Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-08-05
Facts for Farmers to Consider.

The 18th plank OF the republican
platform, adopted by the convention
that nominated Abraham Lincoln at
Chicago May 16, 1850, said:
'sThat, while providing revenue for
the support of the general govern
ment by duties on imports, sound pol
icy requires such an adjustment Of
these imports as to encourage the de-
ve!opment Of the industrial interests
OF the whole country"
Then revenue was the object, pro-
lection the incident. Now all that is
changed, protection is the object,
revenue the incident. AS late as 1871,
a representative IN congress from New
Hampshire, and republican, offered
this resolution in congress:
Resolved, That the tariff should
be so reformed as to be a tao for reuc-
asate only, and not for the protection Of
class interests at the general expense.
This resolution by a nearly unani-
nous republican vote was referred to
the ways and means committee of the
House of Representatives for its guild
ance.
Since that time the predatory ele-
ment in the republican party has OBJ
tanned complete control of its organic
alton, and the trusts dictate its policy.
In 1884 the convention that nominal
ed Blaine and Logan repudiated the
doctrine of levying duties on foreign
imports ''for revenue only" and in
1904 protection, behind which the
trusts are safely sheltered and pro-
tected, is the cardinal principle Of
the party.
What possible interest can the far
mers, scattered all over the timber
less prairies of the northwest, have
in tariff of two dollars Thousand
on lumber, levied in the sole interest
Of the millionaire mill owners Of Mich
igan, Minnesota, and elsewhere? The
wealth they have accumulated
through the tariff privilege has en-
abled them to purchase and own all
the available timber lands Of the
{ United States.
What possible interest have these
same farmers in tariff tax levied up
on all structural iron that enters into
their buildings, into their agricultur-
al implements; into the building,
construction and equipment of the
railroads which carry their products
to market and returns to them their
needed supplies, levied for the sole
and exclusive benefit of the Carne-
gieS and other millionaire iron manu-
facturers of the country?
What possible interest have these
same farmers in tariff tax upon
window glass, levied in the interest
Of the millionaire glass manufactur-
ers Of the east, and through the effect
Of which the price of glass has been
increased more than one hundred per-
cent above what it should be, for a
reasonable and remunerative profit?
And what is strange about it is that
In Iowa, these same farmers year
after year go to the ballot box and
vote go to 80 thousand majority to
perpetuate upon themselves this ex-
tortion.
They have not yetlearned that the
men in control Of their organization
are beneticiaries of these extortions.
When will the banks now in pos
session Of 1853 millions of public money
withouttnterest consent to limit tax
alton to the actual needs OF the gov
ernment2
When will the wealthy owners Of
the mills and timber materials for
making lumber make any tariff con-
cession IN the interests of builders in
towns or in prairie countries?
Echo answers, When? FL