The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1904-04-07
The Trusts and the Farmers,

Some Republicans in Minnesota and
other states bordering on Canada are
very anxious for reciprocity with
Canada, but the American Economist
denOunces this reciprocity as "a
means of adding to the profits Of the
millers, the jObbers and the railroads
and selfish, senseless scheme of
cheapening the domestic market for
farm products" The Economist also
claims lit would break down the price
of wheat at Minneapolis and for pre-
cisely that effect, and for that reason;
the Minneapolis milling corporations
and the Twin City daily newspapers
are urging reciprocity with all their
might and main.' As every farmer
knows this rude reasoning is based on
the suppOsitiOn that the price of wheat
is fixed in Minneapolis, according to
the amount of wheat received there.
But the facts are that the price of
wheat is controlled by the combined
crops of the world and the demand
for the surplus, after our own and
other home markets are supplied.
Those countries like England which do
not raise enough wheat to supply Deir
own people buy what they need from
the United States, India, Argentine;
Russia or any other country that has
surplus to SELL The demand for that
surplus fixes the price of wheat all
over the world and the Canadian
wheat has but slight influence to
raise or lower it. If the Canadian
wheat does not come through Mime
apOlis, where most of it would he
ground into flour in American mills,
it would be shipped to Eastern Can
ada and either made into flour there
Or shipped direct to England. In any
event the most of it reaches Endland
and completes in regulating the price
that is paid the world over.
The American farmer has been bad
~ treated by the protectionists; he
has to pay high tariff prices for all
he buys and has but little protection
On what he raises. The Economist
hIOWS tulS DOiSlCi uP lto
protective falacies by its pretended
anxiety for the American farmer.
The Protective Tariff League, which
supplies the money to publish the
Economist, is composed of Eastern
manufacturers, most of whom are now
organized into trusts and combines
who are bleeding the farmer at every
pore and their anxiety expressed
through their organ-the Economist
for the protection of the farmer is like
the love of the lion for the lamb-to
make a good meal of.
This contention amongst the Repub-
lican protectionists on the virtue of
reciprocity, which, by the way, was
favored by Blaine and urged by Nc
Kinley, and was part of the political
creed of President Roosevelt until the
stand patters" forced him to yield to
their ''do-nothing policy" is favored by
many Republicans, who see that pro-
lection cannot long exist unless some
of its barriers to trade are lowered.
The Democrats may accept reciprocity
as means to break down protection,
but it is not the Democratic way Of
curing the evil of monopoly. When
the farmers are relieved from trust eX-
actions by fhe 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
his 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
nynpnSp