Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1904-05-23
A WHINING ORGAN.
Sheds Hypocriticnl Tears over the
Trust Ridden American Farmer.

Trust Ridden American Farmer.
Some Republicans in Minnesota and
other states bordering on Canada are
very anxious for reciprocity with Can
ada. The American Economist. how
ever, OcnounreS this reciprocity as Il
means "f adding 10 the profits of the
mllers. the iobhcrs and the railroads.
and Il selfish. scuSelr>s scheme of
chcap"nug the domestic market for
farm products. The Econouist also
claims 1t would break down tic prr"
of wheat at Minneapolis. aud for pro
ciSely that effect and for that reason
the Minneapolis milling corporal ions
and the Twin city daily newspapers
are urging reciprocity with AL their
might and maili."
AS every farmer knows this crude
reasoning is based on The supposition
that the price of wheat is fixed in
Minneapolis according TO tho amount
OF wheat received there But the
facts are that the price Of wheat is
controlled 10y the combined crops of
the world and the demand for the snr
plus after our OVID ard other home
markets are supplied. Thos" countries
like England which DO not raise
enough wheat to supply their own
people buy what they uced from the
United States, Italia. Argentina Rus
STA Or any other country that has Il
surplus to sell The demand for that
surplus fixes the price of wheat all
over the world, and the Canadian
wheat has but q slight Hlnnnnee to
raise or lower it. If tn" Canadian
wheat does NOT come through Min
ncapoliS. where most Of ii wonld ho
ground into -four in American mills il
would be shipped Ia eastern Canada
and either made into -four there or
shipped direct To England. In any
event the most of it reaches England
and completes in regulating the price
that is paid the world over
The American farmer has been badly
treated by the protcctonists He has
10 pay high tariff prices for all he
buys and has but little protection on
what he raises. The Economist knows
this and must bolster up its protect ion
fallacieS by its pretended anxiety for
the American farmer. The Protective
Tariff league. which supplies the mon
ey to publish the Economist. is com
posed of eastern manufacturers. most
Of whom are now organized into trusts
and combines. which are bleeding the
farmer at every pore. and their ankle.
ty, expressed through their organ. the
Economist, for the protection of the
farmer is like the love Of the lion for
the lainh-to make a good utcaI of
This contention among the Republic
an protectionists on the virtue of reci-
procity. which. by the way. was IA
vored by Blaine and urged by McKin-
ley and was part Of the political creed
of President Roosevelt until the stand
pHtters' forced him to yield to their do
nothing policy, is favored by many Re
publicans who see that protection can
not long exist unless some of Its bar
riers to trade are lowered.
The Democrats may accept reciproc-
ity as a means to break down protec-
ton, but it is not the Democratic way
of curing the evil Of monopoly When
the farmers are relieved from trust
exactioEs by the tariff being reformed
so that the trusts can no longer charge
them much higher prices here than the
same trust productions are sold for
abroad, the wheat problem will be set
tied at the same time All the farmer
wants is to be allowed to buy in the
cheapest market and sell in the best
market that the world affords. The
farmer. with the trusts removed from
ais back. which are now riding him to
his undoing, will then have equal
rights with the monopolists. who are
now enjoying special privileges at his