The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-10-04

The farmers of the United States all
compllin. and complain with reason, that
tbav are unable to make support on
their farms. but they invariably attrib-
ute their grievance to the wrong cause.
Stringency of money is the fayorite cry,
and IN that the farmers charge all their
woes: but after all. the great trouble
with them is the Mckinley Tariff, which,
insidiously but surely, strikes ut the best
interest of all classes of the community,
except the wealthy monopollsts.
REPRESENTATIVE Wilson, of West Nir-
ginin. has recently contributed an article
TO the St. Louis Republic which proves
this most convincingly. 1t is addressed
10 the farme RS of the Mississippi Valley,
but the same reason he gives for their
Poverty can be advanced in the cases
of all the farmers of the country. lie
bases his conclusions upon the one TACT
that the low price of wheat naturally
&; guests TO the farmer to raise larger
crops. but whether his crops are larger or
smaller. one thing is ccrtain, the price or
his wheat is determined in the lhVerpool
and London markets, and he is forced to
be- in competition with all the world
wher he offers his wheat for sale.
Tho American farmer, therefore, has
to sell his wheat according to Liverpool
md London prices, and should he ship
it to Liverpool for sale he will get just
what he would get in the United States.
But suInose after be had gotten his
money in Liverpool he proceeded to IN
vest If there in needed articles OF the
farm and household. He would md the
priccs suitable, and would no doubt con-
graduate himself that farming did pay.
when. however he ships his purchases
n the limited States he finds that he is
met by tax gatherer at the custom-house'
and when he adds this tax to the price
IF his grain. he finds that he is no better
off than if he had purchased in this
country. except that the material OF
which the articles purchased abroad are:
much better than those be would get IL
he purchased the cheap goods of Ameri-
can shoddyists. Thus it is that whether
he sells his grain here or in Liverpool
he must take Liverpool prices, but when
he buys anything he must pay United
States protected prices. In other words,
there is no tax for him when he sells,
but a heavy tax on him when he buys.
This is the case with all the formers of
the United States; but in addition there
10. the Southern fl rmer has "A very grie-
yous burden to bear. He has, like the
Northern farmer, to pay Mckinley tlrh
prices on every farm and household i'm.
Element he uses, on every article OF
clothing he wears, and he has to COM
pete with the farmers Of the world when
he sells his produce. But then, unlike
the Northern farmer, he has to pay his
proportion of taxes to the extent of 500
100000 a year to be distributed through
out the North in the shape of pensions,
and 50 while the Northern farmer is also
taxed heavily for pensions. his money IS
put in circulation in the North, and he
may get it back but the Southern farmer
never sees his egain.
Is it any wonder that tho farmer every
where finds it difficult TO make both
ends meet, and is it any wonder that
the Southern farmer is worse off than
any of his brethren elsewhere? Yet We
see some Southern farmers threatening
to desert the Democracy for Il Third
party, which is only an annex Of Radical
ism, and which can do nothing except
to keep the Republican party-the author
of all their woes-in power.