, 1904-09-01
Who is Being Robbed.

Certainly not the hundreds oil thou-
sands of workmen employed in the
Protected industries and their famil-
les and certainly not the hundreds
of thousands and their families who
depend for "a livelihood upon enter
prises that are prosperous only as the
Protected industries are prosperous;
surely, it cannot be the farmer of the
great West who are the unfortunate
victims of the much bruited (by the
Democratic press Tariff robbery, nor
can it be our fellow citizens of the
South. When in the history of this
nation were the working people of the
country so prosperous. rs they have
been under this same robber Tariff?
When did they live so well, and en-
JOY the pleasures and refinements of
lie so much? Where else in the
world o.day do w%orkingman earn 50
much, enjoy so great privileges and
count for so much in the social, pc
i%itical, industrial and financial life of
their country as they do right here in
Tariff Protected America?
1t cannot be that the workingmen
and their families are being robbed
by the Tariff, but if it be called "rob-
berry, they will certainly pray that
they may keep on being robbed i'll
the same way. 1t is a pleasant way
of being robbed when the victims
can have on deposit in the savings
banks OF the country hundreds of
millions OF dollars drawing interest.
The plumber of depositors is owe
100000 and their deposits lack but
a few millions Of an aggregate of
three billions of dollars, IN ii little
more than 1000 savings banks. The
average to each depositor is between
800 and $500, and no other country
from which figures are obtainable
shows anything like such AN average.
The great agricultural States of the
West for the past six or seven years
have been wondrously prosperous.
The last census showed "A total valua-
ton of farm property in the United
States amounting TO $50, 5l4,O0l ,S3S,
and the products of those farms in
1899 amounted to I,I39, lis, 1872, or
in round numbers, 81, 900.
There was expended for farm labor
and fertilizer that year about S420,-
100000, leaving IA profit to tine farm
ers of I,3S9, 100000. or more than 70
per cent on IA valuation that was
probably in excess of the actual in
vestment. If these figures indicate
that the farmer is being robbed, then
figures do lie; but the farmers don't
know that they are being robbed, and
they seem to give the It publican par.
ty "A good deal of credit for their pros
perlty, real or fancied, for the great
agricultural States of the Union are
Republican with few if any excep-
tons north of Mason and Dixon's
line. The farmer does not believe ne
is being robbed by the Tariff, when
it creates such "a grand home market
for his products and SO greatly EN-
riches him.
But let us pass on to the Sout h,
which votes the straight Demncr attic
ticket from sectional prejudice and
hatred of the negro and the political
party which has been the negro's
staunch friend. In spite of all its
bigotry and, until recently, nou-en-
terprising disposition, the South is
forging ahead with wonderful strides.
ndustrially, commercially and tinan-
clally, and under republican rule and
the robber Tariff is becoming one of
this most prosperous and happy re.
gions of the United States. North
ern capital, begotten by the same
abused policy Of Protection, gave it
its start and the Tariff is helping 10
perpetuate and increase it. The
Southern statesmen of the new schoo!
who aim to keep in intelligent touch
with the progress and the needs of
their State 5 are unwilling to give
their sanction to any scheme of Tar.
III reduction that would affect South.
ern interests, and that is proof
enough that they do not consider a
Tariff for Protection a robbery. No.
the South is not the victim of the
Tariff robber, and if they could over,
come their old and deep-seated pc.
litical prejudice against the Republi-
chn party, the more progressive
States Of the South would he found