The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1893-12-23

many ups and downs over the bank
ing question. We have little fear,
however, that Congress will adopt
the ideas sketched by Mr.. Springer.
We even doubt whether his own
committee will adopt them. Mr..
Springer is opposed to state bank
notes. If he succeeds in neutraliz-
ing those who favor that system, and
if they succeed in neutralizing him,
that is perhaps as much as we can
expect at the present time.
Trying 20 Fool the Farmer.
1t is the pretense of the extreme
protectionists that the farmers of the
country have been greatly benefited
by the Mckinley tariff of 1890 and
will be greatly injured by the Will
son tariff of 1898. Unfortunately for
these friends of the farmer, there is
no evidence at hand, or obtainable,
that the agricultural interests have
been helped in the least degree by
the high tariff duties now levied on
the farm products of foreign coun.
tries.
All this seems like stating truisms
so plain that it is a waste of ink and
paper to print them. ANY bright
sehoolboy would promptly grasp the
rudimentary truth that no duty, how
ever high, can benefit to the extent
of single cent the American farm
ers engaged in raising those staple
necessaries of life in the raising of
which European countries have long
since ceased to be their competitors,
and are now dependent upon them
for large portion of their own food
supplies.
Nevertheless, the Mckinley tariff
actually pretended 20 protect the
price of the American farmers wheat,
corn, oats, rye, butter, milk, bacon,
eggs, pork and apples. And now
that the Wilson bill proposes to re-
move these absurd taxes the cry goes
up from the ultra protectionist camp
that the farmer, too, is 10 be ruined
as well as the manufacturer. He is
to lose his own home market for all
these things. The "pauper labor of
Europe" so it is intimated, will flood
this country with corn and wheat
grown, presumably, on the vast prai.
ries of Central England-at such
cheap prices that the wheatfields of
Minnesota and the cornfelds of the
West generally will be blighted for
evermore. Cheaper foreign eggs and
bacon-produced, it is to be inferred,
in the boundless farming countries
of Central Europt-are to be shipped
in vast quantities the moment Nc
Kinney duties cease to protect the
fresh-laid fruit of uur native hens
and the juicy meat of our home rails
ed hogs.
Truly this is one of the broad hu-
mors OF tariff discussion which ought
to- set the entire country laughing.
Protecting the manufacturers by
making their raw materials dearer is
a funny coneet in it's way, but il is
a serious and almost solemn sugges-
ton compared with the screaming
farce of protecting the farmer by
taxing those foreign farm products
which never come to our ports to be
taxed, and. in the very nature of
things never will. A few figures
bearing on this ridiculous pretense
Of projection for the farmer are
worth quoting here During the fis
cal year 1892 the United States ex-
ported wheat of the value of $751;
399, 1872, and imported wheat of the
value of $l0,307. OF wheat -four this
country's exports were valued fol-
the same year at SIS, 1862, 2S3, and it's
imports at less than $4,000. OF corn
and cornmeal it exported it's own
products to the value of SAL 800, AGO
and imported foreign corn and corn
meal of the value of $3,7S1. 1t ex-
ported apples to The value of $2,407,
95S. and imported apples to the val.
ue of less than $4,000, AS to but
, ter and it's substitutes, the American
farmers sent out of this country theil
products of these articles to the val
ne of nearly $12,00O,OOO, and the to
tai value of all the foreign butter and
butter substitutes imported into this
country was less than $4,000.
Such figures as these might be ex
\ tended indefinitely, but these ar,
enough to fully show the illusory
character of the so-called protectiv,
duties on American farm products
The Mckinley tariff was not only ,
} fraud upon the American farmer; i
a was an insult to his intelligence,
gross reflection upon his common
sense. 1t highly taxed everything
I that he needed to use upon his farm
! all his tools, implements and ma
chinery, all his own and his family
, clothing and all his household furni
ture and carpets for the benefit o
the manufacturing trusts" Thel
! it turned round and Knocked him b,
r putting duties on the farm product
n which he raises in such abundance
q that he has no foreign competitor
r for his home market, but is himsel
4 the successful invader of the foreign
4 er's home market. And the McKin
4 ley tariff advocates thought in 1896
f and appear To think now in 1898
a that the American farmer is so Elm
) ple-minded as not to see the chea
e they are trying 10 practice upol
n him.
The American farmer is not th
n fool the high tariff statesmen hav