The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-07-01
PROSPERITY FOR FARMERS
The Republican Policy Of PROTECTORS
IL Hostile 10 American
Producers.

'cH' ''|fFS Will Nott WIN IttFlNs''y
party" says prominent republican
organ. Prosperity. according TO the re-
publican statesman upon whose obser-
vations il bases its remark, is all due To
therepublican party. To speak more ex-
actly, the organs and the politicians
think they can make the farmers be
lieve that and thus induce them to vote
Tor the republican candidates.
The Chronicle is inclined TO entertain
q higher opinion of the intelligence OF
American farmers. II is inclined TO
think that they know the difference be-
tween politics and weather so far as not
TO accept the theory of the republicans
that good crops in the United States
and scant crops elsewhere last year
were caused by ballot boxing in TINS
country alone in 1896.
Farmers can read, generally speak
ting, and in the same newspapers which
tell them that they are indebted to the
republican party for prosperity they
will read about the enormous exports
of last years crops and the high prices
obtained from foreigners for their
produce.
The very organ which declares that
the farmers will vote with 'prosperity's
party" contains the statement, based
on official reports, that agricultural eN-
ports for the fiscal year ending with
this month "will be considerably in ex-
cess of $500, o00,00 the total for the
wear being likely to reach $s35.OOO. 900.
Never before have the exports OF agr-
cultural products reached the SsOO,oOo,-
900 line and never but twice have they
been as much as 500, 000,o COON lssl
and 1892.
When the farmers read this very like
| iy they will fail to perceive any relation
between the election of republican
president and congress in 1896 and the
abundant crops in the United States IN
1897 and the extraordinary foreign de-
mand for them in 1897 and 1898.
They will not be able TO see that the
casting of more votes for Mckinley thar
for Bryan in 1896 caused our agricul'
tural exports to be Sl5o,O0O,O 600 greater
in value this fiscal year than they were
last and $3.50, 100000 greater than IL
1898. They will fail TO discover causa
tive relation between an American cleo
zion in 1896 and extraordinary exports
of American produce at high prices II
1897 and 1898. Failing in that they vii
be very likely TO conclude that the re
publican politicians and their organ
are arrant humbugs. They are likely
to conclude that men who claim tina
their political policy is the cause
abundant crops at home and short crop
abroad and high prices for agriculture
products the world over are not deserv
ing of confidence.
; If the farmers will consider the mat
ter they will perceive that the attitnd
of the republican party toward foreig
) trade is strongly hostile to the interest
of farmers. Whatever restricts import
! also tends to restrict exports. And
= tax on imports necessarily prevents th
producer OF an article of expor. from OF
tanning the full value of his product
The republican duties on woolen
u averaging more than 100 per cent
make it impossible for the farmer to q
8 half the quantity of wooden goods fc
!, 100 bushels of wheat that he could e.
:, And the like is true of other dutiab
goods.
!. When the farmer sees that his pr
4 duce may be sold abroad to the vall
Of $500, 0O0, 900 year and that the r
publican tariff prevents him from &c
ting more than 20 per cent. of the TO
eign goods in exchange for his produ
that he could get under free trade
will understand that the republics
= party, so far from promoting his pro
90 perity, is taking from his pockets s24'
900, 900 year on his exported product
'" not to speak Of the larger amounts
takes for the benefit of protectees wh'
"A he exchanges his produce for protect
homemade goods. He will see Thu
while the politicians cannot give hi
good crops, they can rob him of mu
Of the value of his crop.--Chica