The Columbus journal., 1894-10-17
DOWN EAST FARMERS
FEAR CANADIAN COMPETITION WILL
GLUT THE MARKETS.


Garden Truck. Hay and Sheep Must Sell
For Less Money-A Lone Democratic Pol
itician Who Still Clings to Grover-Ev-
erything For the Trusts.
have been spending my vacation in
o little country town way down in
Maine. The old farmer with whom
boarded was an active politician, and
he and I had many discussions. One
day rode over with him to the country
store, q mile or two away, and while we
were there another farmer came in and
greeted my host with, ''Well, Miller,
are they going to pass this tariff bill?'
81 dunno" said Miller. Looks like
it,
"Well SIR" said the newcomer, ''if
they do. I've voted the Democratic tick
ct for the last time"
Why" asked Miller.
Because, was the reply, "if it passes
I'll have to sell my flock of sheep. I've
been getting 80 and 30 cents pound
for wool, but If this bill passes l won't
get more'n Is or l6 cents, and l can't
afford to raise wool for that. And that
amt all, !" he went on. 81 can't get SO
much for my produce il they let the
Canadians bring their stuff in here free
or at q lower duty than they pay now. "
do you think that no duty OF low
er duty on Canadian farm products
would affect you very much?" l asked.
''Well, l should think it would, was
the reply. 'Some things 'twon't inter-
fere with, but it will make big differ
ence in the price Of my eggs and pota-
toes and turnips and hay and such stuff.
They ought to put up the duty on hay
ifanything. There's too much Canadian
hay comes in here now. And as for tur-
nips, you see, st. Andrew 8 down there,
just across the line, is q great place for
turnips, and if them turnips didn't
have to pay a duty it wouldn't pay me
to raise any,"
"Do you get a pretty good price for
your produce now?" asked.
"Well," he said, there hasn't been
as good q market for them as usual the
last year, the times are SO hard. A good
many mills have been shut down for a
longer or shorter time, and that's made
money pretty tight.
"Well, them" said, you farmers
have as much to fear from the shutting
down of the mills as from the coming
in Of Canadian products, haven't you?"
"More We couldn't sell anything if
the mills didn't run. Who'd we sell to-"
''That's just it," said. You See,
you get just as much benefit from the
tariff OH manufactures as the manufac.
turer does. If there wern't any facto-
ries, you wouldn't have any market for
your produce. so you profit by the tariff
on manufactures as we'll as by the tariff
ON farm products. You need tariff on
both to protect you.
"Well, that's so, he replied, though
l hadn't thought Of it before. l dunno
but I'll vote for protection anyhow,
even if they don't put wool on the free
list and make me sell my sheep
There's no doubt that they'll make
wool free," l said, Though 1 didn't
know before that free wool would affect
Maine much. 1t is easy enough to see
the danger from the coming in Of Ca
madam produce under q low duty, but
l didn t suppose they raised wool here. "
"They don't much, he said, Though
I've got a small flock of sheep. The
wool hasn't started on my sheep yet
this year, though, and my wife says it's
because l voted for Cleveland and free
wool"
Shouldn't wonder" I said.
II should think those western fellers
who raise wool would kick more'n we
do. though" the old farmer continued.
II guess they do" replied. "Pe-
titions against free wool have been
sent to congress from 35 states and ter
but the people are not in it
with this congress. The trusts have the
inside track with this administration.
Just here there entered man with
q Cleveland figure, who. afterward
learned, was a Democratic politician of
local fame. Catching my last words,
this politician asked in loud, impressive
tones, "What is the loss to few thou
sand woolgrowers compared to the gain
to 20, OOO, 900 Of consumers"
"Ah," said, "but you must remem-
Der that those 20, 600, 900 consumers are
also producers They produce the arti-
cles which tho woolgrowers consume
The benefits are mutual, and all have
and money with which to
buy the products Of the others. To see
the effect as q whole you must apply
the same argument to everything. To
be consistent, if not wise, you would
have to make everything free. Then all
your 20, 900, 900 consumers would soon
find that they are producers also. For
sign goods would take the place Of
home products in our markets until our
people, thrown out of work By the ruin
# oil our industries, would be too poor
% buy even the products Of European
abor."
We're not talking about free every
hing. '" returned he Of Cleveland stat
ire. 1--WE don't want everything free,
70 We don't have to apply it to- every
hing. We're talking about free wool"
Pardon me, said, "for assuming
or moment that the Democratic par
y had any use for the jewel Of consist
.ncy. There is chance for a whole
lays discussion in finding out what
aw materials are, as your senate has
earned"
"Well, I'm for tariff reform and Gro
'er Cleveland every time" said the pol
tician as, pleading an engagement, he
,urried out.
Tariff reform and Grover Cleveland |
very time" mused. Never the ma
ion or the people" And !, too, went
,ut, followed by the two farmers.
GAIL II. LAUGHLIN.
Portland, Me.