The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-07-10
NOTHING FOR FARMERS
Why the Proposed Beet Sugar
Bounty Failed,
FEAR OF DELAYING THE TARIFF.

But Western Senator Thinks If We Are
to Have Protection For Capital and La
Dor In Large Centers That Farmers
should Have II Also.
WASHINGTON. July 10 -. Special Not
withstanding the fact that the Republicans
of the senate AID not dare make the beet
sugar bounty party policy. on account of
fear of delaying the tariff bill there is a
general belief among public men here that
within a short time the proposed bounty
will be given. and that IL will result IN
building up new agricultural industry In
this country Men who hold TO .Iefferso
Man principles Of who are opposed TO sub.
sides and bounties, look upon any sort OF
bounty as something beyond the proper
junction of a government With the argu.
ments on one side or the other the average
man has little to do There is very much
to be said both for and against a bounty
People who do not care TO bother them
selves about principles and who look only
10 effects soc in the proposed bounty on
beet sugar a chance Co do something tangi-
BILE toward building up the American farm
err | know a number of men who do not
believe In bountics as a matter of princi
pie, but who favor this beet sugar bounty
because, as western senator puts it, p" II
we are going to have protective system
throughout our national life for the benefit
Of the manufactures and the trusts. and
the workmen in cities, and the capital gen.
orally invested I'm large centers of popula-
ton, | say that system should be extended
TO the farmer as well.
The protective system has helped the
farmer in but one way" continual, this
senator, "if 1t has helped him at all 1t
has given work to greater, ;number of
men, increased the purchasing power of our
own people and thus given the farmer
better home market This is the argument
of the supporters of the protection theory,
and IL it is true then all that has been done
for the farmer is in most indirect way.
He has been compelled TO pay more for the
things he buys that he may have better
market for the things he has to sell. Now,
II we are TO continue the high protection
system-and IL looks rs II we were-the
farmer should have direct as we'll as in.
direct benefit from 1t. The sugar bounty
would be of direct advantage to him"
The Farmers Condition.
lone of the great questions before the
man who has given careful study to eco
nomic subjects, "is whether or not we are
going to permit our farmer to drop down
to the level of the agricultural populations
of other countries. No other nation has
such farming people as we have. no 9TH
er Is so intelligent, so refined, so highly
civilized. Our farming population Is the
back bone of the nation 1t produces our
best men, our leaders. our great armies.
our geniuses. Our farmers live WELL are
surrounded by comforts, they have their
books and magazines. their children are
well educated. Other countries have In
comparison serfs or peasants. denizens of
matched huts, women working in the
fields. Only in America is the farming
population at the TOP OF the ladder of cul
ture and character.
"Can we hold them there? We can do
so only by enabling them to make their
lands earn what they should earn. Wheat
Is playing out as profitable crop. Time
was when we controlled the wheat markets
of the world. Now we are met by wheat
from Argentina, India, Russia, South
Africa, In keen competition. This foreign
wheat is grown by farmers and by labor
against which our farmers and our labor
cannot compete, for the simple reason that
our agricultural people will not live as
those people live. II our farmers are to
thrive as they ought to thrive they must
have some better crop for their lands than
wheat. They must get away from oompe-
tition with the peasants
The Sugar Industry.
"In an average year we sell abroad
about 500 900, 900 worth Of wheat. That
Is a very large sum of money. But what
next happensY Why, we turn right around
and pay out Just about that same sum for
the sugar which we import. Sugar, like
wheat, is an agricultural product. 1t is
grown by farmers. II Is astonishing to
think that q sum of money equal to all we
get for our wheat crop is paid out for a
single product of the farms Of other coun
tries This is the more amazing when we
remember that the United States is known
to be one of the best countries In the world
for sugar raising. Four-fifths Of our farm
ing land Is adaptable to the sugar beet
Starting In on the Atlantic coast and run
ming to the Pacific, from North Carolina
northward and west of the Hudson, is all
good sugar country.
lone justification for the protective pol
icy Is that 1t has helped build up industries
which could not have been established In
the face of foreign competition but for the
help of the law. The same argument ap
plies to bounty for beet sugar Experts
say that II the growing OF sugar beet can
be stimulated by a government bounty for
a few years the industry will then be able
TO stand alone 1t certainly would he \
great thing II the United States could grow
its own sugar.