The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1892-10-20
FARMERS FRIEND.
wHITeLsw REID THE ORIGINATOR or
THE FARMERS PROTECTIVE TARIFF.

INV
How His A. tIon Brought About Increased
Duties on Farm Produets-He Organ
tzed q Method by which the Farmers
Of the Country Spoke and Were Heard.
The origin Of the Mckinley tariff Of
1880 deserves more attention than IL has
yet received. Since the senate finance
committee has made 1t clear that, under
this tariff, the wholesale prices of farm
products have advanced In two years
1923 per cent, while the actual cost OF
living TO consumers has declined and
the wages of labor have advanced, Il IL
proper 70 note that the most important
changes made by the tariff Of 1890 were
explicitly proposed two years earlier by
Q movement Of farmers suggested and
organized under the direction of White
law Reid, the Republican nominee for
vice president
Early in 1887 Mr.. Reid, the editor Of
The Tribune, caused q series of state
fnents 10 be made and published show
ing the disastrous effects Of q lack Of
proper protection to the agricultural in
terest In the summer of 1887 he sug-
gested through The Tribune that the
farmers in all parts Of the country, by
their associations and by individual let
ters, should state their wishes regarding
the tariff and the changes deemed neces-
ssry TO their interests in view Of the
then low prices Of farm products About
5000 replies, representing several hun
dred thousand practical farmers-many
Of the letters were from organizations
set forth with much particularly and
detail the workings Of the old tariff of
1883 As respects the farmers and the
changes they desired.
Mr.. Reid saw the importance Of put
ting into definite form this altogether
unprecedented manifestation Of the
wishes o. farmers which he had himself
ELECTED He therefore caused some Of
the most distinguished and influential
representatives. Of agriculture to be in
vifed by The Tribune TO examine and
report on these letters. They prepared
Q general report in the form Of an ad-
dress Ito the farmers OF the United
States which was printed in The Trib-
une Of Feb. 6. 1883 This report set
forth that:
An overwhelming majority of the
writers realized that the protective sys-
TEN. by building up other industries, has
enormously increased the demand for
agricultural products With scarcely
an exception the letters received point
out that the tariff should have directly
defended the industries of farmers In
ways in which il has not. II should
shield them as completely as any branch
81 the manufacture from the spasmodic
and destructive competition which the
chespness and degradation of labor in
some other lands permit Thousands Of
farmers, therefore, appeal through the
letters considered TO all other farmers
throughout the country TO unite in de-
manding for their great industry not
only indirect benefits, but the fair meas
ure Of direct protection il deserves"
The following definite proposaispthe
committee found embraced in the ma
l0rity Of the letters received, and they
suggested that the farmers of the United
States petition congress as follows:
rr7TrIox FoR MORE EFFrcTuAI PRorrc4Ios
OF AGRICULTURE
Tothe SPeAker % The House Of Representatives
The undersigned respectfully pray that agri-
culture may be more efectuAlly protected by
pre<esr:rg frHudulent inportstions Of cattle
on prstense thai they are for breeding only.
BY duty Of % cents per bushel on barley |
with p-uFortiouate increase Of duty on malt.
BY euties Of : cents per bsshel on potatoes |
and onions. s. per 100 on cabhages. 8 per ton |
CO bag. % cents pound on hops, 20 per cent |
ea ee.ns and f.eAs. cents per dozen on exzz. |
1per cert on fowls and poultry and on .'vege- |
table, In their natural state In salt or brine
not 0thsr~iss provided for" with no removal 1
q rcdectiOn Of duties on market garden prod |
urts nov dufiable-
Bysuch Increased duties on hax and on linen !
goccs - uill efcctually encourage the prepa-
r.fion a fher and manufacture Of goods.
By abolfshing ali duties on sugar, with 0 /
bountg % home producers
By prerenttnC imports Of leaf tobacco suit l
shse for wrappers At the duty imposed on other 1
ls<< tOheo 10 and repeAling all internal tsxes |
@ toh&cco.
prstsc<,cn enjoyed under the tariff Of 1857. 70 /
nsais-d as 70 meet the later forms Of foreign /
ouuzpetition and of evasion
Ag-eat number Of these petitions were |
stzoed by farmers in every part Of the |
United States, especially in the states
bordering On Canada, and were for /
@@Nc4 - CC4@ACc< ~ y IN utt 70 Il
ny how many farmers signed them, for |
the Denccrsfic house and its officers 1
took care 20 pay very little attention to |
them, and the result was that the farm. |
srs of the country expressed their desire l
xt the polls for . change In the com
paex5on q congress and elected Repub-
hon house for the Fifty-irst congress.
Hks wss the one which passed the Nc
Eh}ey En
HAT provided against fraudu-
,est importation Of cattle paragraph
<ssA Il imposed duty Of 30 cents per
eass>3 On barley paragraph 252); IS
ceza Per b1shel on malt (25s); duty of
5 cents per bushel On potatoes (es3l; 8
oeze each On cabbage (27s); q Per ton
@ kzy Csssl; Is cents Per pound on hogs
fx-SG 90 cents per bushel 81 beans GRO
ssd peas css1ls 5 cents per doren on eggs
as 3 cents per pound on poultry (si5l;
IS per cent On VERSAILLES in their nat
1rl state CesS. sat - per cent on veg
erasas prepares G. preserved esp
n imposed duty Of ga 40 per ton in
Sod q go on far S50. and SO per
oent instead OF IS per cent on linen
gecds Sssp Il made raw sugar free
(sssa with . bounty 10 domestic pro-
dnces C2si-s36l II shut out tobacco
se>f for wrappers by a duty Of e per
pozna esssA and 1t raised the duties on
wool Fssl-SSe1 70 or about the level Of
he tariff az iss7
~aaaA