The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-08-25
SPEECH TO FARMERS.
Mckinley Talks mt Length ON Bene-
fits of the Home Market.

fits of the Home Market.
1t was nearly ! O'Clock when a party of
seven carloads OF Knox county farmers
reached Canton by special over the Penn
sylvania. They had the Centerburg (O)
Cornet Band with them and were very en-
thusiastic. They marched the mile from the
station to the Mckinley home in good form.
A local farmer headed the parade with a
load of new-mown hay. They were a
sturdy looking set of men. and cheer after
cheer went up as their chairman appeared
on the stoop with Major Mckinley. Mr.. H.
ID. Critchfield. of Mount Vernon. of
Knox county farmer, made neat presenta-
ton. Major McKinley's response was
peatedly interrupted with applause. and it
was quite lengthy. He said:
"Mr Critchfield and my Fellow-citizens-
IL gives me very great pleasure to meet
and greet the citizens of Knox county in
the city of Canton and at my own home.
l am glad TO welcome ny Old comrades of
the Grand Army, my fellow-citizens who
are engaged in agricultural Industries and
my fellowcitzens of all occupations who
are here assembled this morning. Your
meeting demonstrates that you have keen
interest in the public questions which are
now engaging the people of the United
States and that you want this year. as you
for those principles and those policies which
will achieve the greatest good and the
highest welfare TO the country. l am glad
especially TO meet the farmers of Knox
county, for the farmers of the United
States are the most conservative force In
our citizenship and in our civilization (ap-
plause). force that has always stood or
good government for country for liberty
and for honesty. Great applause.)
Whatever the farmer is suffering to-day
is because his competitors have increased
in numbers and because his best customers
are out of work. applause and cries OF
You are right.D ] do not know that we
can decrease the number of your competi-
tors but with the adoption of a true Amer
lean protective policy we can set your best
customers to work. Tremendous cheer
ing.) We have suffered in our foreign trade
and we have suffered i'm our domestic trade
The farmers have suffered in their export
trade. and they have likewise suffered i'm
| their home market Under the Republican
| tariff law of 1890 we imported in 1893 over
! III. 600 pounds of wool. valued at over
| sl3.O00.0 COO. In 1895, under the Democratic
| tariff law. we imported 2is.000000 pounds OF
worth more of wool was imported unaer the
| Democratic tariff law than under the Re
! publican tariff law in 1894. The imports of
| wooden goods in 1894 amounted to SIG. 500. 900.
| and in 1895 TO s57.494, 600. From the reports
! of the Treasury Department at Washing
| ton we find that there were 47.273.000 sheep
| in the United States in 1892. valued at sl25
/ 100000. On the 1st of January. 1886, there
were SS29S.00O sheep In the United States.
| valued at $65, 600 000-a decrease of 1900. .0Od
| in number of sheep and of 100000 in
value; 81, 100000 worth more of shoddy was
imported under the Democratic tariff law
| than under the Republican tariff law. In
| wooden goods the difference is more than
/ $50 100000 in favor of the foreign manufac-
| turer and against the domestic producer
| The total loss in these three items to the
| American wool grower and the wage earn
ers in American wooden factories is more
than $62, 100000. Is II any wonder that sheep
| husbandry is no longer profitable?
OTHER PRODUCTS.
$50 with other agricultural productions
During the last seventeen months of the
Republican tariff law there were imported
into this country 10000 tons of hay. an6
during the first seventeen months of the
! Democratic tariff law there were imported
| 273,oOO tons. The Wilson law gave the for
| eign producers a market for $4,000 tons
more than they had enjoyed in the las
seventeen months under the Republican
tariff law. This loss exceeds 100000
THE total wheat, rye. barley. oats anc
corn crops for 1885 amounted TO 355s 600 00
bushels. The total of this product exported
was lS2.36i 600 bushels. or little less thar
per cent of the total product annually
and more than sc per cent. was consume,
at home. The great bulk was consumed h,
your own fellow-citizens, your natural con
ported 81, ,420 100000 worth of agriculture
products. In 1856. the first two years un
der the Democratic tariff law. we exportes
M.ll4, ,OJ00W worth. We exported there
fore. 1913 600 worth less in the two wear,
| under the Democratic tariff law than in IN,
two years under the Repubncan tariff law
Depression in agriculture has alya ~
followed low tariff legislation. 1t was :,
after the tariff of 1916. and il has been :,
under the tariff of 1894. On Dee. , 1S5I
Pre- sident Fillmore. in his message 10 Con
sress OF that date. affirming the conditio,
of the country and especially the effect n
the tariff legislation upon the interests a
the American farmer. said: The value n
our exports of breadstuffs and provisions
which il supposed the incentive OF
low tariff and large importation from
abroad would have greatly augmented ha
fallen from SOS 701 900 in 1s47 10 S2s 051 COO Il
1870. and TO $2lS4S,V00 I'm 1851 with stron,
probability. amounting almost 10 a certain
ty. of a still further reduction in the cur
rent year. The aggregate values of ric
exported during the last fiscal year. n
compared with the previous year also ex
hibit a decrease amounting to SisD on
which. with decline i'm the values OF IN
exports of tobacco for the same period
make an aggregate decrease in these tys
articles of 81 l56,e00.
The policy which dictated a low rate @
/ duties foreign mercha ndiSe. il wa
thought by these who promoted and estab
lished it, would tend to benefit the farmin
/ population of this country by increasin M
the demand and raising the prices of agri
cultural products in foreign markets Th
foregoing facts. however. show incontest
i