St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-06
PROTECTION PIRACY.
Congressman Fithian Wants
Farm Implem ents on the
Free List.
A Manufacturer Explains aD
Odd, Genteel Method Of
Robbery.
TWhu A ~ N ~ ao,o H~4Ic A~o Czyl
Why American Goods Are Sold
So Much Cheaper in Other
Lands.
Peoples Party Men to Sup.
port Fithian--Springer's
Reasoning.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5.-The first at
tempt to enlarge the scope of the DEM
ocratic policy of the ways and means
committee came up today in the form OF
a resolution, introduced by Congress-
man Fithian, of Illinois, directing the
ways and means committee to report
bill placing all kinds of agricultural
implements on the free list. Mr.. Fifth
Ian thinks his proposition should have
the support of every Democratic repre-
sentative from an agricultural district,
and lie has already received assurance
of support from Congressman Watson
and his colleagues of the Peoples party
in the house.
Mr.. Fithian'S resolution is somewhat
voluminous,an opens by asserting that
1t has been established by satisfactory
evidence that manufacturers of farm
implements in the United States are
selling farm Implements in foreign
countries and to jobbers for export for
less than the same implements are sold
to the farmers OF this country. This
fact, it says. has been conelusively
established by the following answer OF
A. B. Farquhar, an agricultural nipple
ment maker Of York, Pa. to the Home
Market club:
Farquhar's Frankness.
"We do sell goods cheaper to custom
ers in foreign countries directly and to
Jobbers for export than we do to the
domestic trade. This l could not truth
fully deny or candidly conceal. You
would like to learn the process by which
the manufacturer can afford to sell the
foreign buyer goods for less than he
can the home customer. The reply is
simplicity itself. We receive the prices
current in the market in which we sell.
We cannot get more, and cannot be eX-
pected to take less" The resolution
concludes:
Whereas. Under this system of plum
dering the farmers ofour country; they
are compelled to pay more for their i'm
plements than the same implements are
sold for to farmers abroad, whose prod
uctS are marketed in competition with
the products of our farms; aud
whereas, The duties upon farm i'm
plements are an unjust discrimination
against American farmers. for the bene-
ut OF manufacturers who do not need it,
and are therefore legalzed robbery;
therefore. be it
Resolved, That the committee on
ways aud means be, and they are here
by Instructed to report a bill to this
house at an early day placing all kinds
of agricultural implements on the free
list.
Unique Genteel Steals. fse
MY reason for the introduction of
the resolution" said Mr. Fithian. ''is
indicated by the resolution itself. 1t
has often been asserted aud never sue
ceSSfullv denied that implements man.
ufactured in the United States were
sold to the foreign trade for less than
the same are sold 10 our own farmers.
During the last campaign in New York
state, | was Informed by many farmers
OF st. Lawrence county, in that state,
which is the hotbed of Republicanism
and protection, that implements manu-
featured in the United States such as
were used by the farmers of the whole
country could. be purchased much
cheaper in Canada, just across the st.
Lawrence river, than the same imple-
mentS cost on the American side.
"There is no class of people of our
country that have felt the unjust bur-
dens of our present tariff system more
than the farmers. They are compelled
to sell their products in the free markets
of the world and buy all their ueoes-
saries in protected market. [ do not
believe in attacking the Mckinley bill
by piecemeal. but if that is to be the
policy | know of no better way to at
tack it than by placing farm implements
on the free list.
Protection Is Piracy.
''If it is true, as Mr.. Farquhar asserts,
that implements made here are sold for
lnc tn for far k,0v1 To
farmers, does it not demonstrate that
our manufacturers of implements are
not in need of protection? l believe
that all raw material should also 20 OIL
the free list. If our manufacturers of
implements are now competing with
foreign-made implements under our
present tariff laws, with free raw ma
terial they could supply our own peo-
pie with implements much cheaper,
and capture the markets of the world i'll
the implement trade"
2 In regard to the resolution of Mr..
Fithian, Mr.. Watson, of the Peoples
party. said: 81 think that is PROPOSE
ton that will have the support of the
Peoples party representatives, if it is
reported from the committee. 1t seems
one way within the reach of congress TO
afford the farmer partial relief, and we
would naturally be i'll favor of the free
list being as far as possible extended to
all articles except luxurieS. For that
reason we would favor this PROPOSE
tion."
SprInger's Reasoning.
Chairman Springer, of the ways and
means committee, was not prepared TO
say that the committee would receive
favorably Mr.. Fithian's resolution as an
independent proposition. 1.-The revision
of the metal and lumber schedule" said
lie. lis involved in dealing with the
rates OH farm implements, as iron and
lumber are the materials from which
farm implements are manufactured. Ii
lumber and the raw material from
which iron and steel are made are put
upon the free list there ought to be
large reduction in the duties on farm
implements. 1t would not do, however.
to put finished products OH the free list
and leave the raw material still subject
to a tax. This would simply drive the
m anufacturers of such products out Of
the country"