Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1892-07-14
They Made the First Tariff for Their
0wn Special Benefit.

GARNER Votes Have Ever Since Sustained
the Protective sysfem-IfOw They Have
Benefited by it-Great Improvement in
Agricultural Property Under Protee-
,ion-strfkiu. Facts About Agricultural
Conditions in the "GoOG Old Times"
Protection was adopted by the founders Of the
Government for the special purpose OF pehe-
hitting farmers. The members OF the nfst Con-
kPress we're nearly all farmers themselves or
Sepresented farming constituencies. Agrlcut
hure was practically the only Industry OF hne
people, and they saw their produce rot on theH
bands wear after year for want OF q market for
81. To create a market for this produce was me
prime object OF the early ! s~islators. mere was
mot a robber baron amopg them. Ihelr po4lcg
MAS p farmers policy pure and simple. Later
etatesmen down tt Blaine and Mchihtey Dasea
Their advocacy OF Protection on their bellef that
ft benefited the farmer most OF al. We sAal4
buote from TWO only jackson and Caihoup,
Both Democrats. Said tbs former, in advocacy
bf the Tarin Of 1924:
kgriculturlst7 Whore has the American farmer
b market 10 his surplus produces? rake from
agriculture in the United states 6OO,eDO men,
komen and childScn. nd ron Will AT once glV9 d
market for more breaistuIs than all Europe
now furnishes US
He evidently understood how Protection ben
Gifted the farmer. The certain results OF rro-
Section, Calhoun said, would be:
"The farmer will find a ready market for his
surplus produce, and, what - almost OF equai
consequence, a certain and cheap supply OF all
bis wants"
! He was no less sure that Protection benefited
HE farmer, because he, like jackson, had expe-
kienced the mtseries Of a lack OF domestic mar
3ets for farm produce.
Notwithstandlng the teaching s Of sIl the great
statesmen of early times, our country has on
several occasions experimental with low tart1s.
In every instance the effects on agriculture
were most disastrous. Senator Ewing, Of Ohio.
speaking of the low tariff period Immediately
preceding the Tariff OF 1924, said:
"Jn short, every portion Of the world was
searched by our intelligent merchants, and all
combined did not furnish a market adequate TO
our surplus productions.
every farmer IN Ohio long knew and felt the
pressure consequent on this state Of things.
Eear after year ,Lair stacks OF wheat stood IN.
7hreshed. scaFCEsy worth the mammal labor OF
separating the grain from the straw So low
was 1t reduced IN comparison With manutHc-
turcd articles that ] have known forty bushels
Of wheat given for a pair OF boots"
ColtCn's Life OF henry Clay thus descrtbes
tAe wretChed condition OF agriculture under
another experiment With low tariff, before tue
Protective act OF 1912 came 20 the farmers
Eescue:
were Obliged to divide bank notes into halves,
quarters, Fights, and so on. and agree from
necessity &c use them as money. In Ohio. with
sll her abundance. 1t was hard TO get money TO
pay taxes. lhe sheriff Of Muskingum County,
as stated by the Guernsey TINES IL the GUNNER
OF 1912, sold at auction one f0ur-horse wagon at
fsaid to be worth So to SIS eachI at 81 ZACH; two
Eows at 81 each a barrel of sugar at 81. so, and q
ktore OF goods at that rate. In Pike County
R1Osg as bbdAtu ny n hhIEADAA guIIbts bLSI
Sheriff sold three horses at 81. so each one large
px at 12h cents; Eve cows, two steers and one
cali, the lot al S3.25 twenty sheep at 1874 cents
each; twenty-f0uT hogs, the lot at % Cents one
eight-day clock at q. so; lot OF tobacco, seven or
eight Eogsheads, at s.; three stacks Of hay, each
nj % cents, and ona stack Of fodder at % cents.
1 So much for our own experience with low or
revenue tariffs. Eugland's example Is no less
obstructive. Before her adoption OF Free Trade.
ber agriculture was the main source OF her
htrength and wealth. 1t was armies drawn
from English farms that won her victories.
Aade her conQuests and placed her in the proud
place she has occupied for centuries among the
Nations or the Garth.
To-day. eleven million acres of the best;
Farm land In the world Is lying waste IN Eng
land, 100000 persons annually loayo the agrii
&ultur Il districts aud the condition Of British
agriculture Is simply deploraole. Free Trade.
bas all but ruined the English farmer. SO 1t has
kuined the Irish farmer. So It has dealt with
agriculture tH India. In fact, our own expert
tnce and that OF the whole world lie that a
kevenue tarin means death to the farmer pros
berity.
z On the other hand, see how constantly and
greatly the condition Of American farmers has
emproyed. Never before could they get 80 great
kmall Il quantity Of the things they produce. The
following comparison between former and pres
knt agricultural conditions shows how superior
khose OF the present arc, and vindicates the
kisdOln OF our early statesmen, who, at a time
khel the farmer citizens Of the young Republic
pad to exchange a wagon load Of farm prod
bce for a pair OF boots. so directed tho courS
pr legislation as to realize at the close Of the
fineteenth century the conditions here
pictured:
PEICE OF THINGS FARMERS SELL.