The Forrest City times., 1892-03-11
THE CURSE OF THE TARIFF.
It's Actual Tax on the Farmer Causing
 Ruin aud Desoistfon-

It's Actual Tax on the Farmer Causing
 Ruin and Desoistion-
 Prof. N. s Shaler, Member of the Massa-
 chusetts State Board of Agriculture. in
 the New England Almansc.n
 Our civilization rests upon agri- culture. To 1t every strong state must look not only for daily bread. but in large measure for men who are to uphold society. We have won and maintained our institutions in peace and war by the aia of the sturdy citizens who were born and bred upon the farms; therefore it is the first duty of our legislators to take care that the laws do not endanger the prosperity of those who till the soil
 The present condition of agricul- ture in New England shows clearly that the protective tariff is harmful to the interests of the farmer. Thirty years ago this part Of the United States contained thousands of small farms which are now abandoned In every neighoorhood we see the deserted homesteads falling in ruins and their fields returning to forests. The traveller in these districts feels that some great plague has fallen up- on the people. Thus in the towns of Tisbury and Chilmark, in Dukes coun- fifths of the farmsteads of thirty years ago are now deserted On one tract of l. POO acres where formerly stood twenty-two farm houses. only eight remain. and the greater part of the fields have grown up in brushwood. Several of the New England states have been led to the extraordinary measure of making census of their abandoned farms with the hope that foreigners might be induced to buy them Although these lists are inn perfect in that they take account only of those places where the houses and fields are still fit for use, the results are startling. They show that the small farmer is rapidly being driven from the land which. for centuries. maintained his forefathers in prosper ity. The census of 1890 shows loss of population in 930 rural towns in New England.
 One reason why the small farmers have been driven to abandon their fields is found in the fact that the pro- tective tariff greatly increases the ex- pense of their households. In fam- fly of five persons engaged in farming. and living with strict economy at least S350 has to be spent for clothing. household utensils. farming tools and the materials which are used in re- pairing and building fences On the average more than $50 of this sum is due to the protective tari I. This tax is great enough to make a life-and- death difference in the struggle Of q man who has to depend for his success on his own strength. and the natural resources Of small tract of ordinary New England land. With that amount Of money on the right side Of his &C., count he can subsist his family and put by something for his old age Without it he must fail
 When the system Of the protective tariff was begun the farmers were promised that the manufactories which it would induce would afford them a higher priced market for the products of their fields This theory has proved to be utterly in error; except in the case of market gardens near the great cities which are owned by men of cap ital and titled by hired labor. no part of our agriculture has had any con- siderable advantage from the estab- lishment of factories in New England It is now made clear oy experience as it is evident from reason. that the price of our soil products is deter mined by the market rates of European countries where our surplus is sold. The notion of the advantages of a home market is shown by the facts to be fallacious Instead of being a blessing to the small farmer the tariff is curse which stealthily works for his ruin.