Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1896-10-31
The FARMERS FRIEND
A Comparison Between the Policy
Of the Republican and
Democratic Parties.
LEGISLATED FOR AGRICULTURE
John NJ. StahI Tells Why the Farmer
Should Stand by His
Friends.

John NJ. Stahl, 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 man who has made his way
from poverty to alllucncc, by the use
of his own head and hands. His promi
hence in the Grange, Farmers insti
tutes and all movements calculated 10
better the condition of American agri-
culture gives weight to his Judgment
and makes his Vi. VS. on all public ques-
tons of value.
In 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
tercsts of agriculture in view. He says:
at must he 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
all the people. No exception to this is
furnished by the tariff. which has been
the most persistent political question in
our history. No other question has been
an important issue in so many cam
paigns. 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 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 repre-
sentative agricultural body meeting. to
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 n body is the Farmers Ma
tional Congress and at it's last annual
meeting it adopted the following resp
luton:
Whereas. it is an established principle
with both of the great political parties that
tariff on imported goods adequate To meet
the expenses OF the government should be
levied: therefore.
Resolved. that we demand the same meas
IRE 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-ffths of the farmers of the
country. from California TO Florida and
from North Dakota to Texas. The rcso-
luton was adopted without one dissent
ing vote. AS the honorab BILE 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 rcsoI,,-
ton may Justly be taken us expressing
the sentiments of the Grange also. Cor.
tainly the Farmers National congress.
being composed of farmers, should NOT
have demanded less; and, as it is non
political and bipartisan. it could not con.
siStently say more. Similar resolutions
have been adopted ut previous meetings.
Protection Under Mckinley Law.
The Mckinley law gave to agricultural
industries the same measure of protec-
ton that it gave to other industries
Horses. hay. potatoes onions. eggs bar
ley, fruits. wool and other products of
our farms. the producers of which de-
rive a direct benefit from a protective
duty on those articles. were given ius1
and satisfactory protection; and thus the
Mckinley law met the proper wishes and
the just and reasonable demands of the
farmers. As soon as they had the power.
the Democrats fastened to remove the
duties on farm products or to remove
them altogether. and the Wilson law does
not give the same measure of protection
to agricultural industries that il gives to
other industries Wool is A striking ey-
ample of this. The Mckinley law gave
ii proper protection. and while that law
was in effect only very short time, it