Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-04-13

TTFTARIFF AND THE FARMERS,
A comparative statement Of exports
Of farm products in 1894 and 80 is pub
1ished by the New York Tribune. which
shows decline of a little less than
-wen.v-eight million dollars in a grand
ro-al of more than billion dollars
worth of exports of farm products for
| the TWO years under consideration. The
Tribune exul,s over this showing as
evidence of The evil effects Of the Will
son tari1 upon agricultural exports,
which is excellent evidence Of how hard
the Tribune is put TO it for high tariff
illustrations these days. For it is GER
rainly not The fault of the Wilson tariff
that there is a sharp competition Of
Russia. Argentina, India and Australia
with this country in the worlds mar
ke,s for wheat Nor is il the fault Of
the Wilson tariff that the insurection
1 i'm Cuba has checked the expectation Of
flour 90 that island.
Tn 1895 the exports of Indian corn
amounted in value to $27,9O7 766-a
/ gain of SS.52S.S55 over the previous
year. This is three times as great a
gain as was the loss in the exports Of
wheat. Was this increase in exports Of
Indian corn due also to the Wilson tar-
( in? And yer rhe Wilson tariff had as
much 10 do with the increase in vhe one
4 case as with the decline in the other.
/ Ut is TOO la-e in the day TO attempt 70
delude the farmers with the precense
THAT they can be injured by a reduction
[ of tariff taxation or helped by duties on
their products. They know full well
/ that the prices of their entire crop of
staples depend upon the demand in the
/ foreign markets. while under the Nc
Kinley tariff they were obliged to pay
! exorbiant duties on many of the neces-
saries and comforts which they pur-
chased. For this reason many Of the
/ Oranges of the Patrons of Husbandry
/ throughout the country are sending pc
I titions 10 Congress praying for the pay
ment of export bounties on the staple
products of the farm In no other way
do the farmers conceive that they can
I &c. their share out of protection" If
/ the manufacturers are TO be protected
4 by heavy duties on imports. the farmers
/ can get even only by protective duties
on their exports.
Butthe Tribune's high protective Wis
/ ion is apparently unable to see another
and still more interesting feature Of
/ the ueasury's figures of our exports,
namely the remarkably large increase
in the exports of American manufac-
lures last year. This increase. with the
increase in the exports Of the products
of our mines and forests. is greater
than was the loss in the exports Of agrl-
cultural products. The latest returns Of
trade show that in the seven months
ended January 81. 1896. the exports Of
manufactures amounted in value to
I S126S02461-a gain Of upward Of S22,-
100000 over the corresponding period
last year. Manufactures already consti-
tute twenty-five per cent of the coun-
try's entire export trade, and this per-
cen,age is steadily rising.
Here is solid ground upon which 70
estimate the real influence Of the Will
son tariff upon the manufacturing in
dustries of the United States. 1t is
/ seen tina, the most important of these
industries have outgrown infancy and
have attained a msty manhood. SO far
from needing protection" they are
now compe ing successfully with all
+ comers i'm the open markets of the
world This is especially true of the
7 great basic industries Of iron and steel
the muhiudinous products of which
are finding foreign outlets in a con-
SANITY increasing stream. During the
seven months under review the exports
of iron and steel amounted in value to
/ S2233S979-a gain Of nearly 100000
over the exports Of the corresponding
period of the preceding year.
We have the high authority Of the
manufacturers themselves that their
export trade is quite profitable TO its