The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-30
WHERE THE FARMER COMES L,


The farmer figures larger in the
speeches on the tariff bill than he does
in its schedules. There he gives sub
stantials and gets bubbles. Protection"
is given to him where it is useless or
insignificant, and it is taken from him
where it would be helpful in his eternal
struggle He gets taxes on imports of
wheat, corn, oats and barley, on beef
and pork and cattle, of which he pro-
duces a surplus for export; duties on
butter, cheese and eggs, which will
help, if at all, only a few farmers on
the fringe of the st. Lawrence river,
and tax on imported wool, that,
since its first imposition in 1867, has
only served, by the delusive hopes it
raised. to cheaper domestic wool. He
gets-what he always gets when he
asks the congressional Jupiter to help
him at the cost of some one else-he
gets left"
For these iridescent bubbles what
does he have to give? What price does
he pay for his protection? OF what in
the year, does he buy the most for use
his family? His implements of hus-
bandry, now practically free, go back
upon the dutiable list at As per cent,
although no manufacturer of them ap-
peared before the ways and means
committee to ask it. They have been
fairly shamed out of it by the demon
stration of the two years of free i'm
plements that they can withstand any
competition from abroad. Only S4.4S7
worth were imported in 1895 and only
$3.50 in 1896, while they sent abroad
$5,S19,8S5 in the former and $4,643. 729 in
the latter year. 1t is trif1ing as a reve-
nue. tax and can be effective only to
permit combinations to be formed to
increase home prices. There may be
none, but there is the opportunity for
one; and if it forms, the farmer will
have to pay the shot. Probably the
largest item in his food account at
the grocer's is sugar. In exchange for
his protection on eggs he pays smart
ly in the increase of the tax on this
from 40 per cent to an estimated Y per
cent; nearly double
For whatever good the tax on wool
may do him, if he keeps sheep. he paws
big price in the inevitable increase
in cost of every yard of wooden cloths.
on every pound of knitting yarn and on
a T~tip Of
he buys for his family. There is no
certainty Of any sustained increase in
wool prices, while there is the certainty
of advance in woolens prices. The ex-
perience of 1890 will be repeated to him.
and he will find the cost of what he
buys rising and that of what he sells
controlled by influences beyond the
reach of tariffs. When he wants table
ware, pottery or glassware, he will find
that the restored tax of go per cent
will make these articles dearer than
now with a tax of so per cent. When
he buys cutlery for the table he will
find that prices have gone up under
the tax that ranges from over 500 per
cent on the cheaper articles down to
90 per cent on those finer goods that
seldom find their way onto farmers
tables
Some day, when all the fine fellows
get their feet off the farmers neck and
their fingers out Of his pockets" said
one who had left the farm, but felt
memory's apron strings pulling him
back to it, 81 will go back to the farm
but as long as it is a question whether
they will support me or help support
others like me, I am going to give
myself the benefit Of the doubt and
stay where I am" And, after all, as
one scans the election returns and
sees how faithfully the farmers sup
port the fellows with feet on their
snecks and fingers in their pockets. one
questions If effort is net wasted spent