The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1894-08-09


In Mr.. Cleveland's remarkable let
sumes to tell Congress its duty as
law making body, occurs this signiti-
cant paragraph:
One topic will be submitted to the conference
which eInbOdies Democratic principle ti
rectly that It cannot be compromised. We
have In our platforms and IN every way posi-
bic declared in favor OF the free importation
OF raw materials. We have again and again
promised that this should be accorded to our
people and our manufacturers as soon as the
Democratic party was invested with the pow
er to determine the tariff policy OF the cOnn-
try. The party has now that power. We are
as certain to-day as we have ever been OF tho
great benefit that would accrue to the country
from the inauguration OF this policy. and
nothing has occurred to release US from our
obligation to secure this advantage to our peO
ure can accord with Democratic principles
and promises or bear a genuine Democratic
badge that does net provide for free raw ma
tertals.
We wish every farmer, no matter
what his politics, to stop and read that
paragraph again says the Progressive
Farmer. 1t is the utterance of the
President of the United States, spoken
with emphasis to Congress and the
country as the one essential idea of
democratic tariff reform. Whatever
else Democratic tariff may do, it must
provide for free raw material.
To put anything on the free list is
to cheaper it to the purchaser. This
has been the Democratic argument
from one end of the land to the other,
and if there is nothing in that, there
is nothing to the people in tariff re-
form.
Now raw material must so on the
free list and be cheapened. The only
thing the farmer has for sale is raw
material. The wool from the sheep.
the cotton from the plantation, the
barley from the field-every single
product that the farmer depends upon
for money, is raw material. So also is
the direct product of the mine and the
forest. These must go on the free list,
must be cheapened in the market. 1t
has been promised to the manufact-
urers, says Mr.. Cleveland, and the
people" must have the benefit Of it..
Who are the people as Mr. Cleveland
sees them? This placing of raw ma
terial on the free list will benefit the
manufacturer just as surely as would
an increase in the tariff on the goods
he manufactures. There are two ways
in which q manufacturer may be
benetited-you may enable him to sell
his goods higher, or you may enable
him to get his raw material cheaper.
The Mckinley way is to increase the
tariff and make the farmer pay more
for his goods. The Cleveland way is
to compel the farmer to take less for
his produets-for the raw material.
The Mckinley way is decidedly prefer.
able, for the farmer may escape the tax
by refusing to buy; but the Cleveland
plan he cannot escape because he is
: compelled to sell or get no money al
all. Here we have our ten-cent wool
and five-cent cotton.
| God save us from such tariff reform
as that, and Cleveland says that il the
essence of Democracy. Then save II:
from such Democracy. Take both th'
parties, therefore, aud it is Heads
win, tails You lose," SO far as tn
! farmer and laborer is concerned, Tn
people may continue to vote it ant
deserve to suffer.