The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-14
STONES FOR BREAD.

Admittedly at the head, as the or
thodoX exponent of the protective pol
icy among Republican papers, is the
patriotism of Greeley, that frankly ad-
mitted that protection was paid for by
consumers of both the imported and do
nestle article protected. but urged the
sacrifice that this country might be
made independent of foreign nations,
has become the cynical selfshness Of
Reid, who masks the robbery of the
mass for the enrichment Of our modern
aristocracy behind pleas of benefit for
the farmers and greater wages for Ia
Dor. 1t gives voice more clearly, in
sistently and loyalty to the policy and
avowed purposes of Republicanism
than any other "aper in the country. 1t
holds the first place given it by Greeley
fifty years ago.
Whenever effort is made to extend
the blanket of protection to really cover
either of these classes of our industrial
population; when either of them find
that their covering is nothing but the
flimsiest gauze, while the wooden
blanket is mOnOpoIzed by a few of an
other class, the Tribune is quick to tell
them that gauze is good enough for
them, and that they should be con-
tented with what warmth they can alb
sorb from proximity to their blanketed
bedfellows. When congress forced on
the reluctant Morton the purchase and
distribution of seeds it approved Nor
toms position. When Cleveland vetoed
the agricultural bill it said good. When
the new congress came in it reioiced
because it gave opportunity for new
bill without a seed purchase feature. 1t
said: But it is not to be supposed
that the farmers of this country wish
to pose as beggars or as receivers of
aims. Nor is there the slightest good
reason why such gratuites should be
bestowed upon them. The farmer has
no more title to get his turnip seed at
the public expense than he has to get
his hoes and shovels in the same way,
or than the city workingman has to
get his flour and sugar"
When Senator Cannon proposed to
give the farmer some share of real pro-
lection with an export bounty, it said:
1T IS not the need of farmers any
where to entice more people into the
raising of farm crops so that the mar
kets of the world may be overcrowded,"
but urged, as the only efficacous rem
edy, the fostering of manufactures to
provide consumers of farm products,
Enticing more manufacturers into pro-
ducing things and "overcrowding the
markets" is laudable, but to procure
more farmers to use the things produc-
ed is folly. The farmer might we'll
when held out to manufacturers and
improper when rendered him; if. in
deed, he were simple enough to think
that it is intended that he shall have
any of the plumber. Now, the coal
miners, whose employers have had a.
protection of 40 cents a ton, are paid
81 cents a ton for mining it and are
on a strike to get 50 cents a ton for
mining coal, which is to be protected
81 cents ton, and all the comfort the
Tribune gives the striking miners is to
tell them that they are only 'the tools
of their leaders, who handle them to
serve their own personal or political
schemes" 1t regards with astonish-
ment their demand for an advance of
% per cent in their wages because con-
gress proposes an advance of Ct per
cent in the protection to the mine own
ers. Farmers and miners must I'M
derstand that stones are good enough
for them, bread being strictly reserved
for their betters.