Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-08-25
THE FARMERS AND POLITICS

CrOpS1al over the country, prices
steady at nearly the top notch for
almost everything 1the farmer has
TO sell, politicians state and
acknowledging with each other in
favoring and enacting legislation to
benefit the farmer and thereby
gain his favor, things are coming
the farmers way in manner that
simply amazes him in seeing abUnd-
ance piled on plenty as far as he is
concerned. The American farmer,
in fact, is simply reveling IN pros
peritYIthis year. For several sea-
sons he has had the pleasant expert
,ence OF good times, until he has
LANDED on Easy street and feels
,;omplacently at peace with himself
and the world. And now he sees a
promise that even the good times of
the past are to be eXcelled as far as
he is concerned, and he is naturally
Joyful to the extent Of jubilation.
Th1slis a political year, and of
course the farmers of this nation
are keeping track of the progress of
events as connected with the COM
ing campaign. Soon the representa-
tives Of both the big opposition
parties ,swill be appealing to the
farmers for their support. AS far
as minor offices go it probably
makes little real difference as to the
political affiliations of the farming
class. But it does mean much to
the farmers to know they are safe
guarding their best interests with
regard to the men they select for
their representatives in the national
congress. The Democrats are try
ing to make an issue Of the tariff
question in the coming COMPRESSION
al campaign, and one of their argu
ments to catch the farmers will be
that a reduction of the tariff on
manufactured goods, machinery,
etc, will permit the farmers to pur-
chase these supplies cheaper than
they have been able to do in the
past.
The farmers Of this country should
beware Of this misleading plea. Per
haps it is true that a revision of the
present tariff schedules is advisable
"a good many honest and sincere
Republicans hold to this opinion.
But the farmers, and everyone else
Tor that matter, should remember
shat this is very tickllsh subject,
and one not to be tackled without
careful deliberation and a complete
understanding of all the probable
consequences before any expert
ment is attempted in this direction.
The nation as a whole is prosperous,
and the farmers are getting their
full share of this property. II the
Democrats could have their way
they would lose no time in tamper-
ing with the tariff and when the
question is once opened there is no
telling where the effort may end.
An element of uncertainty would
naturally effect all business cOndi-
tiOns, and one of the first, to feel
The effects of this sentiment would
be the farmers, who necessarily sell
their products at prices set by the
law of supply and demand. 1t
would be the height of foOlishness,
therefore, for the farmers to turn
from their Republican friends, who
have made possible this era of great
prosperity, IN order to give the
Democrats a chance to renew their
old experiments at tariff tinkering.
The time is coming, and soon,
when the Republican party will it
self be ready to take UP the'tariff
question and correct any glaring
Inaccuracies that may possibly exist
ln the present schedules. There is
no necessity for undue and unwise
haste in the matter, for, as already
explained, practically everyone is
doing we'll even under present con
ditions. And when the time does
come for tariff revision it will be
better to leave this work to the
friends of protection than to the
recognized opponents of the same
the Democrats who have always
shown tendency to blunder iuto
amazing mistakes-mistakes, that
have cost the people of this coun-
try dearly in the past, and which