The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1897-06-23
CORRESPONDENCE.
AN INTERESTING LETTER BY A
WASHINGTON!AN.

Who Knows What Is Going On in the
Capital City. Politics Receive Special
Attention.
Hon. j. H. Brigham, assistant sec
retary of Agriculture is always an in
teresting talker. He has come espec-
tally interesting facts just now upon
the situation in Washington and its
relation to the situation among the
farmers of the country. Talking to
your correspondent upon this subject
| as he sat at his desk in the depart
ment of agriculture, he said: "The
cause of the agricultural depression
is not easy to name in Nrk. Tariff
for revenue and free raw material are
probably responsible to considerable
extent. Under these principles the
duties have been taken from wool and
lowered on other agricultural pro-
ducts, thus operating directly upon
the farmers of the United States by
reducing prices. The general revision
of the tariff has iuterfered with other
great business interests of the coun-
try and checked production The eff
feet of this has been to throw labor
out of employment; the men who
once had money to buy farm products
have been living only bv the rreatest
economy, and the surplus of farm
products has accumulated in the far
mer's hands,
What about the attitude of the ad-
ministration. Mr. Secretary, and its
desire for speedy tariff acton?"
"The Administration has been ear
nestly advocating the early passage of
a measure that will correct the evil
results Of the Wilson low-tariff free
raw-material lava measure which
is expected to give adequate protec-
ton to the agricultural interests and
with a tendency to remove the pres
ent existing depression. There has
been less delay than in any previous
legislation of the kind. Even the op-
position has not been captious in its
efforts to delay the passage of the
measure, but has quite generally re-
cognized the fact that the people re-
iected the tariff for revenue only
idea and condemned the policy which
compelled the farmers and some other
industrial classes to produce the So
called raw material in direct com
petition with the cheapest labor of
the world whilst other interests were
protected. The wool-growers and
wool buyers are waiting with some
impatience the passage of the bill reg
ulating the duties upon imported wool
and woolens. Wool is now ready for
market. and this suspense is very det-
rimental to both seller and buyer, as
they do not know just what rates of
duty will be fixed. The farmers are
very earnest in demanding adequate
protection on all farm commodities
grown here in competition with sim,
liar products grown abroad and some
times imported into this country. and
the administration is fully committed
to this policy of giving ample pro-
lection to agricultural products. The
farmers of Ohio are not so much in
terested in the duty upon hides as are
thoee who live in the great west, but
they believe it to be matter of JUS
tice and equity that there should be
some protection to the men who grow
hides as well as to the men who man
ufncture from them"
"Wbat do you think about the re-
vision of the tariff schedules in the
senate?"
"The new tariff bill as it passed the
house is believed to be more in the in.
terests Of agriculture than the bill
as amended in the senate committee
Now that the measure is under dis.
cussion in the senate, the represent.
atives from the agricultural districts
are expected to see that it is properly
amended before it becomes a law, II
IS very cheering tn note the break.
ing ur of partisan lines on this ques'
tiou. The old tariff for revenue only
SLOGAN, so long relied upon by the
leaders of one of the great political