The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1892-11-04
BLAINE AS SAMSON.
HE DEMOllSHES THE REPUBLICAN
HOME MARKET" CLAIM.

The Arguments of tho "lIan from Maine"
Accepted True FOR the Purpose OF |
Illustrating tho Fallaoy of Republican |
Protcctionists' Claims.
Mr.. Blaine has completely DESTROYED
the old Republican argument of home
market as justification to the farmers
of the northwest Of high protective
tariff lie did it in few words at the
Ophir feast of Whitelaw Reid. "Tho
products of manufactures in each of the
four agricultural states of Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois and Michigan" said he. "aro
greater i'll pecuniary amount than tho
products of agriculture"
What il we admit that this is true? 1t
might be claimed and fully proved by
census statistics that the output Of the
protected factories Of Illinois constitute
but small percentage of the total out
put of all the factories, protected and
unprotected, in that state. But for tho
purposes Of the argument we prefer to
accept Mr.. Blaines statement as he evi-
IDENTIFY intends it to be Gccepted-as
meaning that the value of all manufac-
lures in the state of Illinois is due to the
protective tariff.
When we accept Mr.. Blaine's state
mont or Mr.. Blaino's terms we have tho
| right to question him upon it. We ask
! then, why, if the manufacturing indus
| tries of Illinois have been protected up
4.
| manufactured products greater than the
values Of all the agricultural products Of
! the state, they 90 not create n home mar
| llet for the agricultural products? Hi
nois produces from $4,000 eco to G0,000,-
| 600 bushels of wheat annually. Her
| population can consume not over 90 ,000,-
| coo bushels. The surplus is sold at prices
| fixed abroad. The great mills of tho
| state grind more for export than for
| local demand. The state can raise 400
| CO0,000 bushels of corn, and cannot con-
sumo, after including the great consump-
| tive capacity of Peoria ard Peliin distil-
| leriea, unprotected industries, more than
| tEree-quarters of it. These are the great
| staples of Illinois agriculture. In dairy
| ing, the product Of late years has per-
| haps reached 100, 1000, ,0O0 pounds Of but
ter annually, 81 quantity far in excess Of
the demand of the state, and this COM
parison Of the amount OF agricultural
product with the Illinois population
might be carried into the raising of
meats, and throughout the entire list of
farm produce, with like results. There
is great farm surplus in Illinois every
year.
! Protectionists have answered the de-
mand for home market with Il promise
TO make one. All they have wanted,
according to their theory, has been time
enough. But here they have state, ac-
cording to the highest Republican au-
thority, where protection has developed
manufacturing to u point where the ont
put of its factories is worth more than
tho output Of its farms, and yet the fac.
tories are unable to furnish an adequate
market for its farms.
The conclusion is irresistible, accept
ing Mr.. Blaines figures as true, whic,
they are not, that tho labor cost entering
into the value of manufactured goods !:
| very small owing either to low wage:
or the employment Of labor saving ma
cLinery. In either view Mr. Blaine dis
poses completely and forever Of the de
lusion Of home market.
Can il be possible that he failed to see
the effect of his words? There are many
things in his hopeless and Respondent
attitude to suggest that other Samson OF
olden time putting forth the last eifor
of his strength to overwhelm in one
common ruin those who had humiliatet
him and brought him at last to an Ophil
feast to make them merry.-St. Loui.
Republic.