Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1896-10-29

was in effect long enough TO show that
under it's operation our production OF
wool would rapidly increase to the ultl-
mate benefit of the entire community.
The Democrats FASTENED to put wool on
the free list. while retaining a substantial
duty on the product of the mill and the
mine. In 1889 there were in the United
States 42,599.0T9 sheep, valued at 500
G40.3 69 in 1893 there were 47.273. SOB
sheep, valued at 1925. 900, 264; in 1896
there are 3S, Dos. 1888 sheep, valued at
$50, l6II35. Under the Mckinley law
the value of our sheep increased S33. 26S,-
so: the Wilson law has taken from the
value of our sheep $50 al $40. or very
nearly one-half. Under the Wilson law
the importation of wool has doubled and
the price of the domestic product has
been balved The Mckinley law gave
to wool and other farm products the just
and equal protection demanded by farm
ers: the Wilson law removed this pro-
lection, and. discriminating against the
farmer. singled out wool growing as the
one considerable industry to feel the full
force of disastrous free trade policy.
Reciprocity.
At its annual meeting in 1890 the
Farmers National congress passed a
resolution in favor of reciprocity: and
that it yet :. vors reciprocity is shown
by the following resolution at its last
meeting:
Resolved. that the Farmers National con-
gress has listened with profound interest to
the able and instructive address of Senior
Francisco Javier Yanes of Venezuela on
The Commercial Relations of American Re-
publics."
Resolved. that to secure reciprocal trade
between the United States and the Spanish
American republics, this congress favors
legislation for reciprocity, commercial treat
les and aid for steamship lines sufficient to
a.
The benefits to our agriculture from
fair reciprocal arrangements were so APP
parent that the resolutions were adopted
by practically unanimous vote, though
in the congress were delegates of all
shades of political belief The peculiar
relation of reciprocity to agriculture APP
pears from a reading of the reciprocity
section of the Mckinley law:
That with view TO secure reciprocal
trade with countries producing the following
articles. and for this purpose. on and after
the first day of January. 1892 whenever
and so often as the President shall be salts
fled that the government Of any country pro-
ducing and exporting sugar, molasses, cof-
fee, tea, and hides. raw and uncured. or any
Of such articles, imposes duties or other ex-
actions upon the agricultural or other pro-
ductions of the United States. which in view
Of the free Introduction Of such sugar. mo-
asses, coffee. tea and hides into the United
States may deem TO be reciprocally unequal
or unreasonable, he shall have the power
III.
proclamation TO that effect. the provisions
Of this act relating to the free introduction
~ such sugar, moasses, coffee, tea and
hides. the production Qf such country, for
such time as he shall deem just. etc.
Although in effect only short time.
the reciprocity arrangement made under
the Mckinley law demonstrated the
great benefit that reciprocity would be
70 our agricultural interests. Space will
permit of the citation of only one case in
point: Our production of wheat so far
exceeds our needs, while the expectation
of Russia and Argentine has so rapidly
increased that il is of the highest i'm
portance to our farmers that our wheat
markets be enlarged. The ability of re-
ciprocity TO do this is shown by our flour
trade with Cuba. In less than four
years under a reciprocity arrangement
this trade increased 4S0 per cent. while
in the first year after the arrangement
was terminated it decreased AZ per cent.
All the reciprocity arrangements would
have been of much benefit TO our arri-
cultural interests: and the Democrats
FASTENED TO terminate them.
Home or Foreign Sugar, which,
Each year we send abroad moro than
| 500 100000 for sugar. All doubt of our
! possessing the soil and climate over n
sufficient area TO produce from beet the
sugar we now import. has been removed.
| Our natural advantages Tor the UrOd1c-
! ton of beet sugar are such thu. not
withstanding the higher wages paid here
aid given our beet sugar industry oauiv-
] alent 10 that which has been given Ia
/ their beet sugar industries by France and
| Germany 10y means of bounties, exemp-
ton OF land from taxation. etc. would
undoubtedly rapidly build up our sugar
production. The Mckinley law. by
means Of a bounty, gave To our beet
/ sugar industry the encouragement ;hat
the history Of the industry in Germqny
7 and France has shown To be wise and
/. highly advantageous to the nation.
! Under the operation of the Mckinley
law our production OF beet sugar rapidly
increased Here are the figures:
Pounds
/ 1891 ..................... 12OOI. SOS
! 1892. ...........s.......... ~. COS. 30
i 1893. .....s..,. ~. SIG. 121
! Had the Mckinley law bounties been
i continued. we would in n comparatively
i few years have produced at home. not
only the four thousand million pounds of
/ sugar we now consume, but the increased
consumption due TO our increased popu-
i lation. II is probable that no other
niece of legislation In our history has
4 shown n greater lack of business sense
4 than the repeal of the sugar bounties
/ and certainly few other legislative en-.
nctments IN our history have done our
| agricultural interests n greater injury or
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