Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1893-09-28
Tobacco Growers Organize.

TO every tobacco grower in New Eng
land. This has become a great leaf
tobacco growing section, and the indus
try is amply protected under the Nc
Kinley tariff act of $780, which more
than doubled the duties on foreign leaf
tobacco, as then existing under the
tariff of 1888 The present rate of duty
imposed upon foreign leaf tobacco i'm
ported into this country Is S2.75 per
pound if stemmed and 50 per pound if
not stemmed, and the effect of the in
creased duty has been to largely in
crease the area planted in leaf tobacco
snd enable our farmers to secure Just
double the prices for their tobacco crops
that they used to get under the old rate
of duty.
1t looked but natural that the New
England tobacco growers along the
Connecticut Valley would show their
appreciation of what had been done for
them by the party of protection by
helping to re-elect President Harrison
last year. But the State of Connecticut
went Democratic, voting for tariff re-
form at the hands of the party (which
is the party of free trade" They are
now beginning to realize the folly OF
that act, and convention of cigar leaf
tobacco growers throughout the United
States has been called to meet at Wash
ington on Wednesday, September 9th,
20 organize the United States Tobacco
Growers Association, the principal
object of which will be to oppose un-
favorable tariff legislation.
Though the movement has originated
among the tobacco growers of New
England, it is really one of National
Importance, embracing New York,
Pennsylvania, Florida, Wisconsin, and
Ohio, in the North, and all the Southern
States in which leaf tobacco is grown.
The old tobacco duty, under the tariff
of 1888, was equivalent to 84 per cent
ad valorem on stemmed and IT'S per
cent ad valorem on stemmed leaf i'm
ported from foreign countries. Under
the Mckinley act these duties were ad-
vanced to 222 and 4S1 per cent ad va
loren respectively. The idea of the
free trade party, as set forth by spe-
cial committee appointed to prepare
measure for the purpose of carrying
into effect the principles of taxation as
declared in the Democratic platform of
1899, is to fix the duty upon all raw or
unmanufactured tobacco, imported
from abroad, at only 40 per cent ad va
lorem. This would ruin every tobacco
grower In Ohio; that is he would have
to abandon this profitable industry.
The difference between the present
duty, under the Mckinley act, and the
proposed duty is striking one, and
one that every tobacco grower must
feel will be detrimental to his interests.
1t is not at all surprising, therefore, to
learn that the tobacco-growing farmers
are organizing to oppose unfavorable
tariff legislation. Placing the imports
of manufactured tobacco from for
eign countries at 81, ,255, ,255 for the year
1892, this Committee estimated that the
imports in the year after their new
tariff should become a law would
amount to s20,00O,0O0. This would
make an increase of nearly 300 per
cent In the quantitity of foreign-grown
unmanufactured tobacco imported into
the United States, with a corresponding
decrease of nearly 300 per cent in the
quantity of our domestic and home
grown tobacco that our manufacturers
would require. A large area of land
now planted in tobacco would therefore
have to be devoted to other crops that
are already grown in ample quantities
for our requirements, and which are
not so profitable to the farmers as to-
bacco.
Now that the tobacco growers of the
United States understand and appreci-
ate the danger of their industry from
tariff tinkering, it behooves them to
work with will for the maintenance
of the existing tariff protection. Es-
pecially in Ohio this year they should
make a splendid showing for Governor
Mckinley and the Republican ticket.
But while desiring protection for them
selves they must not overlook the fact
that there are other industries equally
as important to other sections of the
country that also need protection. 1t
is, therefore, imperative that those who
appreciate the urgency of protection for
themselves must be prepared to stand
shoulder to shoulder with others who
need protection. No one industry can
or should be protected at the expense of
another, but all must work together
and in harmony for the good of the
cause that is beneficial to all.