sively that high protective tariff, as
in the case Of BeSSemer steel, will
transfer them to his third class "
where competition at home will rapid
" bring down the price, and thus force
the foreign manufacturer to pay the
tariff tax? Why should he want a
tariff for revenue only" when he
knows, in that case. there will be no
home competition - bring down
prices. and the foreigner will not only
keep up his extOrtion but force our
people to pay the tariff taxi
Mr. MurdOck realizes fully the great
ness of our country, and it's almost
limitless resources, and argues rightly,
in regard to wool and other products,
that we should hold to a line Of policy
that will make us self sustaining and
independent of the rest of the world,
in order to keep the balance of trade in
our favor. This policy he emphasizes
very fOrcibly by the statement Of the
fact that, while Bessemer steel was
under tariff for revenue only" the
price to American consumers was $3.50
per ton. but as soon as a high prOtec-
u
| tiOn forced the price rapidly down
until now it is quoted as low as $2S per
ton, ard Mr.. Murdock says less than
the tariff Ak itself.
Mr.. MurdOck still further emphasizes
| his belief in a high protective tariff by
stating that the competition among our
own manufacturers of CalicOes, dOmes
| tics, etc. has forced down the price Of
| these articles even to -sS than the tariff
| tax upon them And thus our friend
and brother plants himself fairly and
| sQuarely in the lmpregnabIe fortress of
! industrial Independence, and yet to my
surprise still has longing for the flesh
| pots of Egypt-a tariff for revenue
only"
But it was the bold challenge made
in that able ard instructive article that
attracted my especial attention.
After stating that the Canadian
| farmer who brought his wheat over
the line was compelled to pay the
tariff tax Of 30 cents per bushel Mr.
| MurdOck says: The tariff on these
articles are not tax, neither does the
| American farmer realize one cent from
! it. Here the tariff neither protects or
| helps any one (One hundred dollars
t. any Democrat or Republican who
will refute this.')
accept the challenge And here IS
! the refuratiOn An examination of the
statistics of imports from Canada TO
! the United States will show that, in
years past, they we're large and impor
| tant. not of wheat only but of corn
oats, hay, butter, cheese, eggs and
many other farm and garden products,
| besides horses, cattle, hogs and sheep
| Many wears ago the import trade of
| Canada was considered so important
| tnat Congress ARA 1ged q treaty Of
| reciprocity with that country which
remained in force nearly, if not quite,
up to the late war. Since then Can
adian imports have grown so much as
! to compete, injurlOusly. all along a line
| Of several thousand miles, with AmerI-
! can farm products. But this INJURIOUS
| competition has now almost ceased on
! account Of the tariff tax, which has
| been increased, On wheat from 30 to 25
cents per bushel; on barley from 10 to
| 80 cents; corn, from 10 to Is cents; corn
| meal. from 10 to % cents; oats, from
| 10 to Is cents; -four, from 80 per cent.
| to Is Qd U02Orent; butter, from 4 to s
cents per pound; cheese, from to
cents; hay, from 50 to s. per ton; pota-
| toes, from Is to 25 cents per bushel;
horses, from % per cent. ad volorena to
$50 per head; cattle, from 20 per cent
to $40 per head; hogs from same to
81. so per head, and a large number Of
other minor articles in like proportion.
while eggs, which were formerly on
! the free list, are now subject to a tariff
| tax Of cents per dozen
Such is the tariff tax upon Canadian
products, which practically and abso
| futely secures and holds the American
market for the American farmer; and
it protects and helps" him and he
realizes not lone cent from it." hut
thousands upon thousands of dollars
annually. How' Upon the simple and