Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1892-10-07
The Farmer and the Tariff.

Congressman William L. Wilson has
an article in the st. Louis Republic on
the subject of the relation ofthe tariff
TO the farmer. 1t is addressed TO the
farmers of the Mississippi Valley, but
II arplies with equal force TO the con-
dition and prospects OF the farmers OF
our own valley, and Of every other
valley and State in the Union, for all
are equally interested and suffer to-
oether with the farmer in the West.
Mr.. Wilson believes that 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 a larger acreage or = larger
WELD per acre than usual. But in
very few cases is the farmer interested
a. much in the money yield of his crop
as in the quantity OF necessaries. and
comforts in the shape Of other things
that he can get in exchange for it.
In raising his wheat he is seeking TO
clothe and feed his family and to sur
round them with the comforts and
decencies OF life in a well-to-do Amer
lean community. He is not able to
foretell whether the crop TO be har-
vested next summer will sell FOR sixty
cents or dollar a bushel; but one
thing he knows with certainty, and
that is that the price of that crop will
not be settled by any combination OF
American farmers shielded from the
competition of outside wheat raisers
able TO dictate both the quantity they
will produce and the price ar which
they will sell to American consumers.
He will receive for his wheat, wheth-
er sold in Missouri, or in West Virgin
ia, or in Illinois, the price fixed in the
Liverpool and London markets, less
the cost of sending his wheat 10 those
markets and the profits of the middle
men" Mr.. Wilson concluded with
this convincing argument:
Now the price OF wheat IN those markets
isnxed By open and free competition be-
tween American, Russian. Indian and other
wheat supplies. In other words, our farmer
sells ms wheat at the price made for him IN
the open free-trade markets OF the world in
competition with the wheat o. farmers who
employ the cheapest labor OF Me world. Of
our great wheat crop OF last year quite TWO
bushels out ofeyery i've were thus sold, aud
the market price OF the entire crop was es-
tablished by this sale. There are not two
prices for the American farmers wheat, one
when he sells to Carnegie and whitman and
other nome protected manufacturers and
another when he sells TO the manufacturers
OF Leeds Manchester and Stafords hire.
BOtn pay him the same for his product. But
when ne comes To buy what ne wishes TO get
in exchange Tor his wheat, then he nnds a
great difference. The Enslisnman Will give
MIN al least One-thlrd more things, sucn as
wooden goods, and much greater quantities
OF pottery, tableware, glass, iron and steel
utensils, tlnwaFe, sewing machines and the
Ike. But II he MAKES this bargain, and at
teInpts to bring these needed innings home
IN lrf rfl men tk1x - NM
third OF them from him AZ a fine for buying
from his foreign instead OF buying from his
home custOuner-dlthOugh his nome custo-
mer pays him not a cent more Tor DIS wheat
than does his foreign customer.
What. Inen, Is the plain eject, 50 far as the
American farmer is concerned: Exactly the
same as II the Government sent TO his gram
AIRY and took from him one-thlrd OF his wheat
before he was permitted 10 sell any part OF IL
Tor himself and used part Of that Inird for
public revenue, but most OF II tor the bounty
Tor the protected Industries.
The farmer, therefore, gets for his own use
only two-tEIrds Of what his wheat sells Tor
in the open iree-trade markets. And the
Government, by forcing him TO buy in the
DrotecIed home market from Customers that
charge him s. percent more for h is purchases
virtually takes from him one-thiTd OF his
wheat for the benefit OF these customers.
Iai the farmer remember this as he sOws n
wheat tins tall. Every third rurrow that he
p!ows, every third round that he makes with
harrow or driII, is his tariff furrow or mis- tar
III round. Two. thirds only OF his hard work
does the Government permit him TO keep for
himself.
The farmers all over the land com
plain, and truthtully, that farming
does not pay and that land is cheap
ening in value. Mr.. WILSON tells
them the reason, and in such plain
language that any sane man with his
eyes open can see it.