The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1892-04-08

Congressman Patterson In speech The
other day saidi
"There Is notlilng traer Than that the
market which likes the price n the sur
Plus fixes the price Of the entlre crop. So
Il follows that the American cotton IN the
free oren markets OF the world comes in
contact with the cottons OF india and
Egypt and al. other countries producing
the staple, and Is sold IN open. free som-
petition with them. II Il absolutely de-
mons,rable and absolutely true that the
cotton Of thls country Il sold At free
trade prices. But Is II true iha. The
men who BY the sweat OF their brows pro :
duee the cotton have an opportunity to
purchase with i.s proceeds the necessaries
Of ne where they can buy them the
cheapest
Suppose farmer had ten bales of cot
ton and should ship II 10 the market At
Liverpool, is II not cer,ain that he would
meet there the cotton farmers In all other
ecuntfles producing cotton and that he
would be forced 10 sell IN the epen free
market In competition with tnems Now.
suppose he should receive $500 for HI,
cotton and should Invest the price IN the
neeessafies VI life, such a. clolhIng, Iron,
or steel, or earthenware goods, what would
be the resnltl Is Il not absolutely certain
that he could not land these goods on The
shores Of MS own country without paying
duty OF about 90 per cent OF $stoi
Now, suppose thai he soid the cotton Ia
the American mMke'. Il il not equally
certain that he would Ly the operation oI
our tariff laws be forced 10 buy the same
goods imported Into this country al price
made up Of the foreign price, the cost oi
transportation, and the amount Of duts
paid by the lmpofseri
The same reasoning sppliss sllh eqnal
force 10 ~heat. corn, pork, bee, butter and
all other farm products pfodueed In .hi'
country 10 excess Of the requirements oi
the home market. Il Is the price OF the
excess which iixes the price OF the whole
The duty, throNn as rnakeshift into III,
saha law, on Imported farm products Is i
snare and . deluslon. II l. 4 bold ane
mendaelous a,iempi 10 decsive and ensnars
The farmers Into The belief thar they are
protected.
There can be no protection. under ihs
laws .sci this country, where . surplus !,
produced which 4 forced TO seek foselgr
market. Whenever any product leaves
our ports II leaves behind The guardian
ship OF our laws. and must necessarily be
sosd In open competition With Ike pro.
ducts Of other countries. The price In ihs
foreign market reacts on The home market
snd absolutely tixes the value OF The pro-
duct sol,E At home. So there Ia no escape
from the conclusion that The wheplssto
ci Minnesota works Ia the harvest feld Ia
ompetitIou with the coszack on the
plains Of Russia; with the Turk on the
shores Of The Mediterranean, and the in-
habltanss OF India on the banks Of the
Ganges. But when the farmer Of Min
nssota comes to purchasing The necessaries
! of life with The proceeds 0. ais toll. he 1.
forced to buy In restricted market a,
tariff prices.
This brings me to the motive undrrly-
Ing our tariff laws. They were coneoctcd
for the express purpose OF laying dulles on
commodities produced or manufactured
alike IN these foreign countries. Such
articles as are not produced IN thls eoun-
try, like coffee, iea, quinine. and many
others, aie n.t taxed. The tariff laws are
intended 70 prevent foreign manufactured
goods from coming into free competition
with American goods OF tue same kind
and quality In the home market.