Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-04-29
HOW 10 Enects the Farmer.

HOW Ii Effects the Farmer.
Congressman Wilson: How the Nc,
Einley bill by excluding from our mark
els wooden and wooden clothing made
abroad, or taxing th,m heavily when
they do come in, makes us get our cloth
ing better and cheaper than ever before,
lille by excluding or heavily taxing for
eign woods it enables the farmer to get 10
Ct nts pound more for his wool, is
a problem in contradictions that might
puzzle an ordicarY man. But it is ex-
aotly the proposition the protectionists
have undertaken to maintain in order to
reconcile the farmer to the bounty sys-
n. 1t is hard to believe that they do
net wink at each other when they pre-
sent it to him. but it is unfortunately too
evident that he has not yet seen through
their skillfully phrssed fsllacy. for with
out his support in the Mississippi valley
and elsewhere, the Mckinley bill could
not last through this session of congress
and would give away precipitately to q
more Just and equal system of taxes.
But for the producer of our staple farm
crop the problem is very simple one.
1t resolves itself into two questions
Where does he sell and where does he
buy3 Let him follow these two inquiries
for moment and he will not be perplex-
ed by the word-fenciDg of these advo.
Gates.
For every one of our great farm pro-
ducts we require market be tn at home
and abroad. After feeding the Ameri-
can people we must find many millions
moro to feed. We sell to all at the same
price, and the price is not fixed at home
but abroad. Our wheat, corn, cotton
and provisions compete in England and
else where with wheat. corn, cotton and
provisions from all the rest of the world.
That competition fixes the price not only
there but here. Hence, so far as the pro-
Queer OF the staples is concerned, he sells
under absolutely free trade conditions,
with the disadvantage of having to pay
the cost Of carving them 5000 miles to
make the sale.
But when it comes to buying what is
his predicsmentl He cannot buy in the
cheap market where he is forced to sell.
II he does undertake to buy his neces-
ssry clothing, tableware, cutlery. and
the like in that market, he is obliged to
put aside at least one third of his money
to pay for the privilege OF bringing them
into This country when he returns. He
thus sells in free trade market subject
to its fercest competition end realizes
for himself in the final settlement but
two>thirds of the price that market sf-
fords for his product.
But it may be said the farmer buys bis
clothing. table ware, cutlery and the like
in the United States. That is true. yet
he buys from those who not only refuse
to do IS he does, submit their products TO
the competition of foreign markets, but
refuse to compete in our own market with
foreign products-nsy, who demand of
the government that it shall save them
from such competition by tariff of at
least $50 on q 800 on like foreign pro
ducts, so that whether the farmer hugs of
his foreign or his home customer he gets
for himself but two-thirds the value Of
the free trade prices of his crops. In the
one case the government takes from him
in duties tina. other third, in the second
case the government enables the home
producer to add the third to the price of
his goods by shielding him from COMPETE
ton with the foreign customer. Both
customers pay the farmer exactly the
same price for bis wheat corn or cotton
The one is willing to sell him in return at
two-thirds of .he price demanded by the
other but the law steps in to forbid the
purchase.