The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1896-10-16
FARMERS AND TARIFF
Home Demand Supplies the Chief
Market for Agricultural
Products.
WHERE THEIR INTEREST LIES.
Effect Of Curtailng the Purchasing
Power of the Men Employed
in Factories.

We export about one-third of the
wheat grown in the United States either
in the form of -four or of wheat. We
export only about 5 per cent. of our
corn crop. The expectation of other
grain is as a rule trif1ing in quantity, al
though the very low price of oats for the
past two years, owing to heavy produc-
ton and a falling off in the home de-
mand for consumption by street rail-
way horses and driving horses, has led
to a considerable foreign movement in
this grain Of our meats we probably
export about 10 per cent. although exact
statistics are not available on this point.
These figures are sufficient to make it
plain to the intelligent farmer that the
that any causes which reduce the home
demand for provisions directly injure the
farming interest.
Besides the staple articles of grain and
meat, there are multitude of farm
products for which there is no market at
all except the home market. This in
cludes the whole range of periShable
fruits and vegetables, and also includes
to very great extent the dairy products.
Other important items are poultry and
eggs. All thrifty farmers know the value
of home markets for such articles as
these, and know, too, that much OF the
profit of farming comes from the minor
productions of the farm.
If we are to have increased home con-
sumption of farm products we must have
labor generally employed. and at fair
wages, in the towns and cities. 10 keep
labor well employed it is absolutely es-
sential under the present conditions that
we should have protective duties upon
a large range of fOreign-made articles.
&c InuOor q matter of theory.
about which intelligent men dispute. 1t
was held for time by the advocates of
free trade that the superior intelligence
of the average American worklngman ana
the superior quality of the machinery he
used would be sufficient protection 70
manufactured products. This is de-
fusion which no intelligent man now ad-
yocates The extension of commerce by
steamship lines all over the world, the
LAYING of submarine telegraph caples,
the worldwide habit of travel, the cheap
ness and convenience of transportation,
and the general spread of intelligence
by newspapers has put the entire CIV
ilized and semi-civilized globe In close
business relations. Our ingenious labor
saving machines are being INTRODUCED
into China and Japan, and no important
Improvement is mace IN lnven.l9 9;n+oi IL =
This coutry that is not lmmedlateiiy y,
known in all parts of Europe. The skill
and producing capacity of the mechanics
and operatives Of other CO.. 4bn SHARE are
moss of connection and by the introduce
fion of new methods and machinery:
Labor all over the world is tending 10
common level.
Now the thoughtful farmer will readily
see that if we were to keep up the ablll-
y Of own shop and lo factory y PG bera
Quantities ru we must maintain an excep-
tionai rate of wages. # through such a
free-trade legislation as Mr.: Bryan y 1oM anG
o,'r American wage-earning population to
the standards of living prevailing IN the
manufacturing countries which en- com 9peaf
snrnlus Of farm products in this country
for which there would be no home mar r
ket. We must put up, tariff wall 70
keen out a flood of such articles as we
Manufacture in our own country, or we
will soon be deluged with cheap wares
and fabrics from Japan and China a.