The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-24
HOSTILE To FARMERS
SOME ASTONISHING RESULTS OF THE
WILSON TARIFF LAW.
a Definite Comparison Of It's Work.
ings with Those Of the Mckinley
Law in n Given Period.


The great mass Of citizens of the United
for a livelihood will perhaps be astonished
to find TO how great an extent the new
tariff law is discriminating against them.
both in the matter of the importation of
their own products and the importa-
ton Of foreign products which compete
with their own labor. They have had init
nations of this in the fragmentarly state
ments which 1t has been possible to present
from time to time of the workings of the
new law but 1t is now possible for the first
time to compare definitely from official
publications the workings of the new law
in given period with those of the McKin-
ley law. And the statement thus obtained
shows that in practically every department
Of agriculture the new law has placed the
great population of this country who are
dependent on agriculture at a great disad-
vantage
The Treasury Department arranges its
statements of the operations of the customs
laws in two different forms. AT the close
of the fiscal year, June 80, 1t presents
statement showing the amount and value
of imports and exports during the twelve
months ending at that date. At the close
of the calendar year it presents a state
ment showing the imports and exports
during the twelve months ending Dec. 81
The operations of the Mckinley law ended
Aug. %, 1894; therefore, the last full year
of its workings shown by any official state
ment in detail would be the year ending
June 80, 1894, which is usually termed the
fiscal year 1894" The Wilson law went
into effect Aug. 2S 1894; therefore. the first
full years statement in detail which can
be had of its operations is the calendar
year 1895. Naturally, neither the old nor
the new law worked normally during the
few weeks preceding or following the date
at which the change was made-Aug. Is,
1S94-and comparison of the fiscal year
ending few weeks prior to that date with
the calendar year beginning a few weeks
af .er that date Is essentially a fair one to
both laws. Besides, it is the only method
of comparing official statements of the
workings of the two laws during periods of
equal length nearest to the date at which
the old law ceased to be operative and the
new one went into effect. A comparison.
therefore, of the imports and exports dur
ing the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884.
with those of the calendar year beginning
Jan. 1, 1895. places side by side the two
| yearly official statements obtainable which
most nearly touch on either side the date
| at which the change was made from the
| old to the new law.
MISLEADING PROMISES.
| A good many of the thirty millions of
| people who are dependent on agriculture in
| this country, and who recall the fervor
with which the Democratic statesmen de-
nounced the Mckinley law as hostile to the
| farmer, and characterized the Wilson law
| as one which would be greatly to his adj
vantage, will be surprised to learn that
| under the Wilson law the imports of farm
| products in competition with their own
labor have been much greater than they
were under the Mckinley law, while the
| exports Of farm products have fallen off
| since the repeal Of the Mckinley law. The
| orators who denounced the Mckinley law
| and favored the Wilson law insisted that
| they were legislating in a way that would
| protect the farmer, and yet increase his
| sales abroad. That their promises were
misleading. inaccurate and untrue is APP
| parent from comparison of the actual
| workings of the new law with those Of the
Mckinley law.
| In all the great articles of farm produc-
| ton, such as wheat, barley, wool, hides, to-
| bacco, meats, flax breadstuffs, hops, hay,
| hemp cotton and others. the importations
have Largely increased un9er the new .M law,
| portations under the new law have de-
| creased. These statements, ii should be re-
furnished by the Treasury Department COW
| ering the years most nearly touching the
| date at which the change was made from
sea Hesr enn aS June
| fiscal year under the Mckinley law, the
| exports of products of domestic agriculture
amounted 10 $oLo,olo,uo. III the year 1880,
the first calendar year under the Wilson
law, the exports of products of domestic
agriculture amounted to only $685. ia, 1915.
| This was falling off of $50, 00O, 900
| in the amount exported. That the new law
actually discriminates against the farmer
| is shown by the fact that but 81 per cent.
| of the total exports of 1895 under the new
| law were agricultural products, while over
| ~ per cent. of the exports in the last year
! of the Mckinley law were agricultural
products.
THE OFFICIAL FIGURES.
| The following tables show, from official
reports OF the Treasury Department, the
| imports and exports Of farm products in
| the last fiscal year under the Mckinley
| law compared with the first calendar year
| under the Wilson law. 1t may be worth
while repeating the statement already made
| that these two periods-the fiscal year end
| ing June go 1894. and the calendar year be-
| ginning Jan. !, 1S95-most nearly touch the
| date at which the change was made from
! the old to the new law of any annual
| periods covered by the official statements
| year 1894 Closed two months before the end
| of the operations of the Mckinley law
and the calendar year 1895 began four
months after the Wilson law had begun it's
| work. Each years figures may therefore
be assumed to present a fairly normal pic
| ture of the workings of the two laws and
| thus TO give for the first time since the
accurate official comparison of their opera
| tons as affecting the great Class of citi-
zens of the United States dependent on
agriculture: