The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-26

nipeg news item says that Premier
Greenway has sent each of the forty
members of the Manitoban legislature
letter authorizing them to select from
among their constituents zone good, in
telligent farmer to give evidence before
the Dominion tariff commission" at OF
tawa. This is, to us on this side of
the border, decided novelty and one
not without its merits. To be sure we
have had Judge Lawrence laundering
at the committee at every session, but,
as he himself bluntly admitted in his
latest appearance, he only represents
Ohio wool growers. Then we have had
Representative Tawney representing
the horny handed harley growers, and
Senator Hansbrough looking out for
the hens, but neither of these
is a farmer, except in the
slargy acceptation of the term,
and Lawrence is only one of them
by profession. We recall no instance
when a genuine farmer, good, in
/ telligent farmer" has laid before the
ways and means committee the inter-
ests of his class as whole in the tariff
and the relations such taxation bears to
| their vocation
In another phase this Canadian meth
cd differs very materially from our own
copyrighted and patented American
! system" Mr.. Greenway authorizes the
| a. oil 70
stituent that his expenses will be de-
frayed by the province or the general
government it Is immaterial which
This is not our way, though, if the
! ways and means committee is investi-
eating the tariff as a matter of public
ana common concern, we really cannot
! see why the government should not paw
/ the expenses of the witnesses sum-
! moned or going before it, as other COM
mittees making Investigations pay their
! witnesses. One can imagine the smile
| that covers the vast expanse Of face
IN this or the succeeding congress were
such thing proposed to it, We can
Imagine some brutally candid protec-
zionist assuring the member who was
SO simple as to present such a measure
that he entirely mistook the purpose
OF our great American policy if he sup
posed, as his bill evidently assumed.
! that the tariff was really intended for
the benefit Of all the people 1t is only
for those who are in on the ground floor
and who will get a material benefit
from 1t, one capable Of being expressed
with the dollar sign and shown on the
/ proht side Of their trial balances. and
they can we'll afford to pay their ex-
| penses themselves.
Ii the gentleman is so callow as to
suppose that the treasury would be
made to bear the expenses of these
gentlemen on their annual excursions
down to Washington to advise the hon
orable the ways and means committee
and their district representatives how
and where their profits could be on
hanced by changes in the tax
rates, 1t is quite evident that
he is not acquainted fully with the
amenities of the system, and should
| give 1t his attention before he attempts
to mend it. If the reforming MEM
Der should still insist that the farmers
among his constituents were too moor
to make the journey down to the great
sanhedrim of paternalism, the frank
member would assure him that there
was no need of their coming, for they
received no substantial benefits from
the tariff, and only those getting bene-
hts were wanted. There are, of course
rates put upon nearly everything the
farmer produces, but the farmer who
believed that these were helpful to him
would be altogether too simple to give
the committee advice that would have
any value. 1t is only in the magma
ton, Of course, that such extreme can
DOR and truthfulness as this can exist.
but that is what would be said if men
said only what they knew and believed.
Meanwhile the Manitoban method NAV
we'll be reflected upon by our farmers