The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-07-22
FARMERS FOR PROTECTION.
They Made the First Tariff for Their
Own Special Benefit.

Farmers Votes Have Ever Since Sustained
lhe Protective System-HOw They Have
Benefited by It-Great Improvement In
Agricultural Property Under PrOtec-
IiOn-StrilSing Facts About Agricultural
Conditions In the "GoOd Old Times"
Protection was adopted by the founders Of the
Government for the special purpose Of bene-
fitting farmers The members OF the nrst Con-
gross we're nearly all farmers themselves or
represented farming constituencies. Agricul
ture was practically the only industry OF the
people, and they saw their produce rot on their
hands year after year for want OF a market for
st. To create q market for this produce was the
prime object of the early Legislators. There was
not a robber baron among them. Their policy
was farmers policy pure and simple Later
statesmen down TO Blaine and Mckinley based
their advocacy OF Protection on their belief that
At benefited the farmer most OF all. We shall
quote from Two only jackson and Calhoun
both Democrats. Said the former, In advocacy
Of the Tariff Of 1924;
~ will ask what is the real situation Of the
egriculturlsti Where has the American farmer
market for his surplus producer Take from
agriculture in the United States 100000 men,
women and children. and you will at once give a
market for more breadstu1rS than all Europe
He evidently understood how Protection ben
Gifted the farmer. Tho certain results OF Pro-
lection, Calhoun said, would be;
''The farmer will find ready market for his
surplus produce and what is almost Of eq ual
consequence. certain and cheap supply OF all
his wants"
He was no less sure that Protection benefited
the farmer, because he. like Jackson. had expe.
rienced the miseries Of a lack OF domestic mar
kets for farm produce.
Notwithstanding the teachings OF all the great
statesmen OF early times, our country has on
several occasions experimental with low tariffs.
In every instance the effects on agriculture
were most disastrous Senator Ewing, of Ohio.
speaking Of the low tariff period Immediately
preceding the Tariff Of 1924. said;
ain short every portion of the world was
searched by our intelligent merchants. and all
combined did not furnish O market adequate to
our surplus productions.
every farmer in Ohio long knew and felt the
pressure consequent on this state OF things.
Year after year their stacks Of wheat stood un.
threshed, scarcely worth the manual labor Of
separating the grain from the straw. 30 low
was IL reduced In comparison with manufac-
tured articles that have known forty bushels
Of wheat given for pair 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 1912 came " the farmer Q
ain some parts Of Pennsylvania the people
were obliged to divide bank notes into halves,
quarters, eights and 80 on, and agree from
necessity TO use them as money. In Ohio. with
all her abundance. 1t was hard to get money to
pay taxes. The sherin OF MuBkingum County,
as stated by the Guernsey Times In the summer
OF 1912, sold at auction one four-horse wagon at
$3.50; ten hogs at 6k cents each; two horses
(said TO be worth $50 to SIS each) at 81 each two
COWS at 81 each barrel ofsugar at 81. 90. and a
store Of goods at that rate. In Pike County.
No., as stated by the Hannibal Journal, the
aherin sold three horses at $1.60 each one large
OF at lax cents; I'VE COWS, two steers and one
calf. the lot at $S.25i twenty sheep at lSh cents
each; twenty-four hogs, the lot at % oentsi one
oight-dRy clock tS2.50; lot of tobacco. seven or
eight hogsheads, at IS three stacks OF hay, each
at IS cents, and one stack OF fodder at 70 cents"
30 much for our own experience with low or
revenue tariffs. highlands 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 conQuests and placed her in the proud
place she has occupied for centuries among the
nations OF the earth.
To-day, eleven million acres Of tho best
farm land in the world is lying waste in Eng
land, 900 600 persons annually leave the agri
cultural districts and the condition of British
agriculture IL simply deplorable. Free Trade
has all but ruined the English farmer. 30 has
ruined the Irish farmer. 30 It has dealt with
agriculture in India. In fact. our own expert
Once and that Of the whole world 10 that q
revenue tarin means death 10 the farmers pros
Derity.
On the other hand, sec how constantly and
greatly the condition Of American farmers has
Improved. Never before could they get so great
Aquantity OF the things they consume with 80
small quantity of the things they produce. The
following comparison between former and pres
Ont agricultural conditions shows how superior
those OF the present are. and Vindicates the
wisdom OF our early statesmen, who, at time
when the farmer citizens Of the young Republic
had to exchange Q wagon load OF farm prod
nee for pair Of boots SO directed the course
0f legislation as TO realize at the close OF the
nlnOteenth century the conditions here
pictured:
PRICE OF THINGS WARMERS SELL.
Increase.