The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-07-14
TRADE WITH FOREIGN LANDS
Exports Nearly All Agricultural
Tariff a Barrier to
Trade.

AlAAG.
The foreigner refuses 10 buy our
manufacture because our tariff pre-
vents reciprocal trade-our surplus
farm products sold in the chcapes,
market, while our farmers buy in tho
dearest market. The prOtcctiolist,
boesdng OF the volume Of our export
trade, does not show ar very well for
cur manufacturers when the facts are
Investigated. While The uaitod States
exports a large quantity OF agricultural!
products. that is, raw materials. only
eight Ier cent Of an our exports are
manufactured GOODS and these form bu'
)ne per cent. OF an our manufactures
That shows the low ebb the protective
lystem, which eliminated in the pass.
lse OF the Dingley tariff bill. has
lrOught our foreign trade to and there
IS no possibility Of increasing the
amount OF manufactured goods We can
sell 10 foreign countries until the Ding
ley tariff is revised.
The foreigners viii not buy OF US #
we do not buy OF them. except our agri-
cultural products and the products OF
1ur mines and forests OF which the
foreign countries that purchase cannot
produce enough TO supply their own
necessities. Our wheat, corn, cotton.
pork, timber and metals have to com
pete in price with Ike products of 9TH
er countries and the price paid for
them is what the foreign purchaser is
willing 10 give.
Protection adds nothing to the Price
We receive for these raw products.
which our farmers, lumbermcn and
miners have TO sell. but the tariff does
add very largely to the price Of all
kinds Of manufactured goods which our
OWL consumers have TO buy and therc
lore increases the cost OF producing our
AGRICULTURAL products. This is an ad-
m!rable system for the manufacturer
which, by the way. are mostly com
hincd together into what We call trusts.
but is a constant drain upon every one
else and most OF all upon the farmer
who is compelled TO sell his surplus
products in he cheapest market-the
markets of the world-and buy what
he annot produce in The dearest mar
ket. which the trusts have created here.
The defense OF this system of pro-
lection is even more extraordinary and
misleading than the statements sent
out from Wall street By the masters OF
frenzied finance 10 induce the public 10
buy the watered stocks they have ere
ated. The p:otectionists tell our farm
ers and other producers of raw prod
ucts that the home market is preserved
and increased for them by the protec-
tive tariff. But forget to say that the
price for which these raw products
must be sold is settled b. what the sur
plus will bring in tho world markets.
after cur " people are supplied with
all they can and afford to pay
for.
Every farmer. and especially farm
ers' sons. should study these simple
facts Of political economy and arrive
CT a conclusion. il this system of pro-
lection is best for their interests. or
whether it has not been invented to in
directly prey upon them. The success
sion OF GOOD crops here and the partial
failure abroad for the past few years
is hardly likely TO continue for another
series OF years and the good times en-
ioyed by u farmers may at any time
be changed into hard times. either by
large cereal crops the world over or by
partial failure OF crops here. When
either of these events occur the O
~tective system. built up by the repub-
lican party. will be exposed in all its
hideous deformity and the demand foi
reform will he Irresistible.
The part OF wisdom IS to prepare for
what must happen in time to avoid
great disaster. and this can only be
done by a reasonable revision OF the
that will be fair alike TO all
lasses and yet produce enough revenue
70 run the government honestly anu
economically administer ed.