New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-15
HATCH'S GREAT REPORT"
EFFECT OF TARIFFS ON AGRICULTURE.
a SAMPLE DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN DOCUMENT
EXTRAORDINARY FACTS" AND "sTA-
TIsTICs"-A JUMBLE OF ERRORS
AND FABLES.
by rxLEGRAru TO THE TkIBUSE.I

Washington. Aug 14.-The Democrats are evidently
renarng for another campaign Of misrepresentation In
,pord TO the tariff. Several days ago. as TWO Demo-
,,c representatives who are candidates for re cleo
,,or from Southwestern states discussing their
nlans for the campaign, one said to the other;
1. Won ought not to leave Washington before supply
Ing yourself with as many copies as you can get OF
itchs report on the effects of the present tariff upon
crcuIture 1t is great report. You will find 1t
.srv useful and effective among the farmers. The
National Committee ought to distribute at least 1000
900 copies Of IT.
Tribune correspondent has since been ln1or'heu
that the repor-minus the views" of the minority OF
the Committee OH Agriculture, OF which Mr. liatch IS
ha.rman-is to be distributed as Democnuc cam.
na,0n document 1t was submitted to the House OF
REPRESENTATIVES July 30, in response 10 resoi"'
tion adopted on January %, 1892. An examination
Of the report shows that it abOunds In mssta'emehts
and misrepresentation we'll as In gross, paipaofe
and absurd errors. The nature OF the " CONCLUSIONS
reached by the majority of the Committee on Agri-
culture fairly indicated by the following sl'ee
cuLled from the first page OF the report:
0Careful comparison shows that there has been q
steady decline in the prices OF farm properly anu
products the several tariffs In force since Tue
war even when business had been restored 70 ''e
normal condition. while for corresponding peroo anu
under the laws other Interests nave DEC" "oio
prosperous and remunerative.
Under the low tariff OF 1046 agriculture e"'o!o"
Its greatest prosperity.
As the tariff manufactured goods Piac"caiiy
excluded European manufactures from comPea'.o" ,o'
the trade Of the United States, In reana'oh une h
r,oean nations thus affected determined to take no
more American farm products and PROVISIONS 'h''
their necessities compelled
Each OF these statements Is not only misieadihs
hut untrue a. can be easily shown. Inc prices VI
farm products have not declined. but increased III
purchasing power under the protective pohcy OF Vne
last thirty wears agriculture did not enjoy It's great
est prosperity under the low tariff OF 1S4o; European
manufactures have not bcen practically excluded"
from the American market by the protective dar1 uio
European nations never, either under low tarin OF
n high tariff. have bought more American larih
products and provisions than their necessities c"H
pelledn As matter Of fact, the agricultural exports
OF the United States during The year ended June 30
1892 under the odous Mckinley tariff amounted
IN s79s 347 ISL which was $541, S6,4O0 more tha'l
the agricultural exports during the year ended Juno
30 1860, under the Glow tariff Of 1885, as aIhehoea
and reduced by the act OF 1857 The total imports
into the United states during the year ended june w.
1902 amounted TO 1927 401 ,513, Of which $3.50 PEI
cent was admitted free Of duty; the total imports IN
the wear ended June 80, 1850 amounted TO sS3o2o2'-
435 OF which only 2O34 per cent Was admitted fIes
of DUTY Here was Increase Of S4s1 11eoes IN the
total Imports, and Of 1901 In the percentage Oh I'M
porrsd merchandise admitted free OF duty Inc o'"i
amount of free imports IN 1860 was S6o39l o3S. III
times as large.
On the second page Of the report the committee de-
plores the fact that the American farmer lie osOnet'
t,to comnetition with labor which manages 10 sub
sst upon wages averaging less than SO month "he
the average rate for American farm labor, including
hoard Is not less than $50" How the I*rlH Is
resnonsabe for this condition OF affairs the committee
does not satisfactorily explain, unless II be by Inc
suggestion that if II not for the tarif Europe
would buy from the United states at high prices more
farm products than Its "neceSsies compelled ratoer
than buy such products at low prices from COUNTRIES
where farm labor receives "less than ~ Hon'h'
On its face however the statement OF the committee
leads one to infer that, in the committees opinion
ought to be blessing If American farm wages could
he reduced TO less than $3 month" by admitting
European manufactures free Of duty.
The majority produces rema rkabe price list, duly
anhencatedn 10 show that "under the several tariffs
since the close Of the there las been STEADY oe
cline in prices OF all cereals and oner products Oh e
farm, How this list became duly aut1aucnted
does not appear from the report. purports TO gave
prices on July l. 1892, compared with July l OF
some previous year. OF corn, oats, timothy seed, nax
Good mess pork lard. short ribs and live hogs ana
The price OF wheat in the month OF July, 1o92 US
COMPARED with July, 1873. This Is the sole iouhoa
lion upon which rests the assertion that the prices
of all cereals and ether products OF the iarh" nave
steadily declined under the several tariffs since the
w II.
tariffs The year selected for comparison as to corn
and oats was 1870 for timothy seed and faxseed, as
well as for wheat the year 1873 was selected ana
The year 1875 chosen for the basis OF comparison
as TO the other articles.
Not the least extraordinary thing about this re-
marksble and only authenticated statement Is the
rars mathema genius exhibited In the caicWauoh
Of percentages OF decline in prices II mas eeher1y
been supposed that when the price OF COMMONLY
nothing but the genius who constructed this wonder
full table found that mess pork, whi1 was "oi7h'
according to his statement $21 10 barrel or July l.
1870 had declined 11s per cent and was sun worm
$40 10 barrel on July 1. 1892. He also discovered
that live hogs which, according to his statement,
,yora worth ss9 SO a head on July l, 1873, had
declined in value TIC per cent, and were still worth
SO II a head on July l. 1892; and that timothy SEED
which, according 10 his statement, Was worm o. oo
n bushel on July l. 1875. had stood decline Oh 2ao
per cent and still worth u " Dushei OH July
i, 1902
without single exception every statement VI
percentages given in the report In regard 10 prices
:. ,ncmrecs The same remark is true OF the prices
themselves I'm many cases. For example, the average
price of wheat In July, 1870 was vi a., insead "i
81 4s, rs gwen In the Hatch report ana 'e aN.i'se
price in July, 1892, 81 cents, insteha Vi 80
cents-f the Official reports Of the Bureau OF s"su's
are TO be taken us guide. instead Of the report OF
the Committee on Agriculture which, ai'housh Only
authenticated" appears 70 be absolutely "or'h''a''
Again. the report gives 90 cents bushe as 'he price
OF corn on July /, 1870, and 80 cents oushel as
the price on July 1, 1892: while the average '"i'
prices Of corn In those years. according 10 the o"
reports which are based upon sworn declarations Vi
yalues were 84s cents and 57.S cents, respectively
II Will be observed that the majority OF the C0nm'cc
on Agriculture inflated the July price OF 1871 @Io
cents bushel, and contracted the July price OF loo2
q cents bushel According TO the report, oats "crc
worth SO cents bushel July 1, 1870 and 81 cehts
ON July l. 1892. The official reports show that the
average price Of oats SO 2~10 cents
bushe In July, 1870, and al 12 cents In July, 1872
According to the Hatch report mess pork WAS worth
s2l 10 a barrel on July 1, 1875. and only SO 10
barrel on July 1, 1902; according to the ohicial re