The Dickinson press., 1896-10-31
THE FARMERS FRIEND
A Comparison Between the Policy
Of the Republican and
Democratic Parties
LEGIsLATED FOR AGRICULTURE
John NJ. Stahl Tells Why the Farmer
Should Stand by His
Friends.

John M. Stahl, a practical Illinois
farmer, and a land owner in Missouri,
Kansas and Nebraska, who is the editor
of the Farmers Call, Quincy, and also
secretary Of the Farmers National Con-
gress, is a man who has made his way
from poverty to afluence, by the use
of his own head and hands. His promi-
nence in the Grange, Farmers insti-
tutes and oil movements calculated to
better the condition of American agri-
culture, gives weight to his judgment
and makes his views on all public ques-
lions of value.
In a recent interview he discusses the
relation Of the American farmer to the
two great political parties and points
out the fact that in legislation the Re-
publican party has always kept the in
terests Of agriculture in view. He says:
1T must be said to the credit of the
farmers of the United States that they
have never asked for more at the hands
Of Congress or lesser legislative bodies
than they were ready to have granted
to others, or for legislation that they
did not believe would be Of benefit to
oil the people,. No exception to this is
furnished by the tariff, which has been
our history. No other question has been
.aD Important issue in SO many CAM
pdigns. The second act passed by the
Congress of the United States was a
tariff act. The bill was introduced and
discussed before Gen. Washington was
inaugurated President and the bill was
enacted into law two months before the
passage of the law creating a treasury
department. Tariff for protection and
tariff for revenue, ad valorem duties
and specific duties, etc., were thorough
ly discussed while the first tariff bill
was pending; and there have been few
years since in which these questions
did not engage the lively attention of
] the American people. 1t was inevitable,
, therefore, that the tariff should have
the frequent consideration of a repre-
discuss proposed legislation and to rec
ommend to the favorable consideration
of legislative bodies such measures as
! are deemed worthy of that recommended
: ton. Such a body is the Farmers Ma
tional Congress and at its last annual
| meeting it adopted the following reso-
luton:
Whereas, It is In established principle
with both Of the great political parties that
a tariff on imported goods adequate to meet
the expenses of the government should be
! levied; therefore,
ure of protection for agricultural Industries
that Is given to other Industries.
At the meeting referred to there were
! delegates from states in which are more
than four-6fths Of the farmers of the
country, from California to Florida and
luton was adopted without one dissent.
ing vote. As the honorable gentleman
! who has been master of the National
| Grange for eight years past and many
other prominent officials of the Grange
were present as delegates, the resolu.
. ton may justly be taken as expressing
the sentiments OF the Grange also. Ger.
being composed of farmers, should moi
have demanded less; and, as it is non.
political and bipartisan, it could not con.
sistently say more. Similar resolutions
f! have been adopted at previous meetings
Protection Under Mckinley Law.
The Mckinley law gave to agricultural
industries the same measu of protec
ton that it gave to other industries
Horses, hay, potatoes, onions, eggs, bar
farms, the producers of which de
rive a direct benefit from a protectiv.
duty on those articles, were given JUS
and satisfactory protection; and thus thu
Mckinley law met the proper wishes ant
the just and reasonable demands of tn,
farmers. As soon az they had the power
the Democrats fastened to remove tn,
duties on farm products or to remov,
them altogether, and the Wilson law doe
not give the same measure of protectio,
to agricultural industries that it gives t
other industries. Wool is a striking ex
ample of this. The Mckinley law CAV,
it proper protection, and while that Law
, was in effect only a very short time, j