Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1896-10-29
THE FARMERS FRIEND
A Comparison Between the Policy
of the Republican and
Democratic Parties.
LEGlSLATED FOR AGRICULTURE
John NJ. StahI Tells Why the Farmer
Should Stand by His
Friends.

John NJ. Stahl, practical Illinois
farmer and 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 aflluence, by the use
of his own head and hands. His promi-
nence in the Grange, Farmers insti-
tutes and all movements calculated to
better the condition of American agri-
culture. gives weight to his judgment
and makes his v. VS. on all public ques-
tions 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
all the people. No exception to this is
furnished by the tariff. which has been
the most persistent political question i'm
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 n
tariff act The bill was introduced and
discussed before Gen. Washington was
naugurated President and the bill was
enacted into law two months before the
\ a
department. Tariff for protection and
tariff for revenue, adj 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. Ii 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 body is the Farmers Ma
tional Congress and at its last annual
meeting it adopted the following reso-
luton;
whereas, It Is an 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,
| Resolved. that we demand the same meas
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-ifths of the farmers of the
/ country, from California to Florida and
! from North Dakota TO Texas. The reso.
luton was adopted without one dissent.
4 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.
/ tainly the Farmers National congress.
/ being composed of farmers. should not
/ have demanded less: and. as il is non.
! political and bipartisan. il could not con.
/ sistently say more. Similar resolutions
have been adopted at previous meetings.
Protection Under Mckinley Law.
The Mckinley law gave To agricultural
/ industries the same measure of protec-
i ton that il gave to other industries.
4 Horses. hay. potatoes, onions. eggs. bar.
i lev, fruits. wool and other products Of
/ our farms the producers of which do.
\ rive n direct benefit from n protective
/ duty on those articles, were given lust
and satisfactory projections: and thus the
| Mckinley law met the proper wishes and
| tho Just and reasonable demands of the
/ farmers. AS soon ms 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
| 20 agricultural industries that il gives to
other industries Wool is a striking ex-
/ ample of this The Mckinley law gave
Il proper protection. and while that l.. W
was in effect only a very short time. il