The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-12-22

opposed to any tariff for protecting any
industries. Jerry Simpson, for whom
he voted, is the last man that will vote
for duties on foreign sugar, or in
favor of a bounty, which he re-
CARDS as the most Objectionable kind of a
! tax
The managers of the sugar factory at
Medicine Lodge know very well thai
! the sugar industry cannot be carried On
without either high tariff or bounty,
and the Democrats and Peoples party
oppose both of these measures.
| Nv impression is that if Secretary
| Rdsk had known that Mr.. Benedict was
| voting against him and the measures his
party had adopted to establish the sugar
industry there, Mr.. Benedict would have
been the last man he would have en-
ployed ia connection with the business
Mr. Benedict shows his ignorance of
the tariff, by the question:
care we farmers protected like the
manufacturers By a tariff? No! The
tariff holds up the east and the manu-
facturers. Let that stand alone awhile. p"
Mr.. Benedict seems not to know that
the farmers are just as we'll protected by u
tariff as are the manufacturers. There is a
tariff Of % cents bushel on wheat
while wheat is selling at Medicine Lodge
at less than so cents bushel, which is
probably a higher rate OF duties than
almost any manufactured product re-
ceiyes. Almost every farm product is
protected except hides, and there ought
to have been a tariff on hides years ago.
la speaking of the closing up of facto-
rie5 aud the consequent flooding of the
country with tramps, Mr.. Benedict
says:
Let them food out here in Kansas;
us farmers can use these good men they
call tramps."
Well, if the Democratic platform is
carried out by this administration, Mr..
Benedict viii probably have chance to
hire all the tramps he wants, and he will
find by the time they get there that they
are not desirable farm hands 10 have
about. They as a rule Know nothing about
farming and will find it very convenient
to walk up to Dir. Benedict and say:
Give me something to eat and some
thing TO wear, or ! will get even with
you some way" Is it not little strange
that Mr.. Benedict should want TO convert
employees of our factories, who are con-
sumers of farm products, into farm
hands, who are producers OF farm pro-
ducts, at time when the production of
farm products is so great as TO render all
kinds Improbable to raise? Ia fact,
there has been such surplus OF wheat
and corn in Kansas, Nebraska and Da-
kota that there are not cars enough TO be
had TO get it to market Why then,
change factory employees into farmers,
to cheaper prices still more?
The farmers of the west have this to
learn, that about eight-tenths OF all the
products they raise are consumed in this
country, and the principal consumers
are the employees in our factories and
those who are engaged in coutributary
business. In five cities in this country
there are 1,001, 500 hands employed in
factories, and III the whole country there
are probably nearly 100000 factory
hands employed. These have families, of
course, and nearly as many other persons
who arc engaged in occupations that
contribute 10 the manufacturing indus
tries make population of from fifteen
to twenty millions that are supported by
the farmers of this country. Let the
manufacturing industries of this country
be ruined or partially closed, and con-
vert these men into farmers, and what
would the farming business be worth,
we would like to inquire?
If Mr.. Benedict's statement that his
land planted to cane nets him $50 per
acre be true, he has got crop that is
worth twice as much as corn, wheat,
oats, or any other farm crop raised in
that vicinity. If he thinks that voting
for Jerry Simpson and the Democrats is
going to benefit the farmers or encour-
age the sugar industry, he will discover
his mistake, and will get left, sooner or
later. ANOTHER FARMER.