Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1892-07-20
FARMERS FOR PROTECTION.
They Nade the First Tariff FOR Their
Own Special Benefit.

Farmcrs' Votes lavo Ever since susfn.ncu
fhc Protective sysscm-xsow They Have /
Benefited by if--Grent Improvement ~
Agricultural Property Under Prosec-
tion-striising Facts thout Agricuiturni
Conditions In tho "Goo6 Old Tfiucs."
Protection was adopted by tho founders OF the
Government FOR the apcctai purpose OF Dehe-
hitting farmers. The members OF tho hrst Con
rreys we're noarly all fathers themselves OF
represented farming constituencies Agri.ucI
ture was practically tho only industry oil the
people ana they saw their produce rot on thelrI
hands year after year for want of market iut
IL. To create market for this produce was Inc
prime object OF the early Legislators, Ihcte was
not n rohber baron among them. Their policy
was n farmers policy pure ana sNnpic' latei
statesmen down TO Blalno and Mckinney Dasca
their advocacy OF Protection on their bellef that
II benefited the farmer most OF all. We shah
quote from Two only Jackson and Caihohh'
both Democrats. Said the former, IN advocacy
OF the 'rari~ of 1924 =,
..i will as what Ia tho real situation Of thel
aericul,urlsl? Where has the American FARMER
amarset for his surplus produce? take from
agriculture in tho United Statos GOo,uOo mcn'
women and children. and you will at once givo ai
market for moro breadstufrs than al Europe
now furnishes US.
He evidently unders,ood how Protection bon
ented the farmer. The certain results oi FRO
lection, Calhoun said would Do:
..Tho farmer will find ready market for MS
surplus produce. aud. what Is almost o. cIun ~,
consequence certain and cheap supply OF ali
his wants.
He was ne less sure that Protection benentcu
the farmer because he. like Jackson. mad expe'
renced tho miscries OF a lack OF domestic ihar
kcts for farm produce.
Notwithsianding the tcachin gs of all the great
statesmen of carly times. our country has on
several occasions experimental with low tariffs.
In every instance the effects on agriculture
vsre most disastrous Senator Ewing OF ohio.
speaking of the low tariff period Immediately
preceding the Tariff OF 1924. sald;
"In Short every portion OF the worlu was
searched by our intelli gent merchants. and all
combined did not furnish market adequate 10
our surplus productions.
..Every farmer IN Ohio long knew and foit the
pressure consequent nn this state OF Things
Year after year their stacks OF wheat stood uh.
threshe.l, scarcely worth tho manual labor OF
separating the grain from tho straw. So low
was It reduced in comparison With manufac-
tured articles that have known forty bushels
Of wheat given for pntr Of boots.
Colton's :" Life of Henry Clay thus describes
the wretched condition OF agriculture under
another experiment with low tariff. before the
Protective act Of lS42 came to the farmer .
rescue:
I'm some parts of Pennsylvania the people
were Obliged to divide bank notes into halves,
quarters, eights, and SO ON. and agree from
necessity TO use them as money. In Ohio. with
all her abundance, IL was hard :" get money TO
pay taxes. The sheriff of MusAingum County,
as stated by the Guernsey Itmss in tho summer
of 1912, sold at auction one four-horse wagon al
$3.50; ten hogs at Ga cents each: two horses
{said to be worth $50 to S75 each at 81 ach two
COWS at 81 each barrel of sugar at 81. 90. and a
store OF goods al that rate. In PiRe county.
Mo-, stated by the Hannibal Journal. the
shern sold three horses al sl5l each; one large
OK at 121x cents; five COWS. two steers and one
calf the lot at % Is; twenty sheep at lS1s cents
each: twenty-four hogs, the lot at IS cents: one
eight-day clock at $3.50; lot OF tobacco. seven or
eight hogsheads, at $; three stacks OF hay. each
at - cents, and one stack OF fodder at 20 cents .
So much for own experience with low or
revenue tariffs. England 5 example is no less
Instructive. Before her adoption OF Free Trade
her agriculture was the main source OF her
strength and wealth. 1t was armies drawn
from English farms that won her victories,
made her csnquests and placed her in the proud
place she has occupied Tor centuries among the
nations or the earth.
To-day. eleven million acres OF the best
farm land in the world Is lying waste in Eng
land. 260, 900 persons annually leave the asrl
cultural districts and the condition OF British
agriculture is simply deplorabie. free Trade
has all but ruined the Eng glish farmer. So 1t has
ruined the Irish farmer. SO IL has dealt VIII
agriculture In India. In fact, our own export
ence aud that OF the whole world is that q
revenue tariff means death to the farmers pros
perity
On the other hand, see how constantly and
greatly the condition OF American farmer5 has
improved. Never before could they get 80 grea
&quantity of the things they consume with SC
small quantity OF the things they produce. Th'
following comparison between former and pres
ant agricultural conditions shows how superio!
those of the present are, and vindlcateS tht
wisdom of our early statesmen, who, at tim,
when the farmer citizens of the young Republic
had 10 exchange a wagon load OF farm prod
for pair OF boots. so directed the course
OF legislation to realize OF the close OF the
nineteenth century the conditions here
pictured:
PRICE OF THINGS FARMERS SELL.
Increase.
1916. 1890.