The record-union., 1893-09-14

! Say the value OF the stamp is 81. AnOth-
4 er grower in Chico also wishes to send
ike quantity OF peaches to the same des-
/ tinatlon, and he too obtains 81 stamp,
ana the fruit is forwarded the same way.
! y third grower in Sacramento County
wishes to forward like quantity to New
! ork, and he likewise obtains 81 stamp
| and the fruit goes on to New York.
In short, land products in their natural
state are to be forwarded in any quantity
to any destination just the same as other
mail matter and subject to similar condi
/ tions.
/ When it is considered that paper-cov-
4 cred books and other literature is sent
/ by the publisher to any part of the United
/ States in any quantity at one cent per
! pound, or SO per hundred, and that this
! literature is forwarded on fast trains,
1 then, in that event, the proposition here
! offered IS only new to The extent that
farm products take an equal rank with
literature.
/ The two remedies proposed at first
glance may seem to many as highly inn
| practicable, and even absurd, but ali that
| Is asked here is little patience and care
/ iul attention, and the probabilities are
| that a sufficient element Of agreement
| may be found that may lead to ultimate
concurrence, and if not in the plan here
| proposed in some other more avail
/ able.
! That agriculture is the very corner
| stone OF our national prosperity is be-
yond question fact. That it should
! receive prime consideration in legislative
| action conducive to its successful prosecu-
! ton IS apparent, but i'll reality we find
I other and less important interests much
more carefully tOsuered. Manufacture,
/ tor instance, Is maintained by a protect
I've lArli1. and that not alone against the
coolle labor of China or India, but even
OF the higher priced labor of Great Bri-
tain, France and Germany.
L Will now proceed to submit some Of
| the objections offered against these propo-
] sltlons: The first is thar it is a species Of
socialism. Repiy-If protection against
/ Indian and Chinese cOOIie labor is social
ism, then IS protection against British,
! German and French labor a greater de-
! gree OF socialism? Conclusion-If one is
! bad, the other is worse. Must not all ad-
mt that the success of all other indus
/ tres whatever are dependent upon the
success Of agriculture?
/ Commerce, industry, finance; the arts,
! the professions and science, all these are
! firmly seated on the broad shoulders Of
/ agriculture. Ihls mighty giant carries
the tremendous burden. 1.-The last straw
! broke the cancels back" and as this
| mighty giant" is human it behooves
| that care be taken that he be not over
! loaded, Tor his strength is the strength of
{ liIG lIt4OD, anu Ills Uetlll6 Is me decline
/ OF all interests OF civilization. When he
! staggers countless numbers congest in
/ city tenements, and V hen he groans the
threatening form OF the prOlitariat with
his deteSted bloody ensign and his dis
tructlve bomb appears i'll view, and with
Gou-curslng ana IaW-despiSing harangue
urges on to blood and fire. In vain the
Calling gun, III vain the DayOnet; these
shall be thrust aside like reed in the
hands Of child, just as soon as our over
| burdened giants strength gives way. Re-
move his burdens and soon the benefcent
rays OF prosperity viii encirCle his being
/ aud then thousands and hundreds OF
/ thousands, yes, millions, will crawl out
/ OF their city dens and eagerly seek a home
/ in the country, and praise God when they
have found it, and then each man shall
! SIT under his own vine and his own fig-
( tree and there shall no one make him
afraid"
/ To return to our proposition-the free
tax and practically free freight. VIII this
/ not represent vast sum! VIII it not foot
up into hundreds of millions Of dollars?
! es, 1t is the removal OF this vast sum,
these hundreds of millions OF dollars
from the shoulders Of this patient, over
burdened giant, that shall give him new
vlgOr, greater strength, and a lasting
foundation. Upon whom then viii fall
the burden of these millions? Upon all
who are not farmers.
VIII they not object? Yes, some until
they have been convinced that it is in
| their interests not to object. Some will
object through selhshness and others
through misunderstanding.
Would it be just to take from the bur-
dens OF one and place it on the others? If
it is unjust to protect agriculture then it
IS even more unjust to protect manufact-
ure. We protect American cutlery against
| English cutlery, \ American cloaks against
German clOaks. Then why not Amer
lean agricultural products against the
peasant and coolie labor of Europe, Asia
and Africa.
Suppose the present administration
should remove the tariff from shoes and
manufactured cOttOns, what would fol-
| low? What but in less than a year thou
sands OF factories would be in operation
in China, and shoes, overaIls, under
wear, hosiery and bedspreads would
come from there, and at a much lower
price than we ever have had them? What
a howl OF dismay would be heard from
the hundreds OF thousands OF idle oper-
atives thrown out OF employment here.
and of ruined manufacturers with USE
less plants on their hands.
Now when we consider that these sama
operatives and their employers are all de-
pendent for work and profit upon the
success OF agriculture, is it not a wonder
| that they alone are protected, and agri-
culture alone is left to the tender mercies
of condition which governs the price Of
their product by the price of a similar
product produced by coOlie labor, at from
four to ten cents a day?
1t may he asked how it came about that
the manufacturer managed to so thor
oughly protect his interests while the
farmer was practically lett to shift on
his own hook. The reason may be found
III the greater shrewdness OF the manu-
taclurer, and his greater ability TO avail
OF political means to his ends. Concen-
trated, as the manufacturers are, in great
centers, they could in a few hours, as.
semble for mutual assistance. Repre-
sGntIng, as they did, millions of canitaI
their resolutions carried an Irresistible
( influence in legislation. Their MANY
thousands OF employees could also pre-
sent that solid argument in the form of
a united organization vehenently ad-
VOcaung the interests OF their EMPLOY
irresistible. and their cry of ''protection''
became law.
The farmer had no such advantages
in fact, he has not got them yet, and NAV
never have them-and il he had ''cry''
at all ii was Free Trade" and in this he
was peculiarly unfortunate, for it was uu-
popular, and there is nothing more
calculated TO injure a political faction
than an unpopular cry. The farmer
wasted his strength in frantic but futile
efforts at amelIoratiug his condition, and
yet he IS as far OF from his goal as ever.
In sheer despair he attiiates with all
sorts OF political scum, in the vain hope
that relief may come from somewhere,
somehow, pitiabIe spectacle 10 God and
man, well climaXed when the political
pirate on stump calls him "nature's