The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-06-25
Number

larger cOllSulQ pllOu OI WneaC anu "ucat
flour and other agricultural staples in
the cities of the country than we have
now at the low prices.
Mr.. Butler-Mr. President, the SEN
ator from Utah said he was in favor of
about $13,0O0,00O export duty on wheat
at ten cents a bushel. If we pay an ex-
port bounty of ten cents bushel, that
will raise the price of every bushel of
wheat, whether exported or consumed
at home, that much, will it not?
Mr.. CanDon-Certainly it will.
Mr.. Butler-Then, for an investment
of $13,COO0CO, which the government
would pay out in the shape OF an export
bounty. the wheat farmers of the coun-
try would get their protection Of $60,-
100000 or $7O,0Oo,GO0, would they not?
Mr.. Cannon-Hhey would, il there
be any truth in the protective principle.
Mr.. Buticr--That would be very
good investment.
Mr. Cannon-lt would be very good
investment If it were to be made in be-
half Of any manufacturing industry or
any trust in the United States, but any
thing in behalf of Che farmer is looked
nnon with scorn and is considered
doubtful investment by the legisiat ture
of the United States
In addition, Mr.. President, it is a
very poor argument, when you have
been robbing some man for years and
he asks you for justice, to say that you
propose to continue to rob him of more
and say that you do not know where
tn ho II
which to restore that which you have
nrighteously taken. 1t is the very first
duty Of the congress of the United
States to provide bill which shall not
only be honest in it's present applica-
ton, but which shall pay back some
portion of that which has been taken
from the pockets of the toilers of this
land.
I have talked with the farmers in 20
states of the union since last fall, and
firmly believe that this tariff would no
longer endure them until the farmers of
the United States can have chance to
revise it at the polls, if you do not give
to them some portion of it's benefits.
The farmer is bending beneath bur-
den which he cannot carry longer. He
has been the backbone of the integrity
IOf the United States, but there comes in
the place of the free and independent
farmer of this country a race of tenant
Try to reap servilely where he sowed
nobly, men who receive their opinions
from others instead of giving their own
independent voice at the polls and in
all their declarations to their fellow
men.
The senate of the United States can
afford to be absolutely just. I believe
the amendment should be adopted.
Mr.. Chandler-May ask the senator
from Utah a question?
Mr.. Cannon-Certainly.
Mr.. Chandler-I heard the senator
speak of robbery a little while ago with
reference to the farmer. Does the SEN
ator mean that the farmer has been
robbed all these years by the tariff? ?
Is that the senator's argument?
Mr.. Cannon-Yes, sir, decidedly.
Mr.. Chandler-When did the senator
first think that the American tariff sys-
tenn was robbery of the farmer?
MIR. Cannon-Just so soon as the SEN
ator gave sufficient attention to the SUBJ
ject to understand the truth of it. ad-
'vocated republican tariffs as earnestly
and as faithfully in my humble way as
the senator from New Hampshire, and I
believed exactly what I taught.
But l am not disposed any longer to
advocate a system by which one por-
ton of the population is taxed for the
benefit of another portion of the popu-
lation. 1 think that it is unfair to
cherish only one class, and that the
class which has already the most rower
of self-protection. If the senator from
New Hampshire will go across the
plains of Kansas, as I have gone, and
across the plains of Nebraska, believe
in him sufficiently to think he will
come back and say that this bill is rob-
berry of the American farmer.
l have stated that am in favor of a
protective tariff system. I stated that
IN the guilelessness of my soul, being
republican, | went out and advocated
the republican idea of protective tar,
itf. | never was brought quite so close
to responsibility concerning it before
as am to-day. Heretofore 1 have dis
cussed it on the stump, advocating it in
general terms, but as soon as am con-
fronted with responsibility which
obliges me to look more closely into
its application to all the people l am
simply discharging my duty when I
seek to amend this measure so that it