Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-06-21
EXpORT IOTTTTES.
SENATOR CANNON INTRODUCES IT,
BINS SCHEME TO i4CLF FARMERS.

Tie Mal.es q Hot sp,orn and Floors All
Opponents rroteOtion Is One
Sided ana Iiobs tho Farmer lie Now
Sells In Cheap end Guys In n Dear
Market-Can 10 Protected Only by Ex-
port Bou1ties on Farm Products-If He
Cannot Get These lie Wants Absolute
Free Trsie.
Senator Cdnnon Of Utah introduced
on May 20 an amendment to the tariff
bill which is Iihciy to make trouble for
the Republican leaders and which may
break down the whole protective sys-
TEN. The amendment favors the Lubin
scheme Of paying export boanties on
farm products. This scheme is now be-
ing ruskcd vigorously, not only by its
author David Lubin, hut also by the
oranges Of many states and by trades
unions aud ministers. 1t makes its fight
inside the ranks of protection and has
already opcEed moro farmers eyes to
the folly Ct TIE system than all Cf the
tariff reform work that has been done.
Senator Cannon ted some plain truths
when Introducing this amendment. He
spoke in part as follows:
1t was with great surprise, upon an ex-
animation Of the measure, that | found
that the great cluss Of cur population
who have from the beginning not only
supported the protective tcrif party by
their Votes but have supported the pro-
tectivc t-liT riiuciplo by their industry
from The lightning Of its operation,
were in q large degree &; iuded from
any of its bouca,s 1t IL, say, to gup-
ply a very patent omission from the
measure as it now stands that the
amendment is proposed and will be ad-
vocatod here until vote shall be had
thereon.
The bill as it is offered today affords
no protection to agricultural staples.
There is remaining, l presume, no ad.
vocate of the protective tariff system
who will contend that in this bill, with
these import duties, there is afforded
any protection or benefit of increased
price arising from import duties upon
any of those commodities Of which we
export Our surplus, nor are there re-
manning at tho present timo i'll the
school Of protection very many men
who will contend and none who will
prove that the indirect protection afford
ed to the farmer by the tariff on man
ufactured goods is sufficient compensa-
ton to him for the vast cost entailed
upon him in carrying the protective
tariff system upon manufactured goods.
1t has become apparent to all thought
full observers, and certainly it is known
to all who have any direct connection
with tho agricultural industry of the
United States, that tho farmer cannot,
and the man who reads him we'll knows
that tho flrTuer viii not, much longer
bear this burden.
There arc three remedies possible.
The second remedy, and one which /,
as a believer in protection, would be
ready to accept rather than to hold to
and vote for an iucQuitable bill, wOuld
be absolute free trade, by which the
farmer might buy as cheaply as he is
compelled to sell, and that remedy this
congress will not seek to enforce. There
remains, then, but the third-the appli-
cation of an export bounty which shall
in a measure give restitution to the
farmer for the higher prices which he is
compelled to pay in protected markets.
No proposition based upon the deola-
ration Of equal protection to all the in
dustries Of the United States is COM
plete, nor can there be successfully
made contention that 1t is just, unless
it gives to the exporter of agricultural
staples from the United States an equiv
alent benefit to that given to the manu-
facturer by the imposition of an import
duty.
A duty of 25 cents o bushel upon
wheat is delusion and q snare. The
farmer of the United States gets no ben
eft from it. The imposition of duty upon
cotton, if that were attempted, would
be Of no value 10 the cotton producer.
The imposition of duty on rye is Of no
value to the farmer of the United States. !
Every other protected industry has
direct benefit from this tariff, because
where we do not produce in the United |
States sufficient for our own consump- |
ton and quantity considerable in ex
tent for export the import duty serves |
as a means whereby the local producer |
can enhance the price to the local con-
sumer.
The immediate benefit to the farmer /
derived from the treasury of the United |
States would not be all. For this com
paratively small expenditure to him he
would receive for these staples more
than $225, 600, 900 in higher prices than
he now receives. 1t is true that this
would increase the price of breadstuffs
TO the consumers in the cities but un-
der the declaration made here today
that with higher prices the people will
bo more able to buy We will have
larger consumption Of wheat and wheat
-four and other agricultural staples in
the cities Of the country than we have
now at the low prices.
Mr. Butler-Mr. President the sena-
tor from Utah said he was i'll favor of !
about $13, 900, 900 export duty on wheat |
at 10 cents bushel. If we pay an ex- |
port bounty of 10 cents bushel, that |
xpil1 poica . he t,pica Cf ar-orxr bncbal Of l