Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-05-08

ton directed toward the meat industry. A
serious threat of tariff reduction on meat
products will cement the Western states,
one and all, into determined opposition. re-
CARELESS of party lines for 1t would imperil
their industrial future.
What is the argument? eff 1t be true
says the specious agitator. 'that there Is n
shortage of well conditioned cattle on the
Western ranges then plainly 1t Is to the
ranchmans interest to he permitted to
mako importations of Mexican and Cana
dian stock for the rcplenishng of his
herds" Such logic is not even ingenious:
1t is as shallow as the argument that the
abolition of the tariff on meat products Will
strike directly at the supposed packing
mouse trust" The Infant industry in
the casc-a term which tho East surely has
not forgottcn-is the breeding of cattle on
the grass ranges: 1t is the breeder VINO
profits by the present tariff, through the
premium that Is thus put upon the en-.
largement and Improvement in quality or
his herds: 1t Is the breeder vho would sur
fer the loss consequent upon reduction
Of import duties on dressed beef. Through
many years he has been striving to grade
his stock, to raise II in quality above the
inferior herds on the plains to tho south
and North. This has been costly work
taking one year with another and a|crag-
ing up profits and losses, ma iority ot the
y
investment Their desire Is not To ne
brought in competition with the old. Wild
strains. but to no able to make scientific
breeding profitable. Tariff reduction wound
result in throwing the busino ss back into tic
chaotic conditions Of % wears ago; the sec
ordary result would bc to send the intelli-
gent breeder, with his immense investment
of money, into bankruptcy.
Another effect, perfectly apparent to the
Western man who has kept up an ac-
uuaintance with tho facts. would be to top
| pie the corn market to ruin. As the thing
| stands the one circumstance which gives
stability to the price of corn in the West
IS the demand occasioned by the era ss-fed
becvcs coming in from the ranges to be
corn fattencd Reduce the size of the
/ Western herds to an appreciate extent
and the surplus corn must he shipped
abroad. paying eXtortionate freight rates
and dropping in price accordingly in the
rraitic markets The West would see
n gain the days of 15-cent corn. with all
the old attendant distress. More than
one-half Of tho arabic lands Of the prairie
country are now planted to this one crop:
| the corn field is an institution as sacred
to those communities as are the mills to
Fall River, or Lowell, or Pittshurg. If a
protective tariff was ever n matter of good
business sersc in Massachusetts or Penn
I sylvania 1t is equally sound as business
proposition to-day in Iowa. Kansas. Texas
and Montana and throughout the rural
regions.
The East forrets that for n generation
or more the rural States have been very
cheerf,llly bearing their share of the bur
dens of a protective system out of which
they get no personal benefit: they bought
protected shoes, clothing, tools implements
and household wares, making no strong
complaint. serenely conscious that they
were contributing to the prosperity of thu
N n ma nd m
J unsulied from contact with cheau com
petition and this they did while selling
the fruits Of the own labor In the free
u markets of the world, receiving no favors
from anyone 1t was not contended thai
one class OF labor was not so worthy NJ
another. but in that day the rural States
were tHinlv populated and of comparative
~ little account in national politics: tn,
, politicians We're more concerned with tn,
: larger voting strength of the manufactur
ing centres. where protected labor ate thu
: freolist foodstuffs of the West. To have
: included the farmer in the scheme, on ~
equal footing with the mill hand. woul,
have made tho whole thing unpopular il
the East; so the West was compelled t.
wait.
Now it has discovered its own industric
and has set them going 1t has also adde.
tn its numerical strength in the meantim"
and has learned to use its voice witt
) ne taken by political parties in the dealini
with its affairs. The West must Away
be reckoncd with In the future; to igror
its interests will surely entail disaster upo,
! the offending party This is no unrea
! sonable demand. In view of the past Il
: the present case no fury of exclamatio,
> against suppositious "kings' and bar
ons" will serve to divert the mind Of til
, West from the plain issue; its CAREFUL
3 reared industrial structure must not b
: overthrown because Of conditions quite be
y)nd human control. The prairie peopl
r are asking no more than fair play. no NOR
t than reciprocal tolerance on the part q
t tho East.
Z The agitation conc erning sugar is @
8 course inextricably entanglcd with shee
f sentiment amongst the people. and amds
= tho general confusion the professional pol
r tician seems at a loss to make up hi
h mind as to the cxpedient course. But tn
g West Will watch proceedings with uu
It blinded eyes. Sugar-beet culture and beet
s sugar manufacture on the prairies are iii
!, FAINT industries II over such existed
S sneak from accurate personal knowledg
n in saying that both are vet in the expcr
8 mental stage of development. Nothing 81
e actual trial, repeated through several year
J. can determine whether particuia. arc1
r are adapted TO the successful growth {
|; beets. In the past there has been muc
e difficulty in inducing the farmers to sppn
e time and money on such experiments I'll
l. Industry has developed very slowly, and
l. not yet by any means on a secure footin.
It's success once assured, it will mean
t. great deal to the prairics, giving one MOI
/ profitable field for labor. 1t is not to /
n wrecked with impunity.
's To be plain, the West has made up Il
l. 'nird thai good rule will work both way
N The East is not now In greater need
" cheap food than the West has long been ,
l. cheap clothing and implements; and an
l. denial Of simple justice will be costly
J. whichever party essays it. II Is not
It much the policy Of protection that aprea
~ 10 the people of the prairies as it is IL
f. Lasic articles of good faith. They NJ
y, rather weary of holding the sack all Il
e. time.
H.
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