Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-03-31
TUESDAY, MARCH 31sT, 1896.
YOUNG MEN, STAY ON THE
FARM.

FARM.
The above is trite adage
worn tread bare. For years past
the man on the farm has had a
tough time Of it, and his pushing
aggressive brother in the city in
business has been in clover.
But the saying at the head of this
article is nevertheless true in
the long run, and positive indica-
tions are not wanting that soon
the farm will be the best place
after all. Nature and natures
laws somehow or other re-assert
themselves in spite of mans en-
deavor to turn them upside
down. Ever since the war the
policy of this nation has been to
favor the so-called manufacture
ing industries, by means of
tariff laws. But manufacturing
industries are vastly overdone in
this nation. And no matter who
is elected president next fall,
nor what party comes into power
the manufacturing boom that
this nation has enjoyed for sever
al decades can never be revived
again. Let the Mckinley law
be enacted with higher duties
than ever and reciprocity also
and it will not help matters to
any extent. Why? Because it
will not give the farmer more
money for his produce, and
hence no capacity to buy the pro-
duct Of the factories.
Good prices for farm pro-
ducts is the beginning Of all in,
dustry. It is the first essential
condition and basis for a pro-
tective tariff on manufactured
goods. Archimedes said that he
could move the earth with his
lever if he only had some place
for to rest it on. But as he
could not find that so he did not
move the earth. Soa protective
tariff OH manufactured goods can
do wonders, has done wonders
for this nation when there was
prosperous agricultural class to
furnish a market for the goods,
but without farmer consumers
to buy goods protective tariff
is as impotent to produce pros
perity as Archimedes' lever was
to move the earth without full
crum.
The protected industries in
this country have had a golden
harvest for the last quarter Of a
century. Twenty-Five years ago
the great west laid almost viz
gin soil ready for the millions
from Europe to settle on and inn
prove. The millions came, took
the land and needed everything
for tilling it. Here was a mar.
ket for manufactured articles
such as never was seen before
and never will be again in the
history of the world. Here was
the one grand opportunity for
protected industries to supply
that market. Millions and bill
lions have been made by manu-
facturers of all kind of stable
goods that the farmer uses. But
the manufacturers have at last
glutted the market. They have
sold goods to thefarmer not only
for all he has earned from year
to year, but also hold mortgages
on his land for goods Sold. With
the fall in prices of all agriculture
al staples. the western farmer
has all he can do to pay his in
terestt and taxes and he has moth
ing left but for to buy the near
est necessaries of life. !.
Now to claim that a protective
tariff will work now when the.
buying eapacityof the consumer
Unprotected goods is destroyed.
the same that it did when the
farmer had means to :buyi with
is the height Of folly Protec-
ton can work when there is a
home market to protect, but it
eannoti create that market, never vel