Middletown transcript., 1892-09-01
THE "PRoTEcrEDp FARMER.
JAMES A. B. DlLwoRTH.

JAMES A. B. DILW0RTH.
The average farmer cannot possibly
derive any benefit from Protective
Tariffs. It should need no argument
10 convince him Of that fact; nol
would it, were it not that there Il
always something charming in sophis'
try. As the serpent charms the VIC
tim bird 30 does the sophistry OF the
protectionist charm the farmer, who il
effected by it. There is no logic
in the snakes CLASSY eyes, but they
are potent to charm the bird to Its
detriment, if not to its destruction.
No less potent for the injury of the
farmer, appears to be the beautiful and
captivating sophistry of Major McKin.
ley and his associate protective tariff
advocates.
What possible benefits can the pres
ent tariff laws be to the farmers, tarm-
workers, and they who assist in the
various forms Of corporation in the
production Of the crops Of the Mary
land and Delaware Peninsular. And
this section fairly illustrates the agri-
cultural interests Of the United States
It is true that duty has been imposed
upon corn, wheat, potatoes. peas,
beans, fruits, ETC., but as corn and
wheat are the great staples of this
country, and produced in such great
quantities, in excess of the wants fthe
country, and can be sold here cheaper,
or for less price than anywhere else in
the world, certainly no farmer gets
greater prices for his corn and wheat
because Of those protective duties.
The potatoes produced are only occa-
sionally protected, because only very
rarely can foreign potatoes, it imported
free Of duty, be sold at SO low price
as that for which Pepinsular potatoes
are sold. And when there is scar
city Of potatoes grown in the. great
potato sections. it more frequently
occurs than otherwise, that the Penin-
sular potato crep is not large enough
to supply home consumption, and
farmers themselves are generally COM
PEELED to do without potatoes or buy
much of their supply. And even ad-
mitting that the Peninsular potato
growers do, in the scarce years, have
good crops of this vegetable, and the
prices of potatoes are advanced to the
full extent Of the tariff duties, how do
the people of that Peninsular profit BY
that short crop elsewhere. and high
prices Of potatoes on the Peninsular
Perhaps not more than one thousand
growers Of farmers onlthe Peninsular
will have d surplus Of potatoes during
the winter and spring season-the
only period Of the year when the duty
on potatoes will advance prices of that
there win be fully
100000 men who have no potatoes
and who want to buy them. It is
true, that 1000 farmers might be bene-
fitted, in this case, but by taxing
10000 other people for this benefit.
Now let us see if even the 1000
men who have potatoes 10 sell are
by tbs protective tariff. We
will assume as an Illustration, that
hese 1000 farmers have each 200
bushels Of potatoes (but there is never
my such surplus on the Peninsular as
bushels.) The annual pro-
lucts of the county is about O,O0O-
100 bushels and last year there were
BAL, 189 bushels, and there
we're imported 5,225,9l4 bushels.
There is now tariff Of 25 cents per
,ushel. Under the tariff act Of 1888,
he duty was but is cents per bushel.
,ut the good protectionist, Mckinley.
dded 10 cents more, as the serpent
ave an extra shine to his CLASSY eyes,
nd now potato growers are protected
D the extent of % cents per bushel.
Assuming that the averaged PENN.
nlar grower who has potatoes to sell
1ould get the entire protective duty
dded to the value of his potatoes,
nd thereby collect from the man to
hom be sells them, % cents per
nshel more than otherwise could get,
would give him special benefit of
80.
Now what does he pay out for that
rejection 7 How much does it cost
inn Let US see. Each yard of
annel used by himself or family, each
ece Of dress goods, each article of
othing, could have been purchased
! him for fully 40 per cent. less !;
,cepting for the few cotton goods
lrchased by him. than he is now
mpelled to pay for them. Assum-
9 that be bought fifty dollars worth
such clothing in the year for him.
If and family, he has been compelled
pay out 800 on those items for his
election on potatoes. The coffee
d sugar he uses in his family costs
m more than they should cost, even
these two articles are on the free :
t, because of the unnatural obstruc- !