Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1892-11-02
WEDNESDAY Nov. /. 1892
BLAINE AS SAMSON.
he DEMousHEs THE REPUBLICAN
HONE MARKET" CLAIM.

The Arguments of the MAN from Maine"
Accepted a. True for the Purpose Of
Illustrating the FaIIacy Of Republican
Protcctionists' Claims.
Mr. Blaine has completely destroyed
the old Republican argument Of home
market as justification 10 the farmers
Of the northwest of high protective
tariff. He did IL in few words at the
Ophir feast Of Whitelaw Reid. "The
products Of manufactures in each of the
four agricultural states Of Ohio Indiana,
Illinois and Michigan said he, "are
greater in pecuniary amount than the
products of agriculture
What II we admit that this is true: IL
might be claimed and fully proved 10y
census statistics that the output of the
protected factories Of Illinois constitute
but small percentage Of the total ont
put of all the factories, protected aud
unprotected, in that state But for the
purposes of the argument we prefer To
accept Mr.. Blaine's statement as he evil
IDENTIFY intends IL 10 be accepted as
meaning that the value of all manufac.
lures in the state of Illinois is due to the
protective tariff.
When we accept Mr.. Blaines state
ment or Mr.. Blaine's terms we have the
right to question him upon IL. We ask
then, why, if the manufacturing indus
tries of Illinois have been protected up
to the point where they create values in
manufactured products greater than tho
values of all the agricultural products of
the state, they do not create home mar
ket for the agricultural products? Hi
nois produces from $4,000, GOO TO 10000
600 bushels of wheat annually Her
population can consume not over 90 600
600 bushels. The surplus is sold at prices
fixed abroad. The great mills of the
state grind more for export than for
local demand. The state can raise 400
600, 900 bushels of corn and cannot con
sumo, after including the great consump-
tive capacity of Peoria and Pekin distil-
leries, unprotected industries, more than
three-quarters of It, These are the great
staples of Illinois agriculture. In dairy
ing, the product of late years has per
haps reached 100 600. 600 pounds of but
ter annually, n quantity far in excess of
the demand of the state, and this COM
parison of the amount of agricultural
product with the Illinois population
might be carried into the raising of
meats, and throughout the entire list of
farm produce, with like results. There
is great farm surplus in illinois every
year.
Protectionists have answered the de-
mand for home market with "A promise
to make one. All they have wanted,
according 10 their theory, has been time
enough But here they have state, ac-
cordiug to the highest Republican au-
thority, where protection has developed
manufacturing 20 n point where the out
put of its factories is worth more than
the output of its farms, and yet the fac
tories are unable to furnish an adequate
market for its farms.
The conclusion is irresistible, accept
ing Mr. Blaine's figures as true, which
they are not, that the labor cost enteriR.
into the value Of manufactured goods is
very small, owing either to low wages
or the employment of labor saving ma
chinery In either view Mr.. Blaine dis
poses completely and forever of the de-
fusion of a home market
Can il be possible that he failed to sec
the effect of his words2 There are many
things in his hopeless and despondert
attitude TO suggest that other Samson #
olden time putting forth the last effort
of his strength to overwhelm in one
common ruin those who had Inundated
him and brought him at last TO an Ophr
a. 4 Sd.
Republic.